Emily Austin
Appearances
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2148 - The Epstein File Release FIASCO
Yeah, it definitely wasn't planned. It wasn't our intention to. Whoever didn't want to post it or publish it necessarily didn't have to, they didn't like definitely did not have to. And one thing I definitely want to debunk is that there's this narrative going around that we were like paid or instructed to leak it, or we were encouraged to do literally nobody was encouraged to do anything.
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2148 - The Epstein File Release FIASCO
Obviously we're independent journalists. If there's something in there to leak, of course we wanna leak it. And one thing that people are forgetting is Trump did make a promise that he was going to enable the independent journalists and not only rely on traditional media.
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2148 - The Epstein File Release FIASCO
One thing that was mentioned yesterday was that they wanna start getting more conservative, independent journalist resources in the press room. They want Breitbart to be able to have access. They want more than just Fox News and CNN and CNBC to be able to have access. But then it seems like when they give access to the independent journalists, everyone's mad about it.
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2148 - The Epstein File Release FIASCO
I think my take on it was that they wanted outrage. I don't think they wanted it directed at us, but they wanted it more so. We requested the Epstein files. They gave us a bunch of baloney in a binder. They expect us to be satisfied with it. So everyone should be very unsatisfied with it. And now it's Kash Patel's job to get the remaining files.
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2148 - The Epstein File Release FIASCO
And it wouldn't have happened, by the way, that letter, until the whistleblower from SDNY came out and said, hey, we're actually sleeping on a bunch of files here in the New York Bureau. You know, you should get on it. If that hadn't happened, I don't know where we'd be today. Why the whole... Public thing, I think it was a publicity stunt where it's saying, hey, look, this is what we got.
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2148 - The Epstein File Release FIASCO
We don't buy it. We're going to investigate it. And regarding the whole leaving the West Wing with the binders up in the air, I'm going to be very blunt about this. They were not supposed to do that. We were instructed when we got the binders that they want Pam Bondi to have a first say in it. And then we can be the first ones to have the access on it.
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2148 - The Epstein File Release FIASCO
there were a bunch of reporters outside of the West Wing waiting for the UK's prime minister to come. They lifted their binders. We were on a, I call it an embargo for three hours. They said, don't post till 3.30. I honored that. A few others honored that. A few others clearly did not. And they kind of ruined it for the whole team and actually made it a lot worse than what it was.
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2148 - The Epstein File Release FIASCO
Right. So initially we were invited to the White House, a delegation of, you know, Republican, conservative media, independent journalists, influencers, whatever you want to call it, to meet with Vice President J.D. Vance. And then to our surprise, Kash Patel was joined and Pam Bondi came and it was a really nice, you know, environment.
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2148 - The Epstein File Release FIASCO
And we were being briefed on policies that they're implementing, et cetera. Now, coincidentally, that morning was the morning that Pam Bondi received the exact binder we received on her desk in which we didn't open it in the briefing. But later on, like everyone else, we find out
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2148 - The Epstein File Release FIASCO
that like you just said there's not much new information about here but the point of the binder that everyone seemed to be missing was that this is what the fbi gave pam bondi and expected us to be satisfied with these files rather than being outraged that they're withholding thousands of documents and being outraged at us for being the messengers trying to show you this is what the attorney general received this is what we received it's a step in the right direction but all the outrage towards the media personalities that were there rather than
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2148 - The Epstein File Release FIASCO
the FBI corrupt agents that are holding this information is just kind of ironic and it's just dividing the party for no reason.