I was offline yesterday. I didn’t learn the details of the Epstein Files vote until switching on The Last Word. Lawrence has a cold, so his voice was raspy, but he was a happy sick guy: the House passed the measure with only 1 nay vote and the Senate passed it by unanimous consent. That means that there will not be a roll call vote and the bill moves to the White House for one of the Insult Comedian’s childish signatures. Both Houses flipped Trump the bird yesterday.

Does this mean the coverup will end? No. Even if Trump signs the bill there are ways to evade transparency. The so-called investigation of Democrats for Epstein ties could lead to claims that the documents must remain secret because of the inquiries. There’s also the redaction process, which is aimed at protecting the survivors, not the Insult Comedian. The MAGA DOJ cares nothing for such niceties. They’re now President Pennywise’s personal law firm and will do what they’re told.

The details of any release don’t matter. The symbolism of yesterday’s votes does. It’s another sign of the looming crackpot crackup. Trump had to be dragged kicking and screaming to lift his objections to the bill and he’ll keep dragging his feet on the release. Delay is as MAGA as corruption and stupidity.

Allow me to explain the post title. My New Orleans readers already get it, let’s clue in everyone else. Da Winnas & Da Loozas  is bit of Yat dialect humor from my friend Clancy DuBos, the dean of Louisiana political pundits. Clancy uses this rubric after each legislative session to grade, well, the winners and the losers. Clancy has retired from his Gambit Weekly column but is still plugging away as an analyst on WWL-TV. This post is my feeble attempt to pay tribute to Clancy. I only steal from the best.

This post isn’t as elegantly written as Clancy’s columns. Consider it instant analysis in a new bottle with a new label stolen from the dean of Gret Stet political pundits.

DA WINNAS

Epstein Survivors: The victims turned the tables on their tormentors and went on the offensive with this bill. The spectacle of the survivors speaking out en masse changed the dynamic on this issue. They may have also changed the course of history. The dictator project is now in deep shit and sinking fast.

The best line from the survivors came from Haley Robson:

Haley Robson, Epstein Survivor to Donald Trump: “I am traumatized but I’m not stupid.”

— Aaron Parnas (@aaronparnas.bsky.social) 2025-11-18T14:24:15.937Z

Ro Khanna & Lawrence O’ Donnell: I’d always thought of Congressman Khanna as a show horse, not a work horse. I was wrong, his leadership on this issue was steadfast and sincere. Discharge petitions rarely, if ever work, but Khanna stayed the course. That’s the mark of a work horse. Welcome to the stable, Ro.

Equally praiseworthy is Khanna’s willingness to share credit for the release of the Epstein estate materials with Lawrence O’Donnell. It came about because Lawrence had a lawyer for the victims on the same edition of The Last Word as Khanna. The lawyer, Bradley Edwards, informed the world that the estate had a treasure trove of documents including the notorious birthday book. Khanna and one of next winnas went to work and the documents were produced.

Thomas Massie & Marge Taylor-Greene: The two dissident MAGA pols withstood withering fire from President Pennywise. Massie led the charge but Marge had his back. It’s refreshing to see Republican congresscritters acting like politicians instead of sycophants.

Chuck Schumer: I’ve dogged the Senate Democratic leader myself but his inside gamesmanship won the day. He forced a vote on the release of the Epstein Files in September with all but two GOPers voting to continue the coverup. Then he turned around and went for unanimous consent yesterday. Now every Democratic candidate next year can say: They were against it before they were for it.

John Thune: The majority leader from central casting informed Trump that his efforts to sandbag the bill in the senate would fail. Then Thune went along with the unanimous consent motion to spare his caucus a second vote on the Epstein Files. It was a declaration of independence. How often this will recur is unclear but let’s enjoy it while we can.

The last word of Da Winnas segment goes to Frank Sinatra:

DA LOOZAS

Donald Trump: The title of a reality TV show occurs to me, but it’s not The Apprentice, but The Biggest Loser. His vicelike grip on Congressional Republicans has been broken. He rules through fear and recoils at resistance. Things will never be quite the same for him after yesterday. It may, however, make him more dangerous in the short run: Cornered criminals do desperate things.

Mike Johnson: Speaker Yellowbelly spent the entire year covering up for Trump. His refusal to seat Rep. Adelita Grijalva until last week was a crime against democracy. Taxation without representation may be un-American but it’s mightily MAGA.

Johnson ended up voting for the bill. He then claimed that the Senate would amend it because of its many flaws. The unanimous consent motion made a liar out of Johnson. An easy thing to do.

Johnson was reduced to fleeing reporters demanding answers. All he had to offer were lies and platitudes. I did, however, learn his tell. When lying, MAGA Mike purses his lips. How fitting is that? That’s the same thing he does when kissing presidential ass.

Ghislaine Maxwell & Todd Blanche: Whistleblowers have revealed that Maxwell gets special treatment at the prison camp to which Blanche had her transferred. Trump refuses to rule out pardoning her which is a losing move because it infuriates the Epstein survivors.

Maxwell’s chances at a commutation grow dimmer by the day. If it happens it will be on January 20, 2028, the day the Kaiser of Chaos leaves office in disgrace, if he lasts that long. Thanks to the MAGA SCOTUS, Trump can’t be prosecuted. That does not, however, apply to Todd Blanche. The best he can hope for is disbarment.

Clay Higgins: The Gret Stet MAGA maggot was the only no vote on the release of the Epstein files. He thinks he’s standing up for truth, justice, and the American way but he’s just a common garden variety malaka. The MAGA malakatude, it burns.

The last word goes to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: