Dispatches of alarm and hope, on politics and society, democracy and justice. Because silence is not an option. We may read and write alone, but we drive change together. Will the Epstein Files Break Trump? A Saturday Prompt Steven Beschloss Jul 19 Donald Trump and pal Jeffrey Epstein in 1997. (Photo by Davidoff Studios via Getty Images) Oh, sure, Trump has so little connection to child rapist Jeffrey Epstein that he’s written post after post of sweaty, overwrought words to prove he’s not panicking. It’s all just a “hoax” and a “SCAM” made up by the Democrats, he lies in his typical way. Now he’s suing Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal for $10 billion for its story describing a “bawdy” letter and drawing that he swears is a forgery, an easily disprovable lie that he never drew anything. The text and hand drawing of a naked woman with a heavy marker were created in 2003 as part of a leather-bound album for Epstein’s 50th birthday. Day by day, his protestations are making clear—for anyone who doubted—that he has plenty to hide. Does he really think people are so stupid that they believe Epstein was a close friend for over a decade yet Donald wasn’t involved in his buddy’s criminal sexual behavior—that he knew nothing and didn’t in any way participate in any way in Epstein’s reported sexual abuse and trafficking of more than 50 underaged girls? Trump himself famously told New York magazine in 2002: “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of then are on the younger side.” Remarkably, for once, it seems even his cult is not buying his lies. In a poll conducted in the last week of 1,680 adults, The Economist/YouGov found that 79 percent of Americans wanted all Epstein-related materials to be released. In addition, 67 percent believed the government was covering up evidence related to Epstein—and that included 59 percent of Trump voters. When you think about it, it’s hard to believe it’s taken this long for his Epstein connection to finally gain traction and harm him. While Trump has tried to convince his cultists to forget stories involving Epstein, he’s now learning that while his cult may excuse sexual abuse with adults, they will not stand for pedophilia (and have been convinced the release of Epstein files would only target Democrats like Bill Clinton). But here we are: His promise to release the files if elected again followed by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s promise to release the files—and then retracting that pledge—has succeeded in persuading even some cultists that he’s covering up for pedophiles like his old pal Epstein. Note this angry turnaround from neo-Nazi, white supremacist and former Trump fan Nick Fuentes, who said this week about Trump: “F** you! You suck! You are fat, you are a joke, you are stupid, you are not funny, you are not as smart as you think you are…we are gonna look back on the MAGA movement as the biggest scam in American history. And the liberals were right, the MAGA supporters were had!” Thursday night Trump took another step to try and tamp down the growing fury. “Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,” he posted on Truth Social. “This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!” But it’s highly unlikely that redacted Grand Jury transcripts will suffice, especially as questions about what’s in the full Epstein materials—Will Trump be referenced? Are there videos?—continue to motivate demands for their full release. This is a story about which Trump is failing to control the narrative, no matter how hard he pushes his usual tricks of denial. So what do you think? Will the Epstein files—their existence, the coverup and their possible release—finally break Trump? Could the fury escalate to even Republicans demanding his resignation and removal? Or will he find a way to tamp this down and reinvigorate his cult’s support, just as he has done so many times before? In turn, are you concerned about what his growing desperation may cause him to do? And has the intensity of the reaction to this story surprised you (like it has me)? As always, I look forward to reading your observations and for the opportunity of this community to learn from each other. Please do be respectful in your remarks. Trolling will not be tolerated. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber for $50 a year or just $5 a month, if you’re not already. This helps sustain and expand the work of America, America, keeps nearly all the content free for everyone and gives you full access to the comment sections. Building our community has never been more important. COMMENTS: I've been pondering the Greek level tragedy of Trump's insistence on branding in light of his signature on the image described in the Wall St. Journal article. Every stimulus check had his signature on it. https://www.rcfp.org/trump-covid-checks-abc-news/ The association, once people see the image described, will be unavoidable. I don't think he dodges out of this one. Karma. I mean…we can hope for his resignation and removal, but do you really want JD Vance as the next POTUS? Dear G-D… but in the meantime, Trump’s administration is working overtime to change the subject. Exhibit #1…Tulsi Gabbard calling for the prosecution of Barack Obama. The shifting target of these authoritarians is another canary in the coal mine for democracy’s demise. His base would be relieved, I’m sure, to have Obama