Sparks flew during an exchange between Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) during a House Judiciary Committee hearing concerning FBI oversight that is going viral across social media. The back-and-forth, which resulted in Crockett taking a verbal beating from Gooden, was captured in a 30-second clip that shines a spotlight on what many conservatives say is a blatant double standard when it comes to the scandal revolving around deceased pedophile and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
FBI Director Kash Patel was the focal point of the hearing, which took place on September 10, 2025, but attention soon shifted to the topic of transparency concerning the Epstein case. The mic-drop moment has racked up an impressive 400,000 views on social media platform X and, according to folks on the right, is serving as an important reminder for why the GOP is pushing hard for the truth concerning this controversial case to be revealed.
The clip kicks off with Crockett gesturing at her nameplate, making a reference to Epstein’s former lover and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. Gooden says, “She’s in appeal now. So using that line you’re going to pull that back?” Crockett fires back, “I’m about to get to it, because I saw y’all…” Crockett and Gooden talk over each other for a bit before the congressman says, “I’m going to reclaim my time since you said we aren’t friends.”
Those who have weighed in on the clip note that the Texas congresswoman engages in political theatrics and seems to see no problem with going deep into the Epstein files now that there’s a GOP-led administration in place. The chairman quickly interjects, saying, “Time belongs to the gentleman,” which opens up the door for Gooden to deliver the takedown that takes Crockett down a peg.
“I got a real hard time with Democrats saying that this is a noble cause when y’all weren’t calling on Joe Biden’s Justice Department to release the files. You’re all a bunch of hypocrites, to say that this is a noble cause because none of you did anything about it,” Gooden said. The Texas Republican’s comments are a reference to the previous administration, headed by former Democratic President Joe Biden, which neglected to make a serious inquiry into Epstein’s client list or any of the related files.
Republican lawmakers are questioning the timing of the sudden interest in pushing for the release of the files, since the current administration is under President Donald Trump and the control of the GOP, with many positing that their motivation for unveiling the client list and related information in the documents is political in nature and not the pursuit of justice.
The hearing, along with focusing on oversight of the FBI, also featured discussions about the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bill sponsored by Republicans, with the goal of declassifying documents related to the deep network of abuse, much of which was perpetrated against minors, that has ensnared a number of figures from the worlds of entertainment, politics, and business.
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While the connections contained in the files include individuals from both major political parties, conservatives made the case that Democrats have been slow to support full disclosure, particularly during the Biden era. The comment section of the video was highly supportive of Gooden and his takedown of Crockett, with one user saying, “They said absolutely nothing about the files and definitely nothing about the victims until they saw a political issue to exploit. Truly despicable people.”
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video