Crookie Award For Lie Of The Year: The Epstein Files

By Frances Langum — January 1, 2026

Above: From November 18, 2025, Donald Trump was extremely triggered when an ABC News reporter asked him, “Why wait for Congress to release the Epstein files? Why not just do it now?”

We don't give any Crookie awards to Donald Trump, ever. He has enough gold crap in his "office," and even a Crookie Award for Worst President would only reinforce his narcissism.

This award is for the rest of the White House, particularly AG Pam Bondi, and their Herculean efforts to cover up Trump's (alleged! Sure, Jan.) participation in Trump's sex crimes against underage girls.

On February 21, Pam went on Fox to insist that the Epstein Client List was ON HER DESK, being reviewed!

Remember the "Epstein Files Phase I" binders that Pam handed out to right-wing influencers like DC_Draino and Libs of TikTok later in February? A binder with nothing but declassified flight logs that had been released previously?

in retrospect pam bondi should have labeled these "the epstein files, phase 1 (the one and only phase)"

— Rudy Gobirds (@metafizikal.bsky.social) 2025-07-16T13:57:37.590Z

I need someone to explain to me because I haven’t seen anything clear: what part of the Epstein case is Trump saying is a “scam” and a “hoax”? The entire case? The idea that there were any clients? Why did Bondi release case info in binders labeled “Phase 1” if there would be no other “phases”?

— Joonuper (@joonuper.bsky.social) 2025-07-17T19:48:57.721Z

😂 What the hell was phase 1? Give these goobers some binders, some hats and a photo shoot to appease their stupid maga base? I guess that performance worked for a while. This is what you get when you elect a rapist conman. I wonder what was actually in the binders 😂

— Ginger (@gingerpeechy.bsky.social) 2025-07-23T18:14:56.834Z

One of the biggest lies of the year came from Kash Patel during these early months: “The FBI is entering a new era—one that will be defined by integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice."

In July, (literally on my birthday!) the White House orchestrated their very own Saturday Night Massacre!

I know what they should do! Fire the prosecutor!

— Bluegal Fran Langum #NoKings (@bluegal.bsky.social) 2025-07-16T23:44:45.357Z

The rest of the year was spent tripping over themselves to buy time.

The Epstein timeline, perfectly summarized.

— Joshua Reed Eakle 🗽 (@joshuaeakle.com) 2025-12-27T18:40:39.340Z

MAGAt timeline for the Epstein Files:
#CorruptAndComplicitGOP #Resist #MAGAts

— Calvin C (@cals-a-dem1.bsky.social) 2025-12-27T11:47:47.851Z

But seriously. (And much thanks to Emptywheel.)

Here's a timeline I did in July.

www.emptywheel.net/2025/07/23/d...

— emptywheel (@emptywheel.bsky.social) 2025-11-25T22:59:13.192Z

Never forget Elon Musk's moment of truth:

it's too bad Trump never heard the parable about letting a snake into your house he'd have seen this coming

— (@savealfira.bsky.social) 2025-06-05T20:35:14.037Z

Republicans in Congress did what they could to help with the cover up, and when they couldn't, they skipped town.

The lie-based GOP has different lies for different occasions. Pam Bondi in February said Epstein's client list is "sitting on my desk right now to review."

— Francis Wilkinson (@franciswilkinson.bsky.social) 2025-11-19T13:22:20.307Z

And now there are a million GOBZILLION Epstein Files so that no one in the White House Correspondent's Association will every have the attention span to find out anything from them, ever!

In February, Pam Bondi told the world that she had the Epstein files on her desk and she was poised to release them to the public

Now, during Christmas, the Trump administration has suddenly found an additional 1 million pages

Never has there been a more incompetent bunch in charge of our country

— Adam Cohen (My Personal Views Only) (@axidentaliberal.bsky.social) 2025-12-27T01:51:22.916Z

It's a good thing for future historians that Trump II only hires utter incompetents. Let's give the Crookie to all the QAnon CHUMPS who bought the lie until they couldn't.