Ro Khanna’s role in Epstein files may be catnip for Democratic voters
by Amie Parnes - 02/13/26 6:00 AM ET
When Rep. Ro Khanna took to the House floor this week to read aloud the names of six “wealthy, powerful men” whose identities were originally redacted in the Jeffrey Epstein files, it catapulted the California Democrat further into the national spotlight.
In recent months, Khanna has helped lead the charge around the Epstein case, meeting with victims and pushing for the full release of court documents. In doing so, he’s shifted the political narrative — framing the scandal not just as a saga of abuse but a broader flash point of wealth and power.
Now, as Khanna considers whether to run for president in 2028, he is quietly positioning himself as a leading voice in the progressive lane — one that could dominate if Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) decides to run for the Senate instead.
“It put him on the national stage in a new way and it has cemented his ability to run for president if he wants to,” said Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko, who has known Khanna for more than 10 years but acknowledges he hasn’t always agreed with him on policy.
“It has given him something concrete that he did that he can talk about. He gets to stand up and say he led the effort,” Parkhomenko said.
As the Epstein story has remained in the news cycle for months, political observers say the congressman not only elevated a deeply real issue by advocating for victims and pushing for transparency. Khanna — who co-chaired Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential effort — also cast a light on a system warped by proximity to power and wealth.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5736297-khanna-epstein-case-presidential-run/
