Today in Politics, Bulletin 182. 7/31/25 Ron Filipkowski Jul 31 ∙ … Trump biographer Michael Wolff to Meidas: “Epstein’s explanation for why this friendship ended is as follows. In 2004, Epstein believed himself to be the high bidder on a piece of real estate in Palm Beach—a house. His bid was $36 million. He took his friend Trump around to see the house, to advise him on how to move the swimming pool. Trump thereupon went around Epstein’s back and bid $40 million for the house—and got the property. Epstein, who was well acquainted and in fact deeply involved with Trump’s scattered finances, understood that he didn’t have $40 million to pay for this house.” … “If that was the case, it was someone else’s $40 million. At the time, Epstein believed this to be the $40 million of a Russian oligarch by the name of Rybolovlev. Less than two years later, this same house that Trump had bought for $40 million was sold for $95 million—and it was in fact sold to Rybolovlev. This is all a red flag of money laundering. Epstein after this began to threaten lawsuits and going to the press saying that Trump was a frontman for a money laundering deal.” … “Trump panics at this point, and Epstein believed that it was Trump who went to the police and, as Epstein said, dropped the dime on him - informed the police of what was going on. And an investigation began, and all of Epstein’s legal problems for the next 15 years began to unfold.” … “We can chart a continued friendship between these two men through flight manifests, photographs, phone calls—and even a picture of Epstein at Trump’s wedding to Melania in 2005. So this relationship that Trump now claims ended in 2000 actually demonstrably continued until at least 2005. And it’s that period—from 2000 to 2005—in which most of the allegations against Epstein took place.” … Which is all probably in the Epstein files that Trump is covering up. … Epstein/Maxwell victim Virginia Giuffre’s family issued a statement condemning Trump: “It was shocking to hear Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been ‘stolen’ from Mar-a-Lago. It makes us ask if he was aware of Epstein and Maxwell’s criminal actions, especially given his statement two years later that his good friend Jeffrey ‘likes women on the younger side - no doubt about it.’ We and the public are asking for answers; survivors deserve this.” … “If our sister could speak today, she would be most angered by the fact that the govt is listening to a known perjurer. A woman who repeatedly lied under oath and will continue to do so as long as it benefits her position. Maxwell is a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life for the extraordinary violence and abuse she put not just our sister Virginia through, but many other survivors, who may number in the thousands. A predator who thought only of herself, she destroyed the lives of girls and young women without conscience.” … Trump was asked today about it: “Q- The family of Virginia Guiffre issued a statement in response to the comments you made. You said Epstein stole people from Mar-a-Lago. At the time, did you know why taking those young women? Trump: No, I didn’t know. It figures that ABC fake news would ask that question - one of the worst. No, I don’t know really why. I said if he’s taking anybody from MAL, hiring or whatever he’s doing, I didn’t like it.” ALAN DERSHOWITZ:  PERSONA NON GRATA! … Former Epstein and Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz posted a video this morning saying that he is suing the Martha’s Vineyard Farmer’s Market after the pierogi guy refused to sell to him yesterday because he defends Trump and said he doesn’t like some of the people he has represented. Dersh then stood in front of the pierogi booth telling people not to buy from him until the police arrived and told him to leave. … Dershowitz argued with the police and the manager of the market for several minutes until he finally left. In his video, he also whined that he’s banned from the MV Book fair, library, Jewish synagogue, and nobody on the island will invite him to any parties because if they do they will become a social pariah and lose all their friends. … WSJ: “Epstein has been discussed in 3,123 conservative podcast episodes recently, a WSJ analysis found. Those conversations grew more than eightfold in the last three weeks despite the president’s telling MAGA to drop the issue." … But Fox is doing their best to deflect attention away from it. Media Matters: “Since Monday, Fox News has spent 85 minutes covering an American Eagle commercial featuring Sydney Sweeney, devoting over 20 segments to it. In the same time period, Fox spent just 3 minutes discussing the Trump admin’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.” … Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on MSNBC: "Republicans are beginning to realize that there is nobody in Washington DC that has closer and longer ties to Epstein than Donald Trump. The most damning fact: Donald Trump made Alex Acosta, who gave a sweetheart plea deal to Epstein and to all co-conspirators, his Secretary of Labor, which has jurisdiction over human trafficking." PROMISES TO BE AS GAUDY & TACKY AS TRUMP … Trump continues to turn the White House into a 1985-style Atlantic City casino. