July 18, 2025 • 7 mins
Mendte in the Morning talks to Rick Klein about the Epstein files and the noise surrounding it as the MAGA base is upset with the Presidents handling of it.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now let's talk to Rick Klein, ABC News Washington Bureau chief.
We haven't talked to you in a couple of weeks. Rick,
Are we on vacation or you just don't like us?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
No, just been off for a little bit, you know,
going on another slow Washington summer. You know what it's like?
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Yeah, how can you say where you went?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Well? How was it? The features that you go down
in Colonial Beach, Virginia. Nice little town a couple of
hours out of DC. Very quiet, very very serene, and
very not Washington. You know, it's not far away.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
It's wonderful. You sound like you came back all invitegrated, invitegrated. Man,
that's a word. You put vigor in something invigorated. Uh so,
apparently I need a vacation. Hey, let's talk about this
Epstein mess. And I don't even know where to start.
So why don't you go through it for us? Because
(00:52):
it is fascinating to me how how this sprang up
in Maga of all of all all places, from all people.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Well, look, this has been going on for years. You know.
Jeffrey Epstein, the federal investigation and then his suicide happened
at twenty nineteen and during the first Trump administration, and
the conspiracy theory started just about from the start, and
they gained steam frankly after Trump left office, because there
were still a lot of questions and whispers about this
massive investigation and what else Jeffrey Epstein, who else he
(01:25):
was involved in. We know he had been associated with
lots of prominent New Yorkers and lots of prominent politicians,
including Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. But it was really
the Trump base that whipped up a fervor to suggest
that there was a massive pedophile ring and a cover
up around this. And the calls for releasing of the
documents came from people like Dan Vanngino and Cash Ptel
(01:47):
and Donald Trump Junior and Jade Vance. And then Trump
becomes president, they review the documents. Pam Bondi says, this
is all going to be out there. She has a
big event at one point, saying here's Phase one, really
much hyped, and then she comes out quiet after the
July fourth weekend say has nothing to see here, and
there's not going to be anything else coming out. And
Trump has asked his base to follow that and to
take that as the final answer, and they quite frankly
(02:09):
have not. In the last two weeks have been consumed
by questions that MAGA base mostly is raising about why
there might be kind of a you know, could there
be a cover up? Why isn't this information coming out
as long and promise?
Speaker 1 (02:20):
It is so hypocritical the way that the Democrats jumped
on this too, because they didn't care about it at
all when Biden was in office. But and they weren't
complaining until MAGA complained, And now they're jumping on it.
They won hearings, They're making a big deal about it.
I'm not sure this is going away anytime soon. I
don't know if you saw it Rick on CNN, Harry Enton,
(02:42):
who does a great job with the polls, they had
asked and I guess it was another poster that asked
what is the biggest issue in the country right now?
And they talked to hundreds and hundreds and hundreds one
person said the Epstein files. One respond not one percentage,
just one person. It shows you the power. I think
(03:05):
it's a it's a sub story to this, but an
important one. It shows you the power of social media.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
That's a great, great point. And and I think it's
a power that it's been powered by by a maga
based on social media. Look, if this was just Democrats
jumping up and down, this would not be a story
anymore because they don't they're not in power. There's nothing
they could do about it. Uh, this would have been
gone two weeks ago, but it's not. You see the
very influential people in the in the Trump movement national
(03:33):
former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn with an impassioned plea
on this. Uh. We saw Joe Rogan go off on this.
I mean, these are these are big, big names with
huge followings that think there's something up here. And yes,
Democrats have seized the political advantage here, but but this
is this. If this continues, it's going to be because
of Donald Trump's own base, and he's doing what he
can to quiet Overnight. He says he's asking his Attorney
(03:55):
general to uh to uh to to to ask for
Grand Jewlry Record to be to be taken down. But
the bottom line is that that's not something that he
is the full power to do. And and unlesser until
there's a full accounting, we're just not gonna I don't
think we're going to see a base that's officiated.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
No there's so many reasons this story is fascinating. But
you're right, this is the issue that MAGA turns on
him on. You know, of all the things that could
possibly be, this is the one. This is the hill
they want to die on. It's it's fascinating to me. Uh.
There's a whole lot of other things going on, but
I want to I want to focus on New York
because it's become a national story. Donald Trump's talked about it.
(04:35):
It's on the national news a lot. The fact that
we have an avowed socialist running for mayor and not
only running but doing extremely well. He paid a visit
to Washington. Uh, and I know that the far left
of the party just fond over him. What do you
make of Zorin Mamdani, Well.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
He's doing it he can to try to build bridges
to the Democratic Party base. He is the Democratic nominee.
