‘Running cover’: Thomas Massie checkmates GOP leader who stymied truth-seeking vote

Republican renegade Thomas Massie put House Speaker Mike Johnson in his place on social media. This comes after Johnson delayed a floor vote on Massie’s bipartisan Epstein bill, which aimed to unseal key records related to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking network.

In his post, Massie reshared a Johnson X post. According to Johnson’s original post, Democrats are upset he delayed the vote, calling it a lack of “transparency.” The same party, he said, that orchestrated “one of the most shameless and dangerous cover-ups in history,” or Biden’s mental and physical health at the end of Biden’s presidency.

“Pretending this is a partisan issue”

Sharing what Johnson wrote, Massie captioned his post, “@SpeakerJohnson, why are you running cover for an underage sex trafficking ring and pretending this is a partisan issue?” He added, “MAGA voted for this,” referring to the release of Epstein’s case files.

With the support of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Massie, and California Democrat Ro Khanna introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act in the U.S. House of Representatives in mid-July 2025. The bill, introduced as H.Res.581, is supported through a discharge petition, an uncommon legislative maneuver designed to bypass Speaker Johnson and bring the measure to a floor vote without leadership approval.

The petition has attracted a mix of conservative Republicans and progressive Democrats, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Meaning there’s rare cross-aisle support for transparency in a case that continues to raise questions about powerful connections and accountability.

Despite this growing momentum, House Republican leadership has blocked any movement on the bill, delaying a potential vote until at least September.

“Speaker Johnson is compromised”

Based on comments on Massie’s “underage sex trafficking ring” post, Johnson’s decision may cause problems beyond just Massie. One comment said, “Speaker Johnson is compromised. He no longer represents the interests of the American people. He’s there to protect [a] criminal elite.” Another added, “Add it to the list of reasons we love Massie!”

Speaker Johnson has publicly stated that the Department of Justice—not Congress—should handle Epstein-related disclosures. Massie and Greene plan to use the recess to gather more signatures on the petition. They need 218 signers force a vote when the House reconvenes.

Until then, the fate of the Epstein bill remains in limbo, emblematic of broader tensions over transparency and political control in Washington.