In an interview with Jonathan Karl on ABC's This Week, the Kentucky Congressman slammed Trump over his Friday directive to Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Democrats connected to Epstein.
"The president's been saying this is a hoax," Massie said. "He's been saying that for months. Well, he's just now decided to investigate a hoax, if it's a hoax. And I have another concern about these investigations that he's announced. If they have ongoing investigations in certain areas, those documents can't be released. So, this might be a big smokescreen, these investigations, to open a bunch of them -- as a last-ditch effort to prevent the release of the Epstein files."
Karl quizzed the Kentucky congressman about the contents of the Epstein files, and what could potentially be in there that Trump would not want to be made public.
"Why does he want to prevent this?" Karl asked "What is he afraid of?"
"You know, I've never said that these files will implicate Donald Trump," Massie replied. "And I really don't think that they will. I think he's trying to protect a bunch of rich and powerful friends, billionaires, donors to his campaign, friends in his social circles. That's my operating theory on why he's trying so hard to keep these files closed."
Massie said more than 100 House Republicans could vote to release the Epstein files, when the bill is brought to the floor. He urged those who oppose the measure to reconsider.
"I would remind my Republican colleagues who are deciding how to vote: Donald Trump can protect you in red districts right now by giving you an endorsement. But in 2030, he's not going to be the president, and you will have voted to protect pedophiles if you don't vote to release these files, and the president can't protect you then. This vote, the record of this vote, will last longer than Donald Trump's presidency."