Rep. Thomas Massie states the obvious when it comes to one of the motivations behind Trump calling for his lackey Pam Bondi at DOJ to go after Democrats who might be named in the Epstein files. Massie made an appearance on ABC's This Week on Sunday, and was asked by host Jonathan Karl what's next now that his discharge petition has the votes in the House and how many Republicans might end up voting to release the files.

Massie proceeded to hit Trump for potentially using the investigations as a last ditch effort to keep the files from being released.

MASSIE: I think we could have a deluge of Republicans. There could be 100 or more. I’m hoping to get a veto-proof majority on this legislation when it comes up for a vote. And, you know, the president's been saying this is a hoax. 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 to -- as a last-ditch effort to prevent the release of the Epstein files.

Karl asked Massie why he believes Trump doesn't want the files released and what he's afraid of.

MASSIE: You know, I've never said that these files will implicate Donald Trump. And I -- 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. And I -- that's my operating theory on why he’s trying so hard to keep these files closed.

KARL: What do you think is actually in these files? I mean, we’ve seen so much Epstein material, from the criminal cases, the stuff that just came out this week, you know, from the estate. What do you think is left?

MASSIE: Yes, I don't have to guess at what's in the files. I’ve talked to the survivors through their lawyer, and we know there are at least 20 people in those files. They’re politicians, billionaires, movie producers who are implicated criminally who haven't been investigated. And it's up to the FBI, not the survivors, and the DOJ to release those names, or at least to investigate them. And when I see Donald Trump announce a bunch of investigations, I don't see him going after these rich elites that are implicated in these files according to the survivors.

After discussing the cheap shots Trump took at Massie and his new wife, Karl asked Massie whether he thought his bill would get a vote in the Senate.

MASSIE: Well, they don't have the procedural maneuver that Ro Khanna and I used in the House. They don't have that in the Senate. It's called a discharge petition.

But the senators do have other ways to force votes as amendments, for instance, on larger bills in order to let bills move quicker through the chamber. So, they could force the vote in spite of the leadership's efforts.

I just hope John Thune will do the right thing. Look, our own speaker tried to push this bill by unanimous consent last week, within 15 minutes of me getting the 218th vote, because he was trying to save people from a vote. If he's ready to pass it by unanimous consent, then the Senate leader should be as well. Just bring it up.

But the pressure is going to be there if we get a big vote in the House.

We'll see if the dam actually breaks in the House or not.