The Iowa Senate race to replace retiring Joni Ernst is a toss-up. Most, but not all polls show Republican Ashley Hinson with a one or two point lead over Democrat Josh Turek. All the credible polls are within the margin of error. With early voting getting underway it’s a bad time to proverbially ‘step in it’ but with an add on Twitter/X the GOP’s Hinson seems to have done just that. She got slapped down and hard with a pointed Community Note for posting what can be fairly described as a misleading ad about the Epstein Files.
Now, the Epstein Files are on voter’s minds and releasing them was one of the promises Trump made to MAGA where they feel betrayed. Right now, being a farm state they are more concerned with affordability/the economy. Trump’s tariff’s have cost them markets for crops they grow. Not just gas for their cars, but diesel for all their farm equipment is very much angering them. Oh, and the higher cost for fertilizer (and difficulty getting enough) cut farmer’s margins too. Still, the Epstein files matter because Iowa is MAGA country. It had faded into secondary status as an issue, but when Democratic candidate Josh Turek pointed out Hinson’s lack of support for releasing the Epstein Files she tried to hit back and her pushback ad has boomeranged and smacked her upside her head!
As we learn from this article by Mediaite Hinson posted a slick looking ad on twitter that at first glance would indicate she had nailed Turek. She opens with a lament about having to explain to her boys that ‘no, mom doesn’t protect pedophiles.’ She goes on to talk about having spent (cough cough) years ‘working across the aisle’ to ‘protect survivors of sexual abuse.’ She then says abusers like Esptein would have to answer to God, but men who lie about to win an election will have to answer to voters. It’s a well produced, hard hitting ad to be sure. It’s also misleading, and so much so Hinson got a brutal Community Note on Elon Musk’s platform for what turns out to be an awful lot of missing context. You can take a look at the ad, and the resulting Community Note for yourself:
I voted to release the Epstein files and have spent years working across the aisle to protect survivors of sexual abuse.
Men like Epstein, who hurt children, they’ll have to answer to God. But men who lie about it to win an election, they’ll have to answer to you. pic.twitter.com/0OxV0hoODV
— Ashley Hinson (@hinsonashley) October 13, 2026
It took a lot of work from Republican Thomas Massie to get enough GOPers to sign the discharge petition to bring the legislation mandating release of the Epstein Files to a vote in the House. As with any bill in the House or Senate opponents can and do toss up hurdles, which results in procedural votes to move a given piece of legislation to a final floor vote. Take another look at that Community Note which bluntly makes two points:
- Hinson did NOT sign the Discharge Petition
- She did NOT support procedural votes
I don’t know about you but that seems like rather less than true support for Epstein’s victims. To me it suggests that like so many in her Party she was more concerned with protecting Trump (and his pals) than holding abusers to account, even if by ‘account’ it was only publicly outing them and hopefully shaming them. Tragically, for the most part criminal accountability is no longer possible.
From where I sit Hinson, like so many others in her Party just wanted the whole ugly matter to fade away. In the end, like others when it came time for a final vote and it was clear that in both the House and Senate the votes were there to send the legislation to Trump’s desk she merely jumped on the bandwagon! Turek was right to call her out for having made more effort to block the legislation than pass it.
Hinson could have responded with a weak ‘I wanted to ensure the final bill was strong enough’ bullshit and let the matter go. Had she done so there’s a good chance all this would have faded into the background where it’s been for too long. But nooooooo! Instead Hinson got all self-righteous. She damn well deserves to get cut off at the knees.
As the linked article explains, she skipped or voted against procedural motions before relenting in the end and, as I said jumping on the bandwagon. However even if she offered a weak, lame excuse for ‘voting against it before I voted for it’ type thing she should have to answer for NOT signing the discharge petition. She had more than enough opportunity to do so but didn’t. That right there tells me Hinson wanted this whole thing shoved so far under the rug it no one would be able to reach in and expose it to the light of day ever again. When you look at the overall context, the whole picture it’s clear Hinson didn’t want the legislation mandating release of the Epstein Files to pass.
Will it matter as Iowa voters make their own final choice? We’ll have to just wait and see. There’s an opening there for Turek and the DNC to hammer her over the head for the hypocrisy Hinson displayed in the ad. They can and should turn it into a character thing. Many a Trump voter who was once an enthusiastic supporter is feeling at least a little betrayed these days. Again, it’s the economy/affordability and the war (which affects their cost of living) that’s been mostly on their minds.
With this, if Turek/Democrats play it right they can really get into Trump voter’s heads. By that I mean making them think something along the lines of: ‘Damn. Trump promised to bring prices we had under Biden down. He’s made them go up so much I don’t know how to make it to the end of the month! He freaking lied. He promised not to go starting crazy wars that will run on forever. He lied about that too. (Sheepishly) I’d kind of forgotten about him lying and saying he’d get the Epstein Files released. I remember now. And now I see HINSON lying about the Epstein Files. I just can’t vote for her. No way I’ll vote for a Democrat so I’ll just stay home this time.’
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve said or written that while I’d love to see a chunk of Republicans finally see it’s in their best interests (on a host of issues) to vote for Democrats but will settle for them simply not voting for Trump or Trump candidates. Not voting for Trump or Republicans isn’t quite as good as these people voting for a Democrat, but it’s almost as good.
Friends, I know everyone begs you for money. I promise, among all those asking for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest working. We’re a group of old, disabled people, except for one writer in his mid-50s. The rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the chance to keep telling the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