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “We are proud to announce that the construction of the new WH ballroom will begin. For 150 years presidents, administrations, and WH staff have longed for a large event space on the WH complex that can hold substantially more guests.” … Daily Beast reporter Sarah Ewall-Wice: “The current White House is 55,000 sq ft (+ the West Wing is 40,000 sq ft). Adding a 90,000 sq ft ballroom will basically dwarf the actual White House. When Trump vowed to build a ballroom in February, he said $100M, but today's announcement said $200M.” … Paging DOGE. You guys still around? … CNBC: “Trump signed an order imposing a universal 50% tariff on copper imports. The Trump admin says that the new duties, which follow 50% US tariffs already imposed on steel and aluminum, are aimed at boosting domestic industries and addressing ‘trade imbalances.’ But experts warn that they could raise prices on all sorts of products, ranging from construction materials to electronics, that utilize the versatile metal. Copper is the 3rd-most-consumed metal, behind iron and aluminum. The US imports nearly half of the copper it uses, most of which comes from Chile.” … Reuters: “Ford Motors said that US tariffs on imported vehicles, as well as on steel and aluminum, will likely cost more than expected for the year, and the automaker's shares slid 3% trading. Ford reported that Q2 results took an $800-million hit from tariffs, a less pronounced impact than some of its US rivals thanks to Ford's strong domestic manufacturing base. For the full year, the automaker lifted the higher range of its projected hit to gross revenues from tariffs by $500 million, to $3 billion.” … CNBC host Joe Kernan to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: “Ford hasn’t lost money in a quarter since 2023. They make almost all their cars in the US, but they still import some parts. As a result, tariffs have wiped out their profits completely. Bessent: "I think that there are were numerous unique circumstances with Ford. I believe that the Ford F-150, 250 - their big truck series - is made out of aluminum instead of steel, which is different than other cars. So I think maybe the aluminum tariffs hit them harder." … So the Trump admin is punishing the auto company that makes more cars in the US than any other company because they use aluminum in their trucks. Makes sense. Seems like a very well thought out tariff policy from Lutnick and Trump. … Inflation rose again last month. Yahoo Finance: “The latest reading of the Fed Reserve's preferred inflation gauge showed price increases accelerated in June as inflation remained above the Fed's 2% target. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index, which strips out food and energy costs and is closely watched by the central bank, rose 0.3% from the prior month, and above the 0.2% increase seen in May.” … Fed Chair Jerome Powell announced they are still not ready to lower interest rates: "Increased tariffs are pushing up prices in some categories of goods. Near-term measures of inflation expectations have moved up on balance over the course of this year on news about tariffs." … Trump then raged about it: “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell has done it again!!! He is TOO LATE, and actually, TOO ANGRY, TOO STUPID, & TOO POLITICAL, to have the job of Fed Chair. ‘Too Late’ is a TOTAL LOSER, and our Country is paying the price!” … Harvard economics professor Jason Furman: “I don't think people appreciate just how much re-inflation we've had. Last year core PCE inflation was 2.8%. It was forecasted to fall to 2.2% in the first half of this year, instead it was 3.0% (annual rate). … Former Obama WH chief economist Gene Sperling: “Pre-Trump tariff statements, Goldman Sachs, IMF and others projected inflation coming down to around 2% with GDP close to 2.5%. Trump policy has moved us in a stagflationary direction. Growth closer to 1%, inflation close to 3%. A self-inflicted wound. Not Powell’s fault.” … Reuters: “Procter & Gamble forecast annual results largely below estimates and said it would raise prices on some products in the US, a day after naming insider Shailesh Jejurikar as CEO to steer it through tariff uncertainty. Economic volatility and ‘consumer anxiety’ stemming from Trump's erratic tariff policies and crackdown on immigration and employment status have forced shoppers to temper spending in order to stretch their budgets, executives told Wall Street.” … DOJ argued the case today on the lawsuit filed challenging Trump’s authority to issue tariffs without congressional approval. Trump: “To all of my great lawyers who have fought so hard to save our Country, good luck in America’s big case today. If our Country was not able to protect itself by using TARIFFS AGAINST TARIFFS, WE WOULD BE ‘DEAD,’ WITH NO CHANCE OF SURVIVAL OR SUCCESS.” … Trump trade talks with India have fallen apart: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory!” … Trump has threatened to impose secondary tariffs of 50% in 8 days on any country that buys oil from Russia. India has bought tons of oil from Russia for decades and has no intention of stopping any time soon. … Dmitry Medvedev responded to Trump’s attack on him as they continue to trade barbs: “If some words from the former President of Russia trigger such a nervous reaction from the high-and-mighty president of the US, then Russia is doing everything right.” … Trump also indicated that trade talks with Canada are going nowhere: “Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh’ Canada!!!” … CNN Business Editor Richard Quest: “The deal with the EU - they