If the Deep State is somehow persuading the Trump administration into not releasing the Epstein files, then perhaps an outside investigation is needed.

That’s the view of Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley in an exclusive interview with The Heartlander.

“I’ve got to believe that [Trump] has probably been told by folks at DOJ and elsewhere that, ‘Oh, there’s nothing to this.’ It’s them that I’m questioning. I question the counsel that these people are giving, the reports that they’ve issued. 

“I’m not calling into question their integrity, but I am saying that we maybe need a more objective view of this. You think about the JFK files; for decades, the CIA fought to keep those files secret, and then, even before the latest release, they still fought to redact a bunch of them.

“So, you know what the Deep State’s interest here is. And I’ve got to believe the Deep State is at work again with Epstein. They go, ‘Let’s not get too far into this. Let’s not talk about client lists. Let’s just move on.’ No, actually, let’s not move on. Let’s make sure that justice was done in this case. 

“And if we can’t get straight answers from the Justice Department, then some other agencies, some other entity, some other law enforcement needs to go after this because I still believe we are not getting the truth yet.”

After hyping for weeks what might be learned by the public from a release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, the Trump administration chose to quietly announce on the Sunday of the July 4th holiday weekend that nothing would be forthcoming.

It was greeted by a near-rebellion among many conservatives and skepticism from Hawley.

“I don’t know, but I just don’t buy that he didn’t have a client list,” Hawley said. “I’m sorry, but this idea that, ‘You know, actually, oops, he didn’t really have a list, we were just kidding’ – give me a break. 

“This guy ran one of the biggest human trafficking rings in the history of the United States. He knew exactly what he was doing. You tell me he didn’t know who his clients were? He knew exactly who his clients were. It’s how he got rich. 

“So, I just don’t buy it. I mean, I don’t buy it. I think we need the full truth here. If we need somebody else to investigate, then they should, but we need to get an objective top-to-bottom review on this thing, and all the details need to come out. 

“I don’t care who is on the list; they should stop protecting people. This needs to come out. This is evil. We need to call it what it is. And part of calling it what it is, and putting a stop to it, is exposing it. And we need to expose the people who were involved. We need to expose the people who covered it up. 

“And I just don’t believe that the records show nothing, and nothing about clients, and it was all just sort of a big misunderstanding. I don’t believe that at all.”

After the conservative backlash, Trump allowed Tuesday that Attorney General Pam Bondi should release anything in the Epstein documents that “she thinks is credible.”

Megyn Kelly, speaking for skeptics of the sudden non-disclosure, has offered to interview top administration officials to clear the air.

Hawley cautions, though, that the administration’s problem isn’t one of communications.

“Well, I think it’s just a matter of getting the truth out,” he says. “I say this as a former prosecutor, and my view on this is sort of a prosecutor’s view. Let’s go get the facts. I think priority one needs to be not messaging, but the facts. I don’t believe the facts are out there yet. 

“In fact, I think the facts are being concealed from us. Let’s go get the facts and get those out to the public. That ought to be first order of business.”