as the target for their insatiable rage. WOW, that would be horrible, and Mike Thompson for VP. OMG‼️ Grand jury records are not complete, and “pertinent” is an out for Trump. Actually DOJ investigation records are the files that need to be released. He tricked you! Are you kidding me? Number 1=it’s a cult. Number 2=Teflon TACO has never suffered the consequences for any of his evil deeds from the time he was born. Number 3=As proven by our past election most Americans are selfish, lazy and misinformed. TACO will skate on this. The felon's followers are fine with children being forcibly separated from their parents by masked ICE thugs. They are fine with tens of thousands of children dying from starvation and and lack of medical care after the dismantling of USAID. They are fine with their own children being at risk from preventable diseases because they won't vaccinate them. They are fine with children not having school lunches or health insurance. They are fine with children being at risk of being shot at school and in other public places. What Epstein and others did is reprehensible, yes, but how could the felon's supporters have completely disregarded all these other harmful, devastating acts perpetrated against children? This potential 'last straw' for the felon was a hell of a long time in coming. It’s amazing that people like Nick Fuentes are publicly dumping him! But even if he is moved aside by Congress (still doubtful at this point). Project 2025 will live on through all the appointments he has made. Holding onto hope for 2026 - that is assuming we can have free and fair elections! The Access Hollywood tapes and other evidence that showed the depth of his depravity brought us hope. None of it mattered. I fear the same thing will happen herr. We see what a disgusting person he is, but will it matter? I think he will find a way to lie his way out of this. I'm sure he could find someone to help him alter the records. The people around him are as depraved as he is and will do what it takes to keep him and themselves in power. Likely what is released to the public will be redacted to only show the names of Democrats or the release will be stalled until it stops being a hot topic. 1) When the Nazis turn on you, that’s bad news for Trump. Half the Jan 6 insurrectionists are Nazis and they love Nick Fuentes. 2) I worry that the 1000 FBI agents who have been tasked to comb through the rooms full of Epstein documents, 24/7 to redact every mention of Trump, will make accountability nearly impossible. Ham-handed, yes, but who knows, maybe a disheartened FBI agent will blow the whistle? 3) Yes I worry what Trump will do if he is actually outed (I’ve no doubt he participated in the rapes. What was he doing on the island so many times? Getting a sun tan? 4) My biggest worry is that he’ll start nuking some country when he’s finally cornered and bereft of cultists, not to mention 79% of Americans. He is pathological, and can’t bear the truth: he’s a loser. What Grand Jury records?  In FLORIDA, wasn't it just a plea deal that allowed him out of jail to conduct 'business'?  In NEW YORK, Epstein was quickly DEAD - which makes one wonder WHY.  CRAIG UNGER investigated, researched & wrote extensively - available from your public library if you still have one.  MAXWELL earned his $$$ from publishing, but was connected to international intelligence organizations & met with an untimely death.  Recently posted was a comment by a DEMOCRAT that he has been following the $$$ for years - I can't quickly locate his name, but the only EVIDENCE that matters is the MONEY! Who paid EPSTEIN?  A COMMENT POSTED:  ANY ADULT having sex with a minor should be in prison; no matter who it is! We got rid of Nixon for much less.....  Why are we not removing this thing from office....NOW These were not women.  They were CHILDREN. There is no excuse for not prosecuting crimes against children. That victim was 13 at the time. She was a girl at the time Both were 13 yrs old Don’t say “ woman”  She was a girl i’ll bet $100 at least one of our supreme court judges are on that list. My granddaughter is 13 and I can't imagine her having to go through this at the hands of these predators 🤬 And please let's not call the victims women, they were children. Get this predator out of office For the record - teenage girls are not democrats or republicans - they are minors….. and they were victims, and not a hoax. I don't understand how anyone, male, female, mother, father,Dem, Rep, rich , poor , can cover up for a paedofile. In what world is it acceptable? In her testimony she quotes Trump as saying he wants her because she looks like his daughter. Such a gross human being. At that time, this young CHILD received so much HATE MAIL that she withdrew - who can blame her? LITTLE KID!  JEFFREY EPSTEIN operated a sick & perverted enterprise for which the WEALTHY ENTITLED PERVERTS benefitted!  This goes beyond PERVERSION & involves NATIONAL SECURITY!  JPMORGAN CHASE knew what EPSTEIN was doing & failed to report it, just as they did with BERNIE MADOFF & covered it up.  https://youtu.be/YNhOKuP7xrw?si=KyD1VVKHHKzuGvRD Excerpt from CRAIG UNGER's book indicates PUTIN has EPSTEIN's VIDEOS.... American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery READ Craig Unger's book(s) available from your public library: excerpt:   • How the Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking operation provided a source and marketplace for sexual kompromat.    • How the Epstein-Maxwell ring helped enable young women with possible ties to Russian intelligence to gain access to the highest levels of Silicon Valley and the worlds of artificial intelligence, supercomputers, and the internet. This, at a time when Vladimir Putin has asserted, “Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere [artificial intelligence] will become the ruler of the world.” American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery Hardcover – January 26, 2021 by Craig Unger (Author) RUSSIA HAS THE VIDEOS!  • How John Mark Dougan, a former deputy sheriff in Mar-a-Lago’s Palm Beach County, says he acquired 478 videos confiscated from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, fled to Moscow, became only the fourth American to win asylum in Russia, and immediately gained access to Putin’s inner circle, showing the ongoing power that comes from kompromat and how its value is highest before it is “used.” FLIGHTS have been documented: Jeffrey Epstein’s island: What really happened there? Accusers say billionaire’s private paradise of Little St James in U.S. Virgin Islands was centre of international sex trafficking ring https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/jeffrey-epstein-island-where-virginia-giuffre-visitors-b2740242.html  TRUMP was bailed out financially by RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS who paid inflated prices for his real estate because he was such a poor businessman that he bankrupted CASINOS.  FOLLOW THE EPSTEIN MONEY! That will reveal  part of EPSTEIN's scheme. CRAIG UNGER investigated & wrote extensively about MAXWELL's INTELLIGENCE CONNECTIONS & his untimely death. There's more that we need to know about EPSTEIN's $$$ !  PLEASE KEEP ASKING!  In Trump’s desperate attempt to cover up his past, it has finally caught up with him. He has been convicted of fraud and 34 felony counts, as well as the E. Jean Caroll case which proved he is a sexual predator. So why now is his legal case against The Wall Street Journal or his shouts of false prevarication finally, resemble lying – the spaghetti on the wall test? His more than 15 years of close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the endless number of photos surfacing of him with both these individuals who have been convicted of underage prostitution, and his association with The Beverly Hills nightclub/casino in Moscow – which also specialized in underage prostitution – should be enough evidence for his MAGA followers and upright Republicans to abandon him. People of any level of decency, ethics, or moral sense do not want to think about their daughters or granddaughters being molested by middle-age or old men. Trump has gone to great length to coverup his association with Epstein or his trips to Moscow. Only two years ago there were photos of him in Moscow at the “Beverly.” Now these internet photos are gone. Instead of allowing this scandal to die, he is now suing The Wall Street Journal – who is the media source to show the American public the “bawdy letter” (WSJ, July 17, 2025, written by Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo) Trump apparently drew a naked woman and signed his name. Ghislaine Maxwell compiled a leather-bound book of 50th birthday messages from friends of Epstein. It has now surfaced and is pornographic. While there may not be a “list” of Epstein’s customers, this book could suffice. The Wall Street Journal is one of the most reputable, dependable, and factual newspapers in the United States. Wikipedia wrote: “A 2018 survey conducted by Gallup and the Knight Foundation found that The Wall Street Journal was considered the third most-accurate and fourth most-unbiased news organization among the general public, tenth among Democrats, and second among Republicans.” Quora – another source – said “the Wall Street Journal has an average political bias rating of center.” Most importantly, is the story of Deputy Sheriff John Mark Dougan. He was a former Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy and was “under investigation by the FBI for allegedly collaborating with Russian military intelligence to spread misinformation about Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign. (25 WPBF News, written by Malcolm Shields, October 25, 2024) Before his arrest, Dougan snatched from the Evidence Room all 478 videos from Epstein’s files. He then drove to Toronto and caught a plane to Moscow.” According to Craig Unger, “Dougan was only the 4th American to receive asylum in Russia.” He presented the Russians evidence - known in Russia as Kompromat - to be used against worldwide leaders - including Donald Trump. NOW, whether there is "another" Epstein list is debatable. Someone needs to go to the Palm Beach Sheriff's office and ask. By law, they must keep records of evidence, including the tapes that went missing from their custody. Trump is now scared - and if there is another list - according to Bondi the list was on her desk - then the proof is there regarding Trump and underage sex trafficking and perhaps his connections to Russia. Thank you for posting a more thorough evaluation than I offered!  There are questions that arise about WHY WSJ published that item - it must have been done with Murdoch's approval.  GHISLAINE has a sympathetic following. Will TRUMP pardon her for a sanitized version of Epstein's relationship with him? Would it even be plausible?  