Whether Democrats in New York or Washington like it or not,
he is the nominee. But he isn't guaranteed to win.
As you know, we've got the incumbent mayor who's running
as an independent, Andrew Plomo now saying to run as
an independent. We have Curtis Lee were running. You know,
there's a lot of permutations on this, and under normal
(05:17):
circumstances in twenty twenty five New York, you'd think the
Democrat wins, it's going to be a landslide. But I
think there's a lot of different cross currents, and a
lot of it has to do with who Mam Donnie
is and what he has said and what he's believed,
and what the Democratic base is believing these days. The
fact that he could win a primary at all, despite
the lack of experience, despite the statements on Israel, it
is a major moment. I think is the highest profile
(05:38):
race of the in the country this year, and I
think it's going to continue to draw a lot of scrutiny.
And I don't know that Ma'm Donnie's going to be
able to just be embraced by national Democrats, including New Yorkers,
people like Hakim Jeffreys and Chuck Schumer who have.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Been hesitanting right and Kathy Hochel. I will tell you this,
it's really fascinating because I'll give him credit for this.
Him tapping into the issue of affordable was huge and
everybody is using that term now. He's teaching the Democratic Party,
not to be socialists, but what to run on.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, I think there's a lot of Democrats that would
like to be able to capture that magic and say,
look that let's make this about affordability, about the cost
of living, because I mean, you see that in a
lot of the national messaging, even with the Epstein story,
but the percolating you see a lot of Democrats like,
let's talk about medicaid, Let's talk about inflation, let's talk
about food prices, let's talk about the impact of tariffs.
They know that that is those are the kind of
(06:32):
issues that really draw voters out. They certainly did in
New York. But I don't think, you know, you can
just ignore the other parts of mom Donnie has said
and done as part of his rise to prominence, and
that's what's get to get scrutiny now in this long
run up to November.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Hey, real quick, Rick, what do you have coming up
this week? On this week?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Yeah, we're six months exactly into Trump two point zero.
Martha Radison's on the road talking to people impacted by this,
including some farm workers, and talk immigration official in southern
California is talking to the mayor of Los Angeles Karen
Bass another kind of embattled mayor these days, in a
tough spot, you know, taking a little bit of a
temperature check, and of course nor Epstein fall out. We'll
see what if we see anything in the next forty
(07:11):
eight hours at a grandeuriy testimony and a like.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Hey BC News Washington bureau chief Rick Klein. Thanks Rick,
Now let's talk to Rick Klein, ABC News Washington Bureau chief.
We haven't talked to you in a couple of weeks. Rick,
Are we on vacation or you just don't like us?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
No, just been off for a little bit, you know,
going on another slow Washington summer. You know what it's like?
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Yeah, how can you say where you went?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Well? How was it? The features that you go down
in Colonial Beach, Virginia. Nice little town a couple of
hours out of DC. Very quiet, very very serene, and
very not Washington. You know, it's not far away.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
It's wonderful. You sound like you came back all invitegrated, invitegrated. Man,
that's a word. You put vigor in something invigorated. Uh so,
apparently I need a vacation. Hey, let's talk about this
Epstein mess. And I don't even know where to start.
So why don't you go through it for us? Because
(00:52):
it is fascinating to me how how this sprang up
in Maga of all of all all places, from all people.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Well, look, this has been going on for years. You know.
Jeffrey Epstein, the federal investigation and then his suicide happened
at twenty nineteen and during the first Trump administration, and
the conspiracy theory started just about from the start, and
they gained steam frankly after Trump left office, because there
were still a lot of questions and whispers about this
massive investigation and what else Jeffrey Epstein, who else he
(01:25):
was involved in. We know he had been associated with
lots of prominent New Yorkers and lots of prominent politicians,
including Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. But it was really
the Trump base that whipped up a fervor to suggest
that there was a massive pedophile ring and a cover
up around this. And the calls for releasing of the
documents came from people like Dan Vanngino and Cash Ptel
(01:47):
and Donald Trump Junior and Jade Vance. And then Trump
becomes president, they review the documents. Pam Bondi says, this
is all going to be out there. She has a
big event at one point, saying here's Phase one, really
much hyped, and then she comes out quiet after the
July fourth weekend say has nothing to see here, and
there's not going to be anything else coming out. And
Trump has asked his base to follow that and to
take that as the final answer, and they quite frankly
(02:09):
have not. In the last two weeks have been consumed
by questions that MAGA base mostly is raising about why
there might be kind of a you know, could there
be a cover up? Why isn't this information coming out
as long and promise?
Speaker 1 (02:20):
It is so hypocritical the way that the Democrats jumped
on this too, because they didn't care about it at
all when Biden was in office. But and they weren't
complaining until MAGA complained, And now they're jumping on it.
