Today in Politics, Bulletin 166. 7/7/25 Ron Filipkowski Jul 7 ∙ … MAGA was livid today after a DOJ memo indicated that they are closing the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and not releasing any additional information. Axios’s Alex Isenstadt to Meidas: “The DOJ says it has found no evidence to suggest that disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kept a client list, blackmailed any of his clients, or that he was murdered. We have obtained a memo written by the DOJ and FBI explaining these findings.” … AG Pam Bondi has said for months in interviews that an investigation was ongoing and many more documents would be released. On Sean Hannity’s show in Feb, she said she initially received “a couple of hundred pages of documents” which were handed over to MAGA influencers at the WH in a much-hyped reveal that led to the first round of disappointment that there was nothing new: “You’re looking at these documents going, these aren’t all the Epstein files, there were flight logs, there were names, victims’ names, where’s the rest of the stuff? And that’s what the FBI had turned over to us.” … But in March, Bondi gave an update on Fox that she received thousands of pages of additional documents and thousands of videos: “We’re going to go through it as fast as we can but go through it cautiously to protect all the victims of Epstein because there were a lot of victims.” She said there were 254 victims: “We believe in transparency, America has the right to know. The Biden admin sat on these documents, no one did anything with them. It’s a new day, it’s a new admin, everything’s going to come put to the public, the public have a right to know, Americans have a right to know.” … Apparently not. … Trump’s lawyer and US Attorney for NJ nominee Alina Habba also in February: “It’s incredibly disturbing. We have flight logs, information, names that will come out. There were so many names hidden who had not been held accountable. Now it’s time for accountability. I really believe with Kash and Pam there will be accountability.” … The release of the Epstein files was going to be MAGA’s Super Bowl this year since they were convinced evidence would implicate half the Democrats in Congress, big political donors, and Hollywood, they were pretty irate when Bondi gave them nothing. Now many are calling for Bondi to be fired. Here are the reactions of the people in the infamous binder photos: Rogan O’Handley, Jack Posobiec, Mike Cernovich and Liz Wheeler. O’Handley: “We all know this is a shameful coverup to protect the most heinous elites We were told multiple times the files would be released and now it looks like backroom deals have been made to keep them hidden. No way. We all know Epstein has a long client list of powerful household names. It’s a shameful chapter in our country’s history.” Posobiec: “I want answers on Epstein. As many as possible. Not press releases. Answers. We were all told more was coming. That answers were out there and would be provided. Incredible how utterly mismanaged this Epstein mess has been. And it didn’t have to be.” Wheeler: “I think the collective feeling is we’re extremely angry. Are we going to have our intelligence insulted again by someone who’s supposed to be on our side? It’s time to stop tolerating this. They thumbed their nose at us.” Cernovich: “No one is believing the Epstein coverup, Donald Trump. This will be part of your legacy. There’s still time to change it!” … Some other MAGA influencer reactions. Laura Loomer: “I told you Blondi was a liar. She should resign for lying to the American people.” … Podcaster Breanna Morello: “Pam Bondi is a liar. She set the influencers up at the WH. She dumped the binders on to them without prior notice and had them walk in front of the cameras. When one of them realized there was nothing in the binders, they reached out to me. I published her letter to Kash Patel, even though she put an embargo on it for several hours. I knew she was lying to the American people and I told you she was. Pam Bondi can’t be trusted.” … Podcaster Bradley Martyn: “No client list, oh okay at this point it’s just sad. They legit don’t care anymore, they know they have the power and just continue on business as usual.” … Gunther Eagleman: “Right now, my trust is government is at ZERO. ‘On my desk’ and ‘Truck full’ of documents is what we were told. The lies are blatant. Someone has some explaining to do. People have to go to jail.” … Savannah Hernandez with Turning Point USA: “This is a slap in the face to the American people and it’s disgusting that our DOJ is protecting pedophiles.” … Alex Jones show co-host Owen Shroyer: “Actually, turns out Jeffrey Epstein never even existed.” … Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton: “So three months after we sued for the Epstein records, AG Bondi and FBI Director Patel leak to left-wing Axios (not to the Court) that Epstein killed himself, had no ‘client list’ and suggest Judicial Watch and the American people essentially won't get any more records other than some video from cameras that don't show what happened in Epstein's cell.” … Podcaster Tim Pool: “Based on the latest development from the DOJ, the Epstein Client list is now complete: 1. Prince Andrew. That's it.” Pool later posted: “Pam Bondi is just keeping the tens of thousands of child porn videos for herself.” … Actor Kevin Sorbo: “I’m confused. Pam Bondi told us on camera that she had the Epstein list. Now she says it doesn’t exist. Is she lying or incompetent? Either way, not a good case for her to stay AG.” … Suspected (by many) J6 pipe bomber Ivan Raiklin: “I have concluded that Pam Bondi, Kash Patel and Dan Bongino are the most trustworthy people ever in the history of humanity. Trust everything they don't say.” … Dr. Simon Goddek: “The DOJ and FBI have wrapped up their investigation: Epstein died by suicide, and apparently, there was never a client list. WOW!!!! They think we’re brain-dead cattle.” … Alex Jones’ lawyer Robert Barnes: “What a joke. Total disgrace by Pam Bondi, Dan Bongino and Kash Patel as well as Trump to keep hiding the Epstein Files from the American people pretending there is nobody else involved when we KNOW that is false. Promises made, promises broken! Epstein list doesn't exist, just like Iran was ‘just about’ to get nukes. Trump wasn't elected to repeat the dumb lies of the past.” … Pardoned J6 insurrectionist Alexander Sheppard: “Dan Bongino either lied to us on his podcast for several years or he is lying to us now.” … Evan Kilgore got over 30K likes on this: “For the record... I'm never going to believe a word Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, or Dan Bongino says ever again. Who else?” … Robby Starbuck: “Pam Bondi said the Epstein client list was on her desk to review for release to the public just a few months ago. Now the DOJ she leads claims that there’s no Epstein client list. Sorry but this is unacceptable. Was she lying then or is she lying now? We deserve answers.” … MAGA influencer Murray on X: “The voters got played. Again.” … Elon Musk, who just started his new 3rd party, posted two memes to mock Trump, Bondi, Patel and Bongino: … Musk then retweeted this post from MAGA influencer Sarah Fields: “If the entire government is protecting pedophiles, it has officially become the government against the people. I hope you all understand that.” … Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA): “No one who has walked Earth is more litigious than Donald Trump. If Trump is NOT in the files he would have already sued Elon Musk for saying he IS in the files. The absence of Trump’s legal actions speaks VOLUMES.” … Daily Beast reported that Ted Cruz was in Greece when the Texas floods hit and remained there for another 2 days before flying back. 24 hours after the flood he was confronted by someone who recognized him at the Parthenon: “He was with his family and a lone security guard. As he walked past us, I simply said, ‘20 kids dead in Texas and you take a vacation?’ He sort of grunted and walked on. His wife shot me a dirty look. Then they continued on with their tour guide.” … Ted Cruz later on Fox: "There’s no doubt we’re going to have a serious retrospective and say, ok what could have been differently to prevent this disaster. Something went wrong, we’ve got to fix that and have a better system of warning to get kids out of harm's way." … Cruz addressed the MAGA conspiracy that the storm was caused by the Deep State manipulating the weather, which was led by Marge Greene: "To the best of my knowledge, there is zero evidence of anything related to weather modification. Look, the internet can be a strange place. People can come up with all sorts of crazy theories." Even though Congress is on another extended recess, I have a feeling that this could be another crazy week so buckle up. Especially if today was any indication. I will do my best to keep up with everything each day and pack as much in as I can without this getting completely out of control. If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can find it here. … Houston Chronicle published an article quoting the frustrations of several Texas flood-area residents frustrated with government officials. Christopher Flowers, who woke up in the middle of the night surrounded by water: “What they need is some kind of external system, like a tornado warning that tells people to get out now.” … Bud Bolton, a resident of Blue Oak RV Park in Kerrville: “You have the river authorities and I know what they do. You cannot tell me it’s not their fucking job to oversee this river and monitor this river, because that’s what they do. That’s their job. Where was the notification for all these families that needed to get out of here, because it had to be rising up that way first.” … Lorena Guillen said she called the local sheriff's office before 3am and was told NOT to evacuate her home: “We started seeing the cabins floating from the other RV Parks floating down the river. We started seeing cars with lights on and people honking inside their cars and they were just floating away.” … Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly on why his county didn’t have an emergency response system despite being in a high risk area: “We’ve looked into it before - the public reeled at the cost.” On Camp Mystic: “What I do know is the flood hit the camp first, and it came in the middle of the night. I don’t know where the kids were. I don’t know what kind of alarm systems they had.” … Texas Tribune: “For the last three days, state Rep. Wes Virdell has been out with first responders in Kerr County as they searched for victims and survivors from the devastating floods that swept through TX. Virdell’s closeup view of the havoc wreaked on his district has made a lasting impression and left him reconsidering a vote he made just a few months ago against a bill that would have established a statewide plan to improve Texas’ disaster response, including better alert systems, along with a grant program for counties to buy new emergency communication equipment and build new infrastructure like radio towers.” … Virdell: “I can tell you in hindsight, watching what it takes to deal with a disaster like this, my vote would probably be different now.” … DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Fox: "I really can't wrap my head around it. The alerts went out several hours in advance, but the rise in the level of water and how quickly it happened just really was unprecedented for this area." … Karoline Leavitt today: "The alerts were sent out before the flood when people were sleeping because the flood hit in the very early hours of the morning. People were sleeping in the middle of the night when this flood came. This was an act of God, it is not the administration's fault that the flood hit when it did." … Leavitt was asked if they were still planning to abolish FEMA as Trump previously stated on several occasions: “FEMA is something we can talk about later. Right now they’re busy working.” … Trump made several announcements on tariffs today, posting a series of sophomoric letters to Truth Social that are copies of originals sent out to various countries. This is what he is doing since countries haven’t reached trade deals with the US, despite the fact that he said months ago that his phone was “ringing off the hook” with 200 countries begging to make deals. … Trump announced 40% tariffs on Laos, 30% on South Africa, and 25% on S. Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Tunisia and Malaysia. No doubt by the time you are reading this there will be more added to the list. This language was included in each letter: “If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge.” … Tahra Hoops, Chamber of Progress: “Unless this gets pulled back, consumers would be seeing a large impact on prices, especially for cars, electronics, and industrial goods. The US imports billions in vehicles, semiconductors, and machinery from Japan and South Korea.” … Economist Justin Wolfers: “Every one of the tariff letters ends by noting, ‘These Tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country.’ No American company is going to open a new factory based on the protection offered by a tariff that could disappear before the concrete sets.” … We went from 90 trade deals in 90 days to 90 poorly written form letters. … Trump also posted on Truth Social: “Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” … Ann Marie Hordern, Bloomberg: “In a joint statement, BRICS leaders took a swipe at Trump’s tariffs as they held a summit over the weekend saying they ‘voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules.’ Trump did not clarify or expand on the ‘Anti-American policies’ reference in his post. The original BRICS group gathered leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Indonesia.” … Trade Advisor Peter Navarro was asked on CNBC about his now infamous interview where he promised 90 trade deals in 90 days. Q - 90 days is almost up, are you disappointed in just two deals so far? Navarro: “I'm happy with the progress we've had. What we’re learning during the negotiations is now difficult it is for these countries to give up the advantage they have over us. The negotiations are going well.” … Navarro also blamed Fed Chair Jerome Powell for the economic downturn: “He doesn’t understand Trumpnomics. He doesn’t understand the supply-side aspects of tax cuts and deregulation. And he doesn’t have a clue about tariffs.” … Navarro was later asked outside the WH by NBC why there has only been 2 weak trade deals instead of 90: “Because the rest of the world has it so good they’re dragging their heels. But the president will not allow that, and that’s why the letters went out.” … Strongly worded letters. … Elon Musk responded to Treasury Sec Scott Bessent saying that the Trump admin had to get rid of Musk because he was so unpopular with the public: “Bessent is a Soros stooge. And he's a political science major who can't even do math. The polling for me was very positive a year ago, which is why Trump used me so much.” … Investor’s Business Daily: “William Blair analyst Jed Dorsheimer on Monday downgraded Tesla stock. Dorsheimer said the decision to downgrade TSLA is primarily based on Trump's spending and tax law removing the Biden-era $7,500 EV tax credit and the elimination of the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) fines. Without CAFE fines, automakers will have no need to buy zero emission credits from Tesla. Tesla would have had an operating loss in Q1 without ZEV credits.” … Dorscheimer: "While the $7,500 tax credit is likely to affect demand, the combination of a demand headwind and over $2 billion in profit from regulatory credits at risk may be too much for investors to bear. Unlike the EV tax credit, we expect the reduction in regulatory credit revenue to result in a direct hit to profitability, prompting yet another across-the-board reset to Street models.” … On Musk’s new 3rd party: "Investors are growing tired of the distraction at a point when the business needs Musk's attention the most and only see downside from his dip back into politics. We would prefer this effort to be channeled toward the Robotaxi rollout at this critical juncture.” … Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives: "Very simply, Musk diving deeper into politics and now trying to take on the Beltway establishment is exactly the opposite direction that Tesla investors/shareholders want him to take during this crucial period for the Tesla story. While the core Musk supporters will back Musk at every turn no matter what, there is broader sense of exhaustion from many Tesla investors that Musk keeps heading down the political track.” … WSJ reported that Musk’s feud with Trump is hurting Tesla in China: “The public breakup between Musk and Trump is limiting Musk’s value to Beijing. Because of the Musk-Trump feud, Beijing no longer views the Tesla CEO as a geopolitical asset and will shy away from publicly courting him. For Musk, who has pledged to refocus on Tesla now that he is distancing himself from DC, success in China is vital. It is Tesla’s 2nd-largest market by revenue after the US and the carmaker’s biggest production and export hub, making up around half of its global vehicle shipments and supplying components for its worldwide manufacturing.” … WaPo reports that immigration lawyers are warning their clients to stay away from Trump $5 million dollar “Gold Card” scam to buy US citizenship. Doug Rand: “There’s no lawful basis to do this, and if they do it anyway, they’re going to get sued, and they’re almost certainly going to lose.” … Attorney Rosanna Berardi: “This administration keeps forgetting that the executive branch doesn’t make the law.” … Attorney Ron Klasko on why he won’t recommend it to clients: “Why would I want to do that before I know if it’s a law, what the law says, what the requirements are, what information the form is going to ask me for, what documents I have to produce, what the terms and conditions are?” … Bloomberg: “LA was already struggling to revive its fragile economy after the most destructive wildfires in its history erupted 6 months ago. Now, immigration raids are driving workers crucial to the rebuilding into the shadows. Framers and landscapers are abandoning job sites. Renovations of retail shops have stopped midway. Real estate developers say they’re struggling to find crews to keep projects on track in a sector that relies heavily on immigrant labor.” … Arturo Sneider, CEO of Primestor which manages $1.2 billion in shopping centers and 3,000 apartments under development in CA and 3 other states: “We don’t have enough people to staff the work and we’re scrambling to figure it out. It’s triggering delays.” … Joshua Baum with Hilgard: “Papers or not, fear spreads quickly. When workers do not feel safe showing up to job sites, it slows down not only the pace of construction but also the willingness to propose new projects in the first place.” … Tim Kawahara of Ziman Center for Real Estate: “Already people trying to rebuild have huge gaps in financing, where every dollar counts. Increased labor costs will just add to that and potentially make it more challenging to rebuild.” … Politico Europe: “Russia’s former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit killed himself on Monday after being fired by President Vladimir Putin, Russian authorities said. According to Kremlin-controlled media, Starovoit was found dead with a gunshot wound in Odintsovo near Moscow. Officials said they believe it was a suicide. Putin fired Starovoit earlier Monday without giving an official reason for his dismissal.” … CA Gov Gavin Newsom will be in South Carolina this week as he gears up to run for president in 2028. From the SC Dem Party: "The SCDP presents On The Road with Gavin Newsom. We’re making stops across the state to talk with families all over SC. It’s your chance to connect, be heard, and feel seen. Gov. Newsom leads the largest economy in America and the 4th largest in the world, and he’s coming to meet folks in towns that have been hollowed out by decades of Republican control.” … I close with some devastating news. The agent for ESPN host Stephen A. Smith, who was recently signed to a big money deal with Sirius to do a show about politics despite the fact that he knows about nothing about politics, announced that he will not be running for president in 2028.