simply will not buy that amount of energy, and nor will they invest that amount of money. The deal with Japan - nobody knows where the $650 billion worth of investment is going to come from. The Japanese admit they don't know where it's going to come from. UK - a framework that no one has any idea what is involved. We've got the deal announced today with the S. Koreans. Trump wants headline numbers, but the underlying terms of the trade deals are garbage.” HUH? … BLEACH BLOND BRAIN DEAD Karoline Leavitt: “President Trump has brokered on average one peace deal or cease-fire per month during his six months in office. It is well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel peace prize.” PETER NAVARRO NEGOTIATED A TRADE AGEEMENT WITH CHINA DURING TRUMP#1 THAT WAS SO CONSPICUOUSLY POOR THAT THE CHINESE ARE STILL LAUCHING ABOUT HIS INCOMPETENCE! … WH Trade Advisor Peter Navarro: "You know, a lot of people talk about Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. But I'm thinking that since he's basically taught the world trade economics, he might be up for the Nobel in economics." We are going to continue to stay on this Epstein story with our entire team every single day because just the way Trump and his minions have handled it makes me now think whatever is in those files about Trump is way worse than I even thought a few months ago. Of course, I will continue to cover all the other political news from economic, foreign policy, social issues, elections, etc (as this Bulletin shows) - but nothing is going to distracts us away from also staying on the Epstein situation. Thanks again for supporting our work. If you missed the last Bulletin, you can find it here. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. … Interior Secretary and former ND Gov Doug Burgum on Fox Business: “Q- I thought we needed all forms of energy, including wind, to power AI. But it looks like the admin is killing the entire wind industry. Is it? Burgum: We're ending the last 33 years of highly subsidized preferential treatment for certain forms of energy, particularly wind and solar.” … Burgum then repeated Trump’s nonsensical babble, which is especially pathetic because he knows better: "When the sun goes down, you have a catastrophic failure called sunset and there's no solar energy produced, and yet we're subsidizing these things that are intermittent, unreliable, and expensive.” … Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) responded: “Hey Doug, they are called batteries. They are why clean energy continues to power millions of homes even at night. But you know that because wind and solar provide 40% of the energy in North Dakota where you were Governor. Stop lying for your boss.” … Rob Tornoe, Philly Inquirer: “Wind power alone accounted for more than one-third of North Dakota's power supply as recently as last year.” … The Dept. of Energy then posted this: … The draft map for Texas’s mid-decade gerrymandering scam is out, and it would eliminate 5 Democratic seats if the 2024 vote totals remain the same. Texas Dems are calling on governors in blue states to fight back. Rep. Greg Casar: "We can't necessarily rely on this very right-wing Supreme Court to save us. That's why I think it's so important that if you're watching at home, that you reach out to your governor and legislators and encourage them to take Gavin Newsom's lead." … JD Vance gaslighted on it by focusing on Newsom’s response to Texas’s scam: “The gerrymander in California is outrageous. Of their 52 congressional districts, 9 of them are Republican. That means 17 percent of their delegation is Republican when Republicans regularly win 40 percent of the vote in that state. How can this possibly be allowed? … Newsom responded by posting a chart showing 9 of the top 10 most gerrymandered states are all Republican, which does not include CA. He captioned it, “Try again, dumb dumb.” … Fox LA: “DNC Chair Ken Martin supports Gavin Newsom's efforts to redistrict California IF Texas redistricts first: "The only thing they can do is to rig the system. To cheat. If Texas wants a showdown, we'll give them a showdown. The Democratic Party is not going to sit back and watch it happen.” … Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to Meidas: “We can no longer unilaterally disarm. We’re going to take a close look at how states like California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and others can respond in ways that create the greatest opportunity to ensure the nationwide congressional map is as fair as possible.” … NBC: “The proposal would shift district lines in ways that would target current Democratic members of Congress in districts in and around Austin, Dallas and Houston, as well as two already endangered Democrats representing South Texas districts that Trump carried last year. They already control 25 of the 38 congressional districts in Texas. Democratic voters would be packed into 8 districts that Kamala Harris would have won by at least 15 percentage points apiece last year.” … The new lines would put Dem Reps. Greg Casar and Lloyd Doggett in the same district, which could force them to run against each other. Casar: “Merging the 35th and the 37th districts is illegal voter suppression of Black and Latino Central Texans. By merging our Central Texas districts, Trump wants to commit yet another crime - this time, against Texas voters and against The Voting Rights Act.” … Casar: “United, we will fight back