‘The View’ Hosts Claim Trump Is Keeping Shutdown Going To Avoid Releasing Epstein Files

The hosts of ABC’s “The View” suggested on Tuesday that President Donald Trump was allowing the government shutdown to persist because he was afraid that if members of Congress returned from recess, they would eventually vote to release the Epstein files.

Regular host Joy Behar raised the possibility on the midday talk show, arguing that Trump and Republicans did not want to swear in Democratic Arizona Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva — who has said that she would vote to release the files — and the ongoing government shutdown gave them cover while they refused to do so.

“Well, tell them why they’re at recess – somebody — you tell them why,” Behar began.

“Why don’t you tell them, Joy?” Sunny Hostin pressed.

“Because I can’t remember the woman’s name,” Behar admitted.

“Oh, Marjorie Taylor Greene,” Hostin guessed.

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“No, not her,” Behar replied. “The one who’s – the one who will vote to expose the Epstein files — they don’t want her to be confirmed …”

“Oh, the — Arizona,” Sara Haines said. “They don’t want to swear her in, although earlier in the year they did swear in two Republicans during recess, so it can be done.”

“So you think this is all about the Epstein files?” Hostin asked.

“A lot of it, yeah,” Behar replied. “It could be the thing that brings the whole thing down.”

WATCH:

ABC “News” claims that under Trump, the airports will get so bad that it will take “24 hours” to fly from Tampa to Miami. pic.twitter.com/kbfiJFFXRb

— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) October 14, 2025

Behar continued to raise wild theories during the following segment, asserting that air travel was going to get much worse if the shutdown continued.

“You know what I think? The airports – everybody — everybody’s flying, everybody’s flying,” she said. “People who have a lot of money are flying, people who are middle class are flying, a lot of people are flying. And when they start sitting – when they have to go from, you know, Tampa to Miami, and it takes 24 hours, they’re not going to be happy.”