What A Day – September 4, 2025

Episode Title: Senator Van Hollen On Epstein: Release The Damn Files!
Host: Jane Coaston (Crooked Media)
Guest: Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Main Theme:
An insightful, fast-paced discussion of the current Congressional session’s biggest issues: the push for full transparency on the Jeffrey Epstein files, the looming threat of a government shutdown, U.S. policy in Gaza, vaccine mandate rollbacks in Florida, and the tug-of-war dynamics of coalition and party loyalty in Washington.

1. Main Theme Overview

The episode centers on two urgent stories from Congress’s return:

• The ongoing battle to force the release of all Jeffrey Epstein investigation files, with fresh calls from survivors and lawmakers for full transparency.
• The political brinkmanship threatening a government shutdown at the end of September, the role of President Trump, and what tools Senate Democrats have (or don’t) to influence events.

Host Jane Coaston interviews Sen. Chris Van Hollen for perspective on these topics, getting candid insights into Congressional gridlock, the inertia blocking action on Gaza, and why the fight for Epstein information matters for victims.

2. Key Discussion Points and Insights

A. The Epstein Files: Transparency, Hypocrisy, and Victims

• Recap of Recent Events:

  • Survivors held a Capitol Hill press conference demanding action ([01:34]).
  • House Oversight released 33,000+ Epstein documents, most already public ([01:34]).
  • Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) filed a discharge petition to force more releases, facing GOP pushback.

• Van Hollen’s Stand:

  • He’s been pressing for unanimous consent in the Senate to release the files ([02:48]).
  • “We shouldn’t need a vote, right? I mean, the attorney general… has told us for years that these documents should be released. So just release the damn files.” – Van Hollen ([03:10])

• GOP Flip-Flop & Trump’s Position:

  • Trump and allies previously vowed transparency; now Trump calls it a Democratic hoax ([03:16]).
  • "For Donald Trump and Pam Bondi to go from saying that we absolutely need to disclose these files to saying this is a Democratic hoax, you would hope that this is a bridge too far for his supporters." – Van Hollen ([03:49])

• Victims’ Justice:

  • The imperative for transparency is to serve survivors, not political narratives ([04:55]).
  • “They should get some kind of justice through transparency and accountability.” – Van Hollen ([04:27])

B. Looming Government Shutdown: Power Plays and Bipartisanship

• State of Play:

  • Government funding expires September 30; Democrats demand bipartisanship, but Trump/GOP resistant ([01:00–01:34]).
  • Speaker Mike Johnson blames Democrats in advance for any shutdown ([01:25]).

• Van Hollen’s Analysis:

  • Trump already cherry-picks programs to cut without Congressional input ([05:54]).
    • “The president’s already engaged in a shutdown in the sense that he’s shutting down things that he doesn’t like and he keeps up and running things that he does like.” ([05:54])
  • Congress should restrict Trump’s unilateral budgetary power, but sees little chance for genuine bipartisanship ([06:45]-[07:57]):
    • “The lesson we’ve learned around here is at the end of the day, Republicans all fold and do what Donald Trump says.” ([07:21])
    • Hope for compromise is “very close to zero.” ([08:06])
    • “Sometimes it feels like Charlie Brown and the football here.” ([08:06])

C. Gaza and U.S. Aid Policy: Bleak Realities and a Failing Humanitarian Effort

• Van Hollen’s Recent Visit:

  • Reports utter devastation in Rafah, Gaza; entire town gone, starvation mounting ([09:05]).

• U.S. Complicity & Congressional Obstacles:

  • U.S. remains complicit in the crisis, providing military aid as Israel pursues “collective punishment” ([09:30]).
  • Lacks votes in Senate even to restrict weapons transfers; Senate Democratic caucus split ([10:10]).

• Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF):

  • Van Hollen: The U.S.-backed foundation “was designed to fail,” with just 4 distribution centers versus hundreds run by the UN ([10:49–12:46]).
    • “This, in my view, is a very deliberate strategy to use food as a weapon of war.” ([12:30])
  • Urges that all aid be channeled through established UN organizations, and the Netanyahu government must drop food-entry restrictions.

