Libertarian congressman dismisses disclosure push while demanding Epstein files instead

Rep. Thomas Massie wants you to know he's not buying what Congress is selling on UFOs.
The Kentucky libertarian used a NewsNation appearance this week to dismiss the entire UAP disclosure movement as a "weapon of mass distraction," arguing lawmakers should focus on releasing Jeffrey Epstein's client list instead.
"I think UFOs are being used as a weapon of mass distraction," Massie said. "We've got real problems in this country, and they want to talk about UFOs."
It's a predictable take from someone who's built his brand on contrarian positions, but Massie's timing is telling. His comments come as Congress prepares for what could be the most significant UAP hearings since Grusch's testimony, with multiple committees now demanding answers from the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office.
Massie's dismissal also ignores the bipartisan momentum behind disclosure efforts. The UAP Disclosure Act wasn't some fringe proposal — it had serious Republican and Democratic backing before getting watered down in last year's defense authorization. Chuck Schumer and Mike Rounds don't typically waste time on frivolous distractions.
The congressman's preference for Epstein files over UAP documents reveals an interesting blind spot. Both stories involve decades of government secrecy, credible whistleblower testimony, and legitimate questions about what agencies knew and when. The difference is that one topic has already generated congressional action, while the other remains stalled.
Massie's "weapon of mass distraction" framing also misses how the disclosure conversation has evolved. This isn't about little green men anymore. It's about government transparency, scientific methodology, and whether agencies have been operating outside congressional oversight for decades. Those are exactly the institutional accountability issues Massie claims to care about.
The Kentucky representative has a point about priorities — Congress does have plenty of other problems to solve. But dismissing an entire area of government secrecy because it doesn't fit your preferred narrative isn't principled skepticism. It's selective attention.
What's particularly odd is Massie's apparent belief that Congress can only investigate one type of government cover-up at a time. The House has 435 members and dozens of committees. They can walk and chew gum simultaneously.
His Epstein fixation isn't wrong — those files should absolutely be public. But using that legitimate demand to dismiss UAP transparency efforts creates a false choice. Government secrecy is government secrecy, whether it involves intelligence programs or trafficking networks.
GLT Take: Massie's playing to his base here, but his logic doesn't hold up. If you're genuinely concerned about government accountability, you don't get to cherry-pick which cover-ups matter. The congressman who regularly rails against classified overreach suddenly has no problem with decades-old UAP secrecy? That's not principled — it's political theater.
The "weapon of mass distraction" line will get him retweets from people who think the whole thing is silly, but it ignores the serious institutional questions at stake. Congress has spent two years building a framework for UAP transparency. Walking away now because one member thinks it's not important enough would be the real distraction.
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