This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 193.

… Fox actually brought Gym Jordan on to vouch for the credibility of Ghislaine Maxwell: “This confirms what we all knew - President Trump didn’t do anything wrong. This transcript confirms that. There’s nothing there based on this interview with Maxwell.”

… Jordan was involved in one of the most high profile sexual abuse scandals in the history of the planet when he was a wrestling coach at Ohio State and the team doctor was molesting his athletes for years. Several of them said they went to Jordan after the incidents happened and he downplayed it, never reported it to anyone, and discouraged them from reporting it. Perfect character witness on whether the govt is now covering up Trump’s involvement with Epstein.

… House Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia to Meidas on the documents they got from DOJ: “What we got was complete bullshit. We demanded the full Epstein files, and that’s not what was sent over. The WH cover-up clearly continues. What they sent us was 33,000 pages of documents that have already been in the public domain.”

… “Instead of actually sending the client list and the information related to Epstein and his crimes—information about those who were involved in serious damage—we didn’t get any of that. The subpoena was to get all the files, unredacted, at once. They’ve failed to do so and are instead playing this game with a limited release, which is a complete joke. Donald Trump, Pam Bondi, Mike Johnson—they’re all involved in a massive cover-up.”

… Miami Herald: “Only a small percentage of the Jeffrey Epstein files turned over to a House committee this week contained new information, Democrats charged. DOJ, in response to a congressional subpoena, sent its first tranche of files on the case to the House Oversight panel on Friday. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA): “Only 3% of the documents given to the Oversight Committee are new. The rest are already in the public domain. Less than 1% of files have been released. DOJ is stonewalling. The survivors deserve justice and the public deserves transparency.”

… Statement from the family of victim Virginia Giuffre: “The content of these transcripts is in direct contradiction with felon Ghislaine Maxwell’s conviction for child sex trafficking. This travesty of justice entirely invalidates the experiences of the many brave survivors who put their safety, security, and lives on the line to ensure her conviction, including our sister. During Todd Blanche’s bizarre interview, she is never challenged about her court-proven lies, providing her a platform to rewrite history.”

… “By moving convicted felon Maxwell to a minimum-security, country club prison, the DOJ sends a disturbing message that child sex trafficking is acceptable and will be rewarded.”

… Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY): “On September 3rd at 10:30am ET, Rep. Ro Khanna and I will be hosting a press conference at the Capitol joined by survivors of Epstein and Maxwell's abuse — several of whom will be speaking out for the first time. The survivors deserve justice and Americans deserve transparency.”

… Podcaster Anna Matson: “I finished listening to the entire Ghislaine Maxwell interview. What a waste of time. There is nothing new and it’s obvious to me she just wants a pardon from President Trump. I’m looking forward to the press conference with the victims that Thomas Massie is arranging in September. Please God keep them safe, give them strength to tell their story, and let there be justice.”

… Meidas is the exclusive YouTube feed for this press conference.

… JD Vance was on Meet the Press talking about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He gave this preposterously inaccurate statement: "This is how wars ultimately get settled. If you go back to World War 2, if you go back to every major conflict in human history, they all end with some kind of negotiation."

… Russian Media Monitor’s Julia Davis: “Meanwhile in Russia: military expert Igor Korotchenko said it was his idea for the FBI to go after John Bolton, which he voiced months ago on Russian state television. He also praised Trump, Vance and Hegseth for not criticizing Russia's strikes against Ukraine.”

… Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov then said on Meet The Press that Russia’s position hasn’t changed in 3 years - they will not meet with a delegation from Ukraine until they hold elections to replace Zelensky as president: “There is no meeting planned. Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky when the agenda would be ready for a summit. This agenda is not ready at all. How could we meet with the person who is pretending to be a leader?”

… So everything Trump and Vance has been telling us about “significant progress” being made in these talks is nonsense. Lavrov contradicted them on virtually all of their claims about Russia’s position softening to make a deal. Trump says one thing about the negotiations and the Russians say the opposite.

… Q for Vance: “The Russian foreign minister said there's no plans for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin - are the Russians stringing President Trump along? Vance: Not at all. I think the Russians have made significant concessions to President Trump.”

… Russia has made no concessions. This has been a total fiasco.

… Welker to Lavrov: "Here are the facts. Close to 50,000 civilians have either been killed or injured in this war. Russia has hit maternity wards, churches, schools, hospitals, a kindergarten just this week. So either the Russian military has terrible aim or you are targeting civilians. Which is it? Lavrov: We never targeted civilian targets. Russia has never ever done this.”

… I guess the apartment buildings and hospitals we see burning every day with innocent civilians including children killed were all military targets.

… WSJ: “The Pentagon has for months been blocking Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles to strike inside Russia, limiting Kyiv from employing a powerful weapon in its fight against Moscow’s invasion. A high-level DOD approval procedure, which hasn’t been announced, has prevented Ukraine from firing any US-made long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems, or Atacms, against targets in Russia since late spring. On at least one occasion, Ukraine sought to use Atacms against a target on Russian territory but was rejected.”

… “The US veto of long-range strikes has restricted Ukraine’s military operations as the WH has sought to woo the Kremlin into beginning peace talks. Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for policy, developed the ‘review mechanism’ to decide on Kyiv’s requests to fire long-range US-made weapons as well as those provided to Ukraine by European allies that rely on American intelligence and components. The review gives Pete Hegseth final say over whether Ukraine can employ the Atacms, which have a range of nearly 190 miles, to strike Russia.”

… “In a social-media post Thursday, Trump said Ukraine couldn’t defeat Russia unless it could ‘play offense’ in the war, which has lasted longer than 3 years following Moscow’s invasion. ‘It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking’ the invading country, he wrote. ‘There is no chance of winning!’”

… WSJ: “When President Trump gets in on a new online moneymaking idea, his followers often pile in—but 2 out of the last 3 times, they went on to lose bigly. Now the first family is trying again and the idea, at least, is intriguing. Unfortunately for fans, the Trump venture into a ‘crypto treasury’ stock is also set up so the president and his family cash in first.”

… “The president’s ventures have so far been a disaster for investors who were slightly late to buy into them. Trump Media, operator of Truth Social, is down 52% even from just before his deal went through. It is down 73% from the peak the following week. Those who bought into his $Trump memecoin after the first day lost a lot of money—it is down about 90% from its high on the day he was sworn in. One consolation, of sorts: They would have lost even more in $Melania.”

… CNN: “Melania Trump hasn’t been spotted at the WH for more than a month. The first lady is rarely seen publicly. She did not accompany her husband when he delivered her letter to Putin during last week’s summit in Anchorage, nor was she present at the WH days later when he hosted Zelensky and other European leaders. She’s made public appearances just 19 days so far this term, compared to 40 at this point during the previous. Her East Wing staff this time around is a fraction of her first-term team and that of her predecessors.”

… Trump turning DC into an armed camp is crushing the local economy and culture. Independent DC journalist Amanda Moore: “Stopped to grab dinner in Columbia Heights at Tequila and Mezcal, a place I’ve been to a hundred times. I am the only person in the bar. I have never seen it this empty, even on weekdays near close. Staff confirmed this is not normal!”

… Eric Michael Garcia, DC Bureau Chief for The Independent: “Just had lunch with a friend here in DC and it's hard to state how absolutely NOBODY is dining outdoors and how empty the restaurant is. Very few people walking on the streets on a gorgeous end-of-summer day.”

… IL Gov JB Pritzker on Trump’s plans to send National Guard troops to Chicago in Sept: "The State of Illinois at this time has received no requests or outreach from the fed govt asking if we need assistance, and we have made no requests for fed intervention. The safety of the people of IL is always my top priority. There is no emergency that warrants the President of the US federalizing the IL Nat Guard, deploying the Nat Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our own borders.”

… “Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families. We will continue to follow the law, stand up for the sovereignty of our state, and protect the people of Illinois."

… IL Lt. Gov Juliana Stratton: "Trump preparing to deploy federal troops in Chicago proves what we all know: he is willing to go to any lengths possible to create chaos if it means more political power—no matter who gets hurt. As Lt Gov and throughout my career, I’ve fervently fought for the reformation of our criminal legal system and under the Pritzker-Stratton admin, we’ve made tremendous progress. Crime in Chicago is declining and there’s absolutely no rationale for this decision, other than to distract from the pain Trump is inflicting on working families with his dangerous agenda. IL, Gov Pritzker and I are here to stand for your rights, your freedoms, and will protect you against whatever storms of hate and fear come our way."

… Horry News (SC): “Rep. Nancy Mace had advertised she would deliver a speech to more than 100 people in Myrtle Beach. Instead, 8 people showed up, she canceled the speech and answered questions from reporters. Mace was expected to deliver remarks at the Moms for Liberty - Horry County Chapter meeting. But when she walked into the room, and more chairs were empty than occupied. Plans seemingly changed.”

… At 4 PM, the scheduled start time for the event, only 8 people were in the room - not including members of the press and security. Mace and her team entered through a side door, walked past the stage where she had been set to speak, and went into a back room. A member of her press team came out shortly after, spoke briefly with the event organizer, and then told reporters the congresswoman would take questions from the press before meeting individually with attendees. The speech was no longer happening.”

… “Horry County has been characterized as a ‘bellwether county’ by Mace, who said intends to spend a lot of time campaigning in the area.”

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… MD Gov Wes Moore was asked on CBS about Trump’s deployments of the National Guard to states: "It is not sustainable. It's not scalable. It is unconstitutional. It's a direct violation of the 10th amendment. For a party that talks about states' rights, it's amazing how much of a big govt approach they take. It is counter to every bit of training that we received when I joined the military. We joined with the clear intention to fight and win our nation's wars."

… Conservative economists continue to sound the alarm bells on Heritage Foundation’s E.J. Antoni, who was nominated by Trump to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics after he fired the last director the day the last dismal jobs report was released. Economist Stan Veuger, with the American Enterprise Institute, to Axios: “Antoni's work at Heritage has frequently included elementary errors or nonsensical choices that all bias his findings in the same partisan direction.”

… Jessica Riedl of the Manhattan Institute: “The articles and tweets I've seen him publish are probably the most error-filled of any think tank economist right now. I hope we see better at BLS.”

… Economist Daniel Di Martino referenced a Sept 2024 social media post by Antoni for his criticism: “This is one of the many elementary errors that show me Mr. Antoni is unqualified for the labor market data collection and analysis role he was nominated to.”

… WSJ wrote about Trump weaponizing the Federal Housing Finance Agency to go after political opponents: “The probes represent an aggressive new spin on opposition research that has long dug into tax records and financial disclosures public officeholders have to make. Mortgage applications go beyond the typical disclosure requirements. Another twist is the allegations are coming from a govt official overseeing an agency able to access massive amounts of mortgage data.”

… “At the forefront of the campaign is Bill Pulte, a homebuilder heir Trump tapped to lead the govt agency that oversees Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, the largest players in the mortgage market. At FHFA, Pulte has turned himself into a Trump attack ally, probing mortgages of prominent Democrats and a Biden-appointed official at the Fed Reserve. Pulte made himself the chair of Fannie & Freddie, which back nearly half of all mortgages in the US, and has taken an unusually active role at both firms. He partnered Fannie with Palantir, the data analysis firm co-founded by Peter Thiel.”

… Sen Adam Schiff (D-CA), who is being criminally investigated after a referral from Pulte: "They’re patently false, and the president knows it. Pulte knows it - he’s essentially doing the president’s bidding against me, against Letitia James, against the person on the Fed Reserve. Mortgage is their new weapon to go after their critics. They will manufacture anything to go after their critics.”

… Pulte responded to Schiff’s interview by posting on X: “Fraud is bad, no matter who does it. I will not be intimidated.”

… After threatening the CEO of Intel last month and calling for him to be fired, Trump announced that the govt now owns and controls 10% of the company: “It is my Great Honor to report that the USA now fully owns and controls 10% of INTEL, a Great American Company that has an even more incredible future. I negotiated this Deal with Lip-Bu Tan, the Highly Respected CEO of the Company. The US paid nothing for these Shares, and the Shares are now valued at approximately $11B. This is a great Deal for America and, also, a great Deal for INTEL. Building leading edge Semiconductors and Chips, which is what INTEL does, is fundamental to the future of our Nation.”