JEFFREY EPSTEIN ran an INTERNATIONAL CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING RING!  PERVERTS were REPEATEDLY raping CHILDREN!  That's what they PAID FOR! The FBI cleaned out EPSTEIN's ISLAND: Where is that information?  KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS & ASK WHERE EPSTEIN'S MONEY CAME FROM!  WHAT PERVERTS PAID TO RAPE CHILDREN?  JP MORGAN CHASE KNEW & DID NOT REPORT EPSTEIN, JUST AS THEY PROTECTED BERNIE MADOFF! JAMIE DIMON KNEW!  MAGA CULT is uninformed, poorly educated BLIND, BRAINWASHED Followers who exclude FACTS & TRUTH!  FOX NEWS = FAKE NEWS LIARS paid $787 MILLION for their ELECTION LIES & these DIM WITS haven't figured out that IT'S ALL LIES! The ELECTION was not rigged & the CULT continues to support ELECTION DENIERS! Just how STUPID can you be?  They promote CONSPIRACY THEORIES even when they're easily disproven or irrational.  WE need to understand in order to DEFEAT!  JOHN DEAN wrote the article below in 2017 that still resonates.... excerpt:  Authoritarians do remain a minority, but with non-voters and anti-Hillary Clinton voters, Trump pulled off a historic upset. It appears his core supporters remain faithful—regardless of what he does or doesn’t do. So, I asked Bob Altemeyer, what if anything would get through to the Trump supporters, given the fact Trump has shown himself, so far, totally incompetent as President of the United States. Set forth below in italics is material from Bob, who is now enjoying his retirement. It took many months for Americans to stop supporting President Nixon during Watergate, and even at the end he could count on a hard knot of supporters who would believe him, as he said to [his chief of staff] H. R. Haldeman, because they wanted to. (NYT, 11/22/1974, p. 20). A few days before he resigned, 24% of a Gallup sample approved of the way Nixon was doing his job, including 38% of the Republicans polled. Most of Donald Trump’s supporters are probably people whom social psychologists call authoritarian followers, because they are so supportive of the authorities they consider legitimate. These are the people Trump was talking about when he famously bragged that he could shoot somebody in broad daylight on Fifth Avenue and it would make no difference to his backers. They are the people who so willingly took the “loyalty pledge” at Trump rallies in the early primaries—even calling on Trump to “do the swearing” when he had skipped it. We know enough about authoritarian supporters from research, and history, to know it will be very hard to change their minds about the leader they adore. They are extremely ethnocentric, dividing the world sharply into people in their in-group, and automatically disliking all others. They feel politicians who promote minority rights and immigration discriminate against them. Donald Trump tells them they are right. He is their champion. They are highly dogmatic. They get their ideas from others in the in-group, especially from their leader, not from evidence and logic. They say there is no evidence that will make them change their minds. They’re quite comfortable believing “alternate facts.” They get great satisfaction from being part of a large movement. Being in a cohesive crowd at rallies thrills them because they silently tell one another, just by being there, that they are powerful and right. They create an echo chamber that reinforces the belief that all the good people think like they do. They severely limit their sources of information. They get the news that they want to get. This also produces an echo chamber when the news sources they trust are copying each other and relaying Trump’s message. They have highly compartmentalized minds. When an unpleasant truth forces its way into their awareness, they do not try to integrate the other things they believe with it. Instead they put it in a box and isolate it from the rest of their thinking, which proceeds as if the truth never existed. Put all this together and you get an idea how hard it will be to change their minds about Donald Trump. One can expect some of Trump’s followers to waver if the months ahead are thick with damaging revelations like those that brought down the Nixon White House. But a repeat of “Watergate-type scandals” may not damage Trump as much as they did Nixon. https://verdict.justia.com/2017/07/07/altemeyer-trumps-supporters WE know what the CATHOLIC CHURCH did to VICTIMS of SEXUAL ABUSE, their HEALING lasts a lifetime even though they had families & remained silent.  EPSTEIN's INTERNATIONAL CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING RING included CHILDREN with no support, no family connections. ABANDONED CHILDREN who were SEXUALLY ABUSED by WEALTHY PERVERTS.  From the testimony of VICTIMS, we know that these CHILDREN were sexually assaulted SEVERAL TIMES A DAY by WEALTHY PERVERTS who paid EPSTEIN for the privilege.  Does it matter that they were HIGH RANKING PERVERTS?  Does it matter that they were WEALTHY PERVERTS?  How morally depraved must you be to SEXUALLY ABUSE A CHILD?  IT'S OVERDUE FOR MAGA & TRUMPERS to question loyalty over outright perversion. SEX WITH A 13 YEAR OLD?  KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS!  WHO FUNDED EPSTEIN'S INTERNATIONAL CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING RING?  JPMORGAN CHASE & JAMIE DIMON KNEW....& they covered it up!