with everything we’ve got. If Trump is allowed to rip the Voting Rights Act to shreds here in Central Texas, his ploy will spread like wildfire across the country. Everyone who cares about our democracy must mobilize against this illegal map.” … Rep. Julie Johnson’s (D-TX) district is also being redrawn. Johnson to CBS: "This is an all-out war. I am for fair and independent redistricting across the country, so long as we all do it. But if we're going to do partisan gerrymandering, then game on, we all should." … House Dem Leader Hakeem Jeffries: “The only way they can win the midterm elections is to cheat.” … The Black Wall Street Times: “Texas Republicans have redrawn the lines so that Rep. Jasmine Crockett, one of the most outspoken Black women in Congress, is no longer living in her own district. This is not just political, it’s personal.” … FDA Commissioner Marty Makary on CNBC: “Q - The EPA is moving to rescind this endangerment finding on carbon dioxide and greenhouses gases. Is that a danger to public health? MAKARY: To be honest, I don't know enough about that issue. CNBC host: You're in charge of our public health! Can you look into it for us!?” … CNBC: “DOJ is dropping its case against Fat Brands and its Chair Andy Wiederhorn. In May 2024, the company and Wiederhorn were indicted by a federal grand jury in LA on charges of wire fraud, tax evasion and other counts related to what prosecutors alleged was a sham loan scheme that netted Wiederhorn $47 million. Prosecutors just filed to dismiss all charges against Wiederhorn and the company that owns Fatburger, Johnny Rockets and Great American Cookies.” … “In March, the WH fired Adam Schleifer, the Asst. US attorney who led the prosecution against Wiederhorn. Schleifer later alleged that his dismissal was the result of a smear campaign against him led by Wiederhorn. The company donated $100,000 to Trump’s inauguration fund.” Schleiffer also personally made major donations to Trump’s campaign. … Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll: “I have immediately directed West Point to: 1. Rescind Jen Easterly’s offer to serve as the McDermott Chair. 2. Pause outside groups from selecting Academy employees or instructors. I have also asked the Chair of the West Point Board of Visitors to conduct a full review of the Academy’s hiring practices.” … Axios reported that Easterly was fired because of Laura Loomer: “Earlier on Wed, West Point named Jen Easterly, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and a West Point graduate, as its new Distinguished Chair in the Dept of Social Studies. Loomer reacted to the news in an X post saying, ‘There are clearly a lot of Biden holdovers at DOD undermining the Trump admin.’” … Loomer tagged Sec Def Pete Hegseth in the post, and claimed that Easterly was leading CISA when DHS briefly formed a Disinformation Governance Board to monitor social media during the Biden admin. It was quickly disbanded after backlash, and CISA had nothing to do with it. … Former CIA Chief of Staff Larry Pfeiffer: “How petty. Jen Easterly is a West Point grad, a veteran, a former senior Intelligence Community officer, and a nonpartisan leader in two of the 21st century’s biggest battles - those against terror and cyber. Your loss, US Army, and our loss as Americans.” … NBC reported that Hegseth is considering a run for governor of his home state of TN next year: “One of the people said their discussion with Hegseth happened within the past 3 weeks and that it was serious, not simply spitballing ideas. The other person, who also characterized it as serious, wouldn’t say when they had spoken - except that it was after Hegseth became defense secretary.” … “The discussions centered on what it would take to run. One person said they discussed the eligibility requirements to run for governor of TN and Hegseth’s chances of winning. The other person said they talked with Hegseth about the realities of a campaign. Ultimately, both sources said, it was unclear after their conversations with Hegseth whether he would take the leap. But they both said he has contemplated it.” … Politico: “Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK’s conservative Reform party, shouted down Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) during a heated exchange about free speech, effectively preventing the Democrat from continuing his remarks. Raskin had just begun remarks on the history of free speech in the US and turned to current threats posed by Trump when Farage interrupted: “We’re not here to talk about Trump!” … Raskin: “Farage said that I am a guest here, and I should act like a guest. And I told him that he was a host, and he should act like a host.” Farage then called him “the most pig-headed person he’d ever met.” Raskin responded: “This is why we had a revolution against you guys.” … Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who was also on the trip along with Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jasmine Crockett (D-TX): “Farage just looked unhinged like a giant manbaby.” … Jim Clapper and John Brennan wrote an OpEd in NYT responding to Tulsi Gabbard’s allegations that they conspired with Obama to commit treason: "We find it deeply regrettable that the admin continues to perpetuate the fictitious narrative that Russia did not interfere in the 2016 election. It should instead acknowledge that a foreign nation-state - a mortal enemy of the US - routinely meddles in our national elections