D. Vaccine Mandates: Florida’s Aggressive Rollbacks

• Florida Moves to End All Vaccine Mandates:

  • Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo (handpicked by Ron DeSantis) equates mandates with slavery, spreading discredited anti-vax claims ([15:32–15:49]).
  • DeSantis launches “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) commission to drive policy further right ([16:31]).

• Blue State Response:

  • West Coast governors band to resist the MAHA movement, criticizing the CDC as politicized ([16:41]).

E. Other Political Headlines

• Epstein Survivors & Congressional Allies:

  • Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene surprisingly aligns with survivors, vowing to name every connected abuser if given a list ([17:03]).

• Rep. McIver Censure Vote:

  • Dems and a handful of GOP members block censure of Rep. McIver over an altercation with immigration officers ([18:16–19:25]).

• NYC Mayoral Intrigue:

  • Trump’s team reportedly considers offering Mayor Eric Adams a job to clear the path for Andrew Cuomo and block Zoram Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist opponent ([19:38–20:26]).
  • Mamdani castigates the move as undemocratic:
    • "This is... about an affront to our democracy... Not that they get to be picked by the President of the United States." – Mamdani ([20:26])

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Sen. Chris Van Hollen:

  • "Just release the damn files." ([03:10])
  • "For Donald Trump and Pam Bondi to go from saying that we absolutely need to disclose these files to saying this is a Democratic hoax, you would hope that this is a bridge too far for his supporters." ([03:49])
  • On government funding fights:
    • "It’s not an a la carte menu when it comes to the budget we pass." ([06:24])
    • "Republicans all fold and do what Donald Trump says. It becomes ‘Yes, dear leader,’ at the end of the day." ([07:21])
    • "Sometimes it feels like Charlie Brown and the football here." ([08:06])
  • On Gaza aid:
    • "A town that was there a year and a half ago is just gone, reduced to rubble." ([09:13])
    • "GHF, in my view, is something that the United States government should not be supporting funding... This, in my view, is a very deliberate strategy to use food as a weapon of war." ([10:49]/[12:30])

• Jane Coaston:

  • (About Maryland’s football chances):
    • "Yeah, you were saying that if we could get this bipartisan bill, and I’m like, well, you know, Maryland football could compete for a national championship." ([08:06])
  • "I really hate when people talk about this being a distraction. Like, it's not a distraction for them—the people who were victimized by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell." ([04:55])

• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene:

  • "If they want to give me a list, I will walk in that capital on the House floor and I'll say every damn name that abused these women." ([17:03])

• Rep. Zoram Mamdani:

  • "This is ... about an affront to our democracy... Not that they get to pick themselves, not that they get to be picked by the President of the United States." ([20:26])

4. Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:02–02:36: Episode news open, Congress returns, shutdown context
• 02:36–04:55: Interview with Sen. Van Hollen on Epstein files
• 04:55–08:50: Government shutdown strategy and Congressional dynamics
• 08:50–12:46: Gaza humanitarian crisis and U.S. policy
• 15:21–16:41: Florida vaccine policy announcements and blue state response
• 17:03–18:12: Epstein survivor press conference, Rep. Greene's statements
• 18:16–19:25: Rep. McIver censure vote outcome
• 19:38–20:44: NYC mayoral race, Trump efforts to clear the field
• 20:44–end: Miscellaneous news, culture plugs, closing remarks

5. Conclusion

This episode blends hallmark "What A Day" wryness and depth, spotlighting how bipartisan hopes are repeatedly dashed by party loyalty and presidential pressure. Jane Coaston and Sen. Van Hollen dissect why the Epstein documents still matter, what’s actually broken about the upcoming budget standoff, and how U.S. policy in Gaza reveals moral and political gridlock. The episode closes with urgent headlines on vaccine backlash, survivor advocacy, and the brazen undemocratic maneuvers playing out in NYC politics.

For listeners:
This is a hard-hitting, unvarnished look at why Congressional gridlock persists, why transparency on Epstein is personal for survivors, and how the politics of cruelty—at home and abroad—continue to define American governance in 2025.