… Many conservatives were not happy. National Review’s Pradheep Shanker: “MAGA thinks that the govt forcibly taking a stake in a private company is a good thing? It’s a precedent that Democrats will use, and I guarantee you, will make America LESS competitive in the long run. It’s a huge mistake. Frankly, I’d rather Intel goes bankrupt.”

… National Review Editor Charles Cooke: “Preposterous move. If Obama had done this, so many of the people defending it would have correctly condemned it as overreach and interference and ‘picking winners and losers.'”

… Sen Rand Paul (R-KY): “If socialism is govt owning the means of production, wouldn’t the govt owning part of Intel be a step toward socialism? Terrible idea.”

… Conservative talk show host Erick Erickson: “So many of you were opposed to Mamdani wanting to seize the means of production in NYC, but are totally fine with Trump’s Commerce Secretary wanting the US govt to become the largest shareholder of Intel. This is socialism with an R next to its name.”

… Former House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good: “How about just cancel the Intel subsidies instead of govt owning a stake in a private business, and unfairly competing against other businesses?”

… Former Trump Econ Advisor Stephen Moore: “I hate corporate welfare. That’s privatization in reverse. We want the govt to divest of assets, not buy assets. So terrible, one of the bad ideas that’s come out of this WH.”

… Fox Business host Larry Kudlow: “I am very, very uncomfortable with that idea. I’m very uncomfortable.”

… USA Today: “Americans of Japanese heritage say they hear echoes of their families' forced internment in the Trump admin’s newest immigrant detention site. DHS has turned to the US military and private contractors to erect the nation's largest immigrant detention site on Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX. 80 years ago, Fort Bliss housed dozens of people labeled ‘alien enemies’ by the govt in a detention camp that included two compounds surrounded by double barbed wire fences.”

… “At least 113 first-generation Japanese Americans were shipped to the base before being sent to other holding areas across the country. The people detained at Bliss were immigrants. They would be the first in the eventual internment of over 125,000 Japanese Americans across the country, most of them US citizens.”

… Trump attacked MD Gov Wes Moore on Truth Social: “Gov Wes Moore of MD has asked, in a rather nasty and provocative tone, that I ‘walk the streets of MD’ with him. I assume he is talking about out of control, crime ridden, Baltimore? As President, I would much prefer that he clean up this Crime disaster before I go there for a ‘walk.’ If Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in LA, I will send in the ‘troops,’ which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime. Also, I gave Wes Moore a lot of money to fix his demolished bridge. I will now have to rethink that decision???”

… Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman: “Trump had nothing to do with the Baltimore bridge money. It was passed in 2024 as part of a CR that Biden signed into law.”

… Moore responded on CBS: “President Bone Spurs will do anything to get out of walking – even if that means spouting off more lies about the progress we’re making on public safety in Maryland. Hey Donald, we can get you a golf cart if that makes things easier. Just let my team know.”

… Trump then posted this: “Did Wes Moore, the Governor of Maryland, lie about getting a Bronze Star?”

… Trump’s post received a fact check Community Note on X which indicated that Moore never lied about his Bronze Star. He was awarded one for his meritorious service in Afghanistan.

… Moore then posted this: “Did Donald Trump, the President of the United States, lie about an injury to dodge the Vietnam draft?”

… In fact he did, as we all know. A doctor who was a tenant in one of Fred Trump’s buildings wrote the infamous “bone spurs” medical evaluation to get Donald out of being drafted to Vietnam. Which magically healed themselves as soon as the war was over. The doctor’s own daughter confirmed it years later.

… Q: "Trump says you're not presidential timber at all. I can imagine you disagree? Moore: I've been very clear, I'm not running for president. The president seems to be more worried about my future than the future of the American people."

… Moore was asked if MD is going to redraw lines after the Texas gerrymander: “Yes, I think we have to. Trump is calling up legislatures around the country and saying, ‘I need to you find me more congressional districts.’ If the president is putting his finger on the scale to manipulate elections, then we need to keep all options on the table.”

… MD only has one Republican seat, but it happens to be held by Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, whose district could easily be redrawn to put him into an early retirement.