and will continue to do so unless we take appropriate bipartisan action to stop it." WISCONSIN: MAGA MAGGOT VAN ORDEN is up for re-election in 2026 - replace him with someone who has a BRAIN! … Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) posted that if Obama gets arrested it will be justified: “The Dems set the precedence. They call for the wind when they arrested Donald Trump and raided his home. They must now reap the whirlwind.” Now he just has to figure out how to keep planes in the air after firing AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS! … Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy: “Since I took action to enforce language proficiency requirements for truckers, our state partners have put roughly 1,500 unqualified drivers out of service. That’s what I call results! If you can't read or speak our national language - ENGLISH - we won’t let your truck endanger the driving public.” … Trump attacked Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) over his bipartisan bill to ban members of Congress, the president, and VP from engaging in stock trades and other financial speculation while in office: “The Democrats, because of our tremendous ACHIEVEMENTS and SUCCESS, have been trying to ‘Target’ me for a long period of time, and they’re using Josh Hawley, who I got elected TWICE, as a pawn to help them. He is playing right into the dirty hands of the Democrats. I don’t think real Republicans want to see their President, who has had unprecedented success, TARGETED, because of the “whims” of a second-tier Senator named Josh Hawley!” … Trump then had a phone call with Hawley and his bill was amended to specifically exempt Trump. The prohibitions on financial transactions by presidents will not take effect until 2029. The bill then passed committee 8-7 with all 7 votes against him coming from Republicans. So it was Democrats joining with Hawley will Trump yelling about it until he got a special personal exemption. … Bryan Metzger, Business Insider: “Sen. Josh Hawley tells me that he had a call with Trump last night, and that the president told him that GOP senators had called him up telling him he would have to sell Mar-a-Lago if Hawley’s bill passed.” … Hawley then went on Fox where he was asked about Trump’s comment that he is a “second-tier Senator”: “Well that's not the worst thing that's been said about me even today. I had a good chat with the president and he reiterated to me he wants to see a ban on stock trading by people like Pelosi and members of congress which is what we passed today.” … Q - When you spoke to the president did he explain why he called you second-tier? Hawley: “People who are opposed to banning stock trading had said to the president that he would be covered by the bill. Not the case at all. The president and vice president, their assets are exempted.” … Hawley also originally called his bill the PELOSI Act, but was forced to change the name since he needed Democrats to pass it. Pelosi endorsed the bill after that. … Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was on Fox explaining why he is against the bill: "If Donald Trump were the next president - some say he might run for a third term - he would be forced to divest everything. I don't think we want to discourage people like that from holding office." … Karoline Leavitt: “President Trump supports the idea of ensuring that members of Congress and US senators that are here for public service should not enrich themselves." … Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced an amendment in committee on Trump’s Palace in the Sky: “I offered the amendment - not to refuse acceptance of the Qatari jet; just to prohibit Trump from taking it with him when he leaves office - after the taxpayers spend $1 billion to retrofit it. It failed 14-15. Every single Republican voted to allow Trump to take the jet.” … Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) complained about Democrats blocking Trump’s nominees in the Senate: “When a new coach is hired, they get to pick their team. It’s that simple. 77 million Americans PICKED President Trump to lead our country. And yet, radical Democrats continue to BLOCK over 150 of his nominees. RIDICULOUS. It’s time we buckle up and get POTUS’s team confirmed.” … Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) responded: “You blocked the promotion of hundreds of career military officers for months for no good reason. You hurt their families and our military readiness. This isn't a Saturday night kickoff against Vanderbilt—this actually matters.” … Fox LA’s Elex Michaelson: “A source familiar with Kamala Harris’ thinking says she was tempted to run for CA Governor but ultimately didn’t want to do the job. She’s been in elective office for decades and wants to take time to experience life as a private citizen and see how she can be most helpful. She’s writing a book, setting up a nonprofit, and will travel the country to campaign for Dems. She genuinely hasn’t decided whether to run for President in 2028 but knew her heart wasn’t into running for Governor in 2026.” … Former Rep. Katie Porter is among the leading candidates currently in the race, but it appears Lt. Gov. Elini Kounalakis is the now the front-runner after lining up big name endorsements and raising the most money by far. She was just endorsed by Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi among others, and has $9 million in her campaign account.