Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) is pushing back against GOP criticism of his effort to release Jeffrey Epstein files, arguing that his Republican colleagues are “obsessed” with him due to their frequent attacks.
As the top-ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Garcia has helped lead the push to force the Trump administration to release all of its files on Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in 2019 awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges and was known for his close ties with powerful figures, including President Donald Trump.
Garcia’s efforts have thrust him into the national spotlight, and as such, have also made him a frequent target for criticism among his Republican colleagues.
“He’s proven to me to just be a real big drama queen!" said Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who chairs the House Oversight Committee. “He just needs to do TikTok videos or something… He’s not a serious investigator. He’s like a TikTok video kind of guy.”
“We’re making an example out of him!” wrote Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a social media post, referring to Garcia, who she said should be censured in the House.
For Garcia, however, he largely shrugged off the attacks.
“Why’s he so obsessed with me?” Garcia asked last week, the LA Times reported Sunday. “I grew up as an immigrant kid… I know what it is like to be on the other side of the bully. If the bully is going to punch or cause harm to you or others that you care about, you have to punch back. Sometimes you've got to punch back harder.”
On the other side of the aisle, Garcia has received praise for his handling of the push to have files on Epstein released, including from his House Democratic colleague Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who said Garcia had “been effective” in making the Epstein matter amass bipartisan support.
“I think the way he has worked with Comer to make sure a lot of the investigation has been bipartisan, has been effective,” Khanna said, the Times reported.