… The running feud between Marge Greene and Laura Loomer continues, with Loomer posting this about Greene’s latest comments condemning Israel: “Marjorie Traitor Greene is truly the dumbest bitch in Congress.”

… Fox hosts continue to melt down every day over Gavin Newsom’s posts mocking Fox. Mark Levin: “I hope he is the nominee because he is such a loser. Media already starting to say he's got great memes and he knows how to capitalize letters and he is doing what Trump is doing—he's not doing what Trump is doing. Trump is a success. He is a failure. Not only is it Trump's personality, charisma—it's Donald Trump—the success, a massive success. He is a winner. Gavin Newsom is a loser, a buffoon, a clown. Compare Ron DeSantis to Gavin Newsom, there’s no comparison.”

… Newsom responded: “You are correct. There’s no comparison. California is: - 4th largest economy in the world - #1 in manufacturing - #1 in farming - #1 in new business starts. - #1 for tech and VC investments - #1 for Fortune 500 companies - #1 public higher education system I could go on…”

… Trump’s hand and ankles continue to indicate that he has been dealing with a serious medical issue that appears to be getting worse. This is from Friday.

… Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) talked about Trump’s budget bill on the Won’t Back Down Tour in NE which was aired live by Meidas: “There's folks who want us to believe that there's like two different things going on. On one end, we have the Big Ugly Law. And then on the other, we have the fed govt occupying our cities. It's not two different things. It's the same damn thing. These aren't things that distract from one another. This is the thing to enable the other thing, because the only way you pass the Big Ugly Law and feel like you won't feel the political repercussions is by deploying the military to our streets.”

… Frost: “Trump traveled this nation and lied to everyone, told people the reason you can't pay your rent is because of that trans kid. The reason that you can't afford your healthcare is because of that immigrant. They want us to look at each other and blame our neighbors instead of looking up and blaming them.”

… Alina Habba was on Fox complaining and making threats after the ruling by a federal judge that she has been serving illegally since her interim appointment as NJ US Attorney expired: “What they don't understand is Article III judges do not pick the US Attorney for the state. The President, Pam Bondi—that's who picks it. They had a collusion, a plan. I'm aware of it, and the DOJ is aware of it, and soon enough it'll come out.”

… Multiple international shipping companies announced they will now refuse to deliver packages to the US once the new Trump admin policy takes effect on Aug 29 imposing tariffs on packages valued at $800, which have always been exempt. The Atlantic’s David Frum: “DHL is suspending commercial package deliveries to US because of Trump tariffs. It's as if the US were imposing punitive trade sanctions on itself.”

… EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Fox: “Q - What's the problem with the wind farm in Rhode Island? Zeldin: The president is not a fan of wind. Fox: This project is largely almost finished. You got AI, the electrification of everything around us. Why would you take any power offline? Look at Texas, they get more than 25% of their power from wind. Not exactly a left leaning state. Zeldin: A lot of this conversation has been about offshore wind and the president has been outspoken on that.”

… That is a lie. Trump has never limited his hatred for wind turbines to offshore ones and has even complained about them in land-locked states. Nice try. The truth is that Zeldin has no answer because there is nothing he could say to cosign onto Trump’s mania about wind power that would make sense.

… Sen Ted Cruz endorsed Rep. Chip Roy in his race for Attorney General of Texas. There are 3 other Republicans in the race.

… Houston Chronicle: “17 days after Roland Beainy, the face of the viral restaurant Trump Burger and an ardent fan of the president, was detained by ICE and accused of not being in the country legally, Iyad Abuelhawa - who founded the Trump Burger forerunner in 2016; whose wife recently slammed Beainy for taking credit for their idea; who, 20 years ago, was accused of injecting 1,100 Exxon Mobil employees with fake flu vaccines and then, while in jail, snitched on another inmate’s murder-for-hire-plot before pleading guilty in his own case - was also detained by ICE and is being held in untenable conditions, according to his attorney.”

… “Abuelhawa was arrested and is being held in a detention center in Montgomery County. ICE claimed Abuelhawa had not been in the country legally since an immigration judge ordered his deportation in September 2009.”

MAGA!