Stop Pretending the Birthday Book Is Fake, Republicans

A Subpoena Is Not a Suggestion

The Epstein “birthday book” wasn’t leaked by a tabloid or circulated in the rumor mill. It was handed over under subpoena by the Epstein estate. That distinction matters. A subpoena is a court-ordered demand. Responding falsely is not a technicality — it’s a serious federal crime. Perjury, obstruction of justice, contempt of court: the penalties are severe, and no competent attorney would risk their license or their client’s liability by fabricating evidence.

If the estate produced this document in response to a lawful subpoena, the starting assumption is obvious: it is real.

What Real Accountability Looks Like

Republicans who insist it might be fake are playing a familiar game. They’re not offering evidence, just throwing up smokescreens. But if they truly believe this document is fraudulent, the path is clear:

Put Epstein’s lawyers under oath.

Subpoena additional files.

Cross-check the records.

That’s what an actual investigation would look like. Congress has this power. What they don’t have is the right to shrug, cast doubt on evidence they dislike, and expect the public to nod along.

The Gaslighting Tactic

We’ve seen this trick before. Cast enough doubt, muddy the waters, blur the truth until people give up and assume “we’ll never really know.” It worked for years around everything from climate change to Trump’s scandals. But this isn’t just spin. When a subpoena is involved, the line between real and fake isn’t fuzzy. It’s a matter of law.

If Republicans want to argue the Epstein files are forged, they need to prove it. Otherwise, pretending otherwise is just another form of gaslighting — an insult to the public’s intelligence.

A Convenient Double Standard

The hypocrisy here is breathtaking. Republicans spent years demanding hearings, subpoenas, and investigations into emails, laptops, and birth certificates. They insisted that every shred of evidence be pored over in public. But the moment a document surfaces that might implicate allies or donors? Suddenly subpoenas don’t matter. Suddenly sworn legal filings are suspect. Suddenly the burden of proof flips.

The Only Honest Conclusion

Here’s the bottom line: the Epstein “birthday book” was turned over under subpoena. No perjury charges have followed. No evidence of fabrication has been presented. Unless and until Congress subpoenas the originals and proves otherwise, the reasonable conclusion is that the documents are authentic.

Until Republicans take that step, the only thing that’s fake is their outrage.

Image By House Oversight Committee