They won hearings, They're making a big deal about it.
I'm not sure this is going away anytime soon. I
don't know if you saw it Rick on CNN, Harry Enton,
(02:42):
who does a great job with the polls, they had
asked and I guess it was another poster that asked
what is the biggest issue in the country right now?
And they talked to hundreds and hundreds and hundreds one
person said the Epstein files. One respond not one percentage,
just one person. It shows you the power. I think
(03:05):
it's a it's a sub story to this, but an
important one. It shows you the power of social media.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
That's a great, great point. And and I think it's
a power that it's been powered by by a maga
based on social media. Look, if this was just Democrats
jumping up and down, this would not be a story
anymore because they don't they're not in power. There's nothing
they could do about it. Uh, this would have been
gone two weeks ago, but it's not. You see the
very influential people in the in the Trump movement national
(03:33):
former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn with an impassioned plea
on this. Uh. We saw Joe Rogan go off on this.
I mean, these are these are big, big names with
huge followings that think there's something up here. And yes,
Democrats have seized the political advantage here, but but this
is this. If this continues, it's going to be because
of Donald Trump's own base, and he's doing what he
can to quiet Overnight. He says he's asking his Attorney
(03:55):
general to uh to uh to to to ask for
Grand Jewlry Record to be to be taken down. But
the bottom line is that that's not something that he
is the full power to do. And and unlesser until
there's a full accounting, we're just not gonna I don't
think we're going to see a base that's officiated.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
No there's so many reasons this story is fascinating. But
you're right, this is the issue that MAGA turns on
him on. You know, of all the things that could
possibly be, this is the one. This is the hill
they want to die on. It's it's fascinating to me. Uh.
There's a whole lot of other things going on, but
I want to I want to focus on New York
because it's become a national story. Donald Trump's talked about it.
(04:35):
It's on the national news a lot. The fact that
we have an avowed socialist running for mayor and not
only running but doing extremely well. He paid a visit
to Washington. Uh, and I know that the far left
of the party just fond over him. What do you
make of Zorin Mamdani, Well.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
He's doing it he can to try to build bridges
to the Democratic Party base. He is the Democratic nominee.
Whether Democrats in New York or Washington like it or not,
he is the nominee. But he isn't guaranteed to win.
As you know, we've got the incumbent mayor who's running
as an independent, Andrew Plomo now saying to run as
an independent. We have Curtis Lee were running. You know,
there's a lot of permutations on this, and under normal
(05:17):
circumstances in twenty twenty five New York, you'd think the
Democrat wins, it's going to be a landslide. But I
think there's a lot of different cross currents, and a
lot of it has to do with who Mam Donnie
is and what he has said and what he's believed,
and what the Democratic base is believing these days. The
fact that he could win a primary at all, despite
the lack of experience, despite the statements on Israel, it
is a major moment. I think is the highest profile
(05:38):
race of the in the country this year, and I
think it's going to continue to draw a lot of scrutiny.
And I don't know that Ma'm Donnie's going to be
able to just be embraced by national Democrats, including New Yorkers,
people like Hakim Jeffreys and Chuck Schumer who have.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Been hesitanting right and Kathy Hochel. I will tell you this,
it's really fascinating because I'll give him credit for this.
Him tapping into the issue of affordable was huge and
everybody is using that term now. He's teaching the Democratic Party,
not to be socialists, but what to run on.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, I think there's a lot of Democrats that would
like to be able to capture that magic and say,
look that let's make this about affordability, about the cost
of living, because I mean, you see that in a
lot of the national messaging, even with the Epstein story,
but the percolating you see a lot of Democrats like,
let's talk about medicaid, Let's talk about inflation, let's talk
about food prices, let's talk about the impact of tariffs.
They know that that is those are the kind of
(06:32):
issues that really draw voters out. They certainly did in
New York. But I don't think, you know, you can
just ignore the other parts of mom Donnie has said
and done as part of his rise to prominence, and
that's what's get to get scrutiny now in this long
run up to November.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Hey, real quick, Rick, what do you have coming up
this week? On this week?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Yeah, we're six months exactly into Trump two point zero.
Martha Radison's on the road talking to people impacted by this,
including some farm workers, and talk immigration official in southern
California is talking to the mayor of Los Angeles Karen
Bass another kind of embattled mayor these days, in a
tough spot, you know, taking a little bit of a
temperature check, and of course nor Epstein fall out. We'll
see what if we see anything in the next forty
(07:11):
eight hours at a grandeuriy testimony and a like.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Hey BC News Washington bureau chief Rick Klein. Thanks Rick,
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