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A heart wrenching day in Washington. Let's get another voice. Republican Congressman Byron Donald of Florida, who's also running to be the state's governor, joins the program. Thank you so much for your time today. I'll start with a very simple question. Given the events of the day, should Speaker Mike Johnson bring that vote to the floor, how would you vote?
Well, let's be clear about what's happening in Congress today. First of all, I do support the release of the files. There are actually two provisions that are moving through Congress. One is the discharge petition by Representative Massey and Kanna. The other is actually being brought by Chairman Comoor of the Oversight Committee. And so what I do support is an Oversight Committee's approach to making sure that that information is gone through, that survivors are protected, and then those
files are released. And so there are some concerns on the Hill about Representative Massey's approach that it would not actually protect survivors who, by the way, some of which have not come forward, some of which may choose not
to be known publicly. I think this has to be a systematic process about how we released those files if Congress is going to make that order, because to be honest with you, we've never released the files from a criminal investigation before, not to my knowledge in Congress, So this is something that has to be done in a systematic process in my view.
So yes on the oversight know on the discharge petition. Congressman. We appreciate the straight answer as always, and it's good to have you back. I wonder if you heard what President Trump today had to say about this. He was in the Oval Office and reporters were asking about a lot of different stories. This was something that he was specifically asked about because of the survivors who were speaking today in Washington. I want to listen to what he said.
Have our audience here and we'll have you respond. Here's the President.
I understand that we were subpeded to give files, and I understand we've given thousands of pages of files, and I know that no matter what you do, it's going to keep going. We're having the most successful eight months of any president ever, and that's what I want to talk about. That's what we should be talking about, not the Epstein hoax.
He also went on to say it's really a Democrat hoax today, Congressman, is he right?
Well, I think what the President is speaking about is that the Democrats have been failures when it comes to public policy facing the American people. So Donald Trump now comes back to Washington, DC as President of the United States, commander in chief, and for the last eight months, he's had the most successful presidential administration in the modern era. And so the only thing that Democrats can hang on
to is Epstein. And I think that's what the President is talking about, is that the Democrats are using the Epstein hold on. Let's be clear, the Democrats are using the Epstein files as a way to distract from the success is that Donald Try is having. And any chief executive would be frustrated with that. That is an honest thing to be frustrated about. We know that Democrats don't
care about the Epstein files. When Joe Biden was president, Nancy Pelosi was Speaker, they didn't move heaven and earth to release those files. They actually wanted to hide what was going on with the Epstein files unless it meant trying to harm Donald Trump. And they know that they could not do that. And so that's where the frustration from the president is coming. I think that the president on the way down, it's about yes being transparent with
the American people. Like I said in the Oversight Committee, we have a resolution that's going to move forward in a systematic process to release that information to the public. But be clear that Democrats don't care about Epstein all. They and they don't care about the survivors. Let's be really clear about that. What they do care about is creating a political circus to try to damage Donald Trump and distract the successes of his administration.
Of Democrats when it comes to survivors. I obviously don't know what their thoughts are there, and I realize you're questioning their politics behind this, But you're not suggesting that the crimes perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein are a hoax.
No, I'm not saying that at all. I'm not saying that whatsoever. Remember Donald Trump, when he found out what Epstein was doing around Mara a Lago, what did he do. He kicked him out of Mara a Lago, revoked his membership, and removed him. So let's not sit here and say that the President was covering up for this guy. That is not accurate, and the history actually demonstrates that. But what President Trump is talking about is, look at all
the successes happening in our country today. Don't let the Democrats try to steal a news cycle so that the American people lose focus off of the positive things happening in our country to focus on the Jeffrey Epstein files. What Jeffrey Epstein did was a travesty. It was a monstrosity to women who were victimized by him and by Gesley Maxwell. But let's also make sure that we're keeping focus on the great things that are happening in the
country today. And that's my point. The Democrats are using this for politics. They don't care about the survivors.
Representative, Let's talk about the shutdown discussions or the fears here that are plaguing Washington. We know you are looking for you are a critical vote in those discussions. Very quickly tell us what you're pushing for in those budget negotiations.
Well, look right now, what we need to find a pathway to do is cut spending. And I've been consistent about that with the White House House leadership my time here on the Hill. Let's cut spending and be responsible with the dollars of the American people. Let's spend their money efficiently and appropriately, and so we'll see what House leadership comes up with. There's some discussions around a continuing resolution.
I think it's important for the American people to know a continuing resolution would actually be a spending decrease year over year, So there are some positive elements to that.
We've only got ten seconds left, Congressman. Are we going to avoid a shutdown?
Just to be clear, I think so. I think we will.
It's good to have you back. Byron Donalds of Florida. Thanks for being with us on Bloomberg alongside Critie Gupta. I'm Joe Matthew. This is Bloomberg.
Yeah,