Lawmakers have returned from August recess to a Washington littered with crises, controversies, and what can only be described as audacious administrative theater. Last Wednesday, on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, seven survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s abuse network made a rare and powerful public appearance, serving as a reminder that trauma and accountability have a long half-life in American politics. Indeed, the Epstein story is one of the few scandals that has refused to fade for Donald Trump and his allies, even as the MAGA base pipes down and the administration tries, albeit unsuccessfully, to dismiss it all as fake news.