Every Saturday, I highlight news that was overlooked, underreported, or buried in the hectic insanity of Trump’s America. 

However, today, I’m writing to you about something that the Trump administration is desperate to keep buried. Something Donald Trump does not want us talking about: The Epstein Files.

I know it may seem obvious that Trump will do anything and everything to keep eyes off the prize. But here’s the thing: his scheme may be working. 

Donald Trump is waving the red cape, and too many in the legacy media are falling for the obvious distraction. 

While the Department of Justice is locking away the Epstein Files and throwing away the key, Trump is setting fires elsewhere. 

Look over here! Left-wing organizations are domestic terrorist networks! The government needs to go after them! 

Oh, now look over here! Jimmy Kimmel insulted Trump, and he was taken off the air! 

What was that? James Comey has been indicted? 

We’re now declassifying the Amelia Earhart files?? Oh yeah, America’s been clamoring for that. 

While Trump’s attack on free speech may have ended with Kimmel back on the air, his goal of distraction prevailed. When Trump claimed that Kimmel’s show had no viewers, the president’s commotion drew a bigger audience. As the late-night host joked during his monologue: “He [Trump] might have to release the Epstein Files to distract us from this.” 

Kimmel’s point? The flame aimed at Kimmel was a distraction. Trump had been losing support from his own House majority over the Epstein Files. His base was growing angry. 

For so long, they had been told that Democrats were the main collaborators in Epstein’s crimes. But the call was coming from inside the house. It was the ultimate betrayal. 

Trump needed to point their ire elsewhere. That’s why he’s been creating a spectacle: sending his supporters after Democrats, tearing comedians from their shows, and acting on his threats against his political opponents. 

He may be succeeding in creating his distraction. But here’s the thing: in some ways, we are also being distracted. As Trump sets these fires, we can’t ignore them and focus solely on the Epstein Files. We can’t let the administration get away with indicting its political opponents and censoring its critics. 

But while we fight these battles, we can’t let the Epstein Files get left behind. That would play into Trump’s game. 

While there are many important stories in the news each day, there is a path forward on Epstein. On Tuesday, Democrat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva won a special election in Arizona. Her signature should result in a floor vote on the Epstein Files. 

Republican leaders, however, have been working hard to prevent this vote. Speaker Mike Johnson claimed that Rep. Thomas Massie’s petition wasn’t drafted in a way that protected victims’ personal information. Privately, GOP members who signed the petition are being pressured to remove their names. 

Worse yet, Johnson and Trump may be stalling on shutdown negotiations to prevent a vote. If the House isn’t in session, then Grijalva can’t be sworn in, then there’s more time to draw attention away from the Epstein Files. 

Whatever people suspect is in the Files, it must be bad. Trump and his sycophants wouldn’t be working so hard to perpetrate this cover-up otherwise — a cover-up which Rick Wilson recently called “the largest in American political history.” 

This scheme reaches so far that a protest statue of Trump and Epstein placed outside the Capitol was taken down by park police. The statue depicted the two best buds holding hands and included excerpts of Trump’s birthday message to Epstein. The creators had a permit, but it was removed anyway. 

Where did the order to remove the statue come from? The DOJ? Trump himself? Why are they concerned with a statue if there is nothing to hide? 

While Trump is trying to run from the truth, it is coming for him whether he likes it or not. On Friday, the House Oversight Committee received more files. They revealed meetings with several men in Donald Trump’s orbit. Maybe the next round will reveal what exactly Trump and Epstein had in common, as his birthday message suggested. 

The gun has been smoking for a long time. Trump can create a spectacle, he can spin up distractions, and he can tear down statues. But the files exist, and the truth will be revealed.

In the meantime, we can’t take our eyes off the ball. Release the Files. Now.