Tim Burchett Asked: How Many Republicans Will Support Massie's Epstein Discharge Petition?

Speaking to CNN on Sunday, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) was asked about Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-KY) Epstein Files discharge petition.

Transcript

00:00Yeah, no, without question, Senator Blackburn has been trying to get the flight logs subpoenaed

00:05and other information about the Epstein files for years.

00:08But as you know, there are people in these files who are innocent,

00:14who didn't do anything except flew on Epstein's plane, for example, in the 90s.

00:21Epstein was first, I think, arrested in 2005, 2006, so he wasn't scandalous until then.

00:28So it certainly can be understood if people, whether RFK Jr. or Bill Clinton or whoever,

00:35associated themselves with him before then.

00:38But there are also individuals in these files who weren't prosecuted but probably did commit some criminal acts.

00:46Let me just ask you about this effort to get these files released.

00:49As of right now, there are 10 Republicans, including yourself,

00:52who've signed Congressman Massey's what's called a discharge petition.

00:55It forces legislation onto the floor of the House for a vote.

00:59It requires 218 signatures.

01:01Presumably, a lot of Democrats are going to support it, too.

01:04A lot of Republican leaders seem to want this issue to go away.

01:07Do you think you're going to get 218 signatures on the discharge petition to force it for a vote?

01:13And how many Republicans do you think will join you?

01:15I have no earthly idea, Jake.

01:19You know this town buries secrets.

01:21You wrote a book about it, and it's doing very well because America agrees with you.

01:25This town buries secrets.

01:27I mean, do you honestly believe Lee Harvey Oswald shot John F. Kennedy from the front and the back,

01:32and this miraculous lead bullet that had hardly a scrape on it

01:36was found on a gurney in a hospital shortly after the president passed away.

01:41You know, this town does not give up its secrets easy,

01:44and it's just, it's fighting and kicking.

01:47And the reason I'm worried about these files now

01:49is the fact that the Biden administration,

01:52who in my opinion has a history of corruption,

01:55has tampered with these files,

01:57and we're never going to get to the bottom of it.

01:59I think stuff could have been placed in those files.

02:01Do I have, do I have proof?

02:03Well, no, I don't.

02:04But I have a gut feeling, and I have a historical reference,

02:07which is every dadgum time something like this happens in this town,

02:11it gets covered up, and it needs to stop.

02:14And I salute President Trump for pushing to move,

02:17move forward on those, on those records that they have.

02:21Because, but I do want them to be,

02:23I would like them to be filtered a little bit.

02:25I don't want the thousand innocents and some of those people that flew,

02:28as you mentioned earlier.