House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared on CNN Friday, and things got predictably uncomfortable when he was asked whether he’d allow a vote on a bipartisan bill from GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California that would compel the full release of the Epstein files.

“It’s now a moot point. It’s not even necessary,” Johnson said. 

“You don’t think it’s going to happen?” CNN’s John Berman asked.

“There may be a floor vote of one measure or another. We have our own resolutions to do all this, but I don’t—it’s, it’s sort of not necessary at the point because the administration is already doing this. They’re turning it over,” Johnson replied.

Berman then pressed Johnson to answer the damn question already, but the speaker continued to dance around it.

“You can’t guarantee there will be a vote on the discharge petition?” Berman asked.

“There probably will be a vote of some sense, but we’ve got to get everybody collected again and get consensus around it,” Johnson replied. 

If you’re looking for a textbook definition of “noncommittal,” Johnson’s answer pretty much says it all. 

Meanwhile, the White House has continued to stall the long-promised release of the Epstein files, fueling more speculation about a cover-up. And President Donald Trump has only added to that doubt by reversing his stance on the Epstein investigation and illogically claiming that the files are a “Democrat hoax” designed to make him look bad.

In turn, Trump’s spineless GOP loyalists are increasingly struggling to speak out of both sides of their mouths when it comes to Trump’s old pal Jeffrey Epstein.