This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 169.

… Trump attempted to put out the fire with his MAGA base on the Epstein files controversy with a lengthy post on Truth Social and only made things worse. Again. The cult simply isn’t buying what he’s selling on this, which has resulted in the most serious rift I have seen since I began covering the MAGA movement every day 5 years ago.

… Trump: “What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’ They’re all going after AG Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it’s Epstein, over and over again. Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Admin, who conned the World with the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, 51 “Intelligence” Agents, “THE LAPTOP FROM HELL,” and more? They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Steele Dossier that they used on me, and now my so-called ‘friends’ are playing right into their hands.”

… “Kash Patel, and the FBI, must be focused on investigating Voter Fraud, Political Corruption, ActBlue, The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020, and arresting Thugs and Criminals, instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same old, Radical Left inspired Documents on Jeffrey Epstein. LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB — SHE’S GREAT! One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it’s the ‘HOTTEST’ Country anywhere in the World. Let’s keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

… Trump sent the post after FBI Dep. Dir. Dan Bongino took the day off on Friday and was reportedly threatening to resign unless Trump fires Bondi. A lot of heat from MAGA was on Bongino over this last week, and he tried to do damage control for himself by pointing the finger at Bondi to make her the scapegoat. That worked well for about 12 hours, with MAGA rallying around Bongino and demanding Bondi resignation. But then Trump made his post, and all the venom shifted from Bondi to the cult leader himself.

… Fox: “FBI Deputy Director Bongino was outraged this week during a closed-door WH meeting about the DOJ's review of Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking case files. Bongino raised his voice during a discussion with WH chief of staff Susie Wiles before storming out of the meeting. Bongino also exchanged heated words with AG Bondi during the meeting, and the whole ordeal has led him to consider resigning from the FBI.”

… FBI Director Kash Patel made it clear that Bongino is doing his own thing and he is standing by Trump and Bondi despite the heat from MAGA. He posted: "The conspiracy theories just aren’t true, never have been. It’s an honor to serve President Trump — and I’ll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me."

… Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA org was holding their big annual event in FL this weekend while this was taking place, and the whole thing wasn’t going over well either with the speakers or attendees. NBC interviewed attendee Sharon Allen: “It’s not about Pam Bondi to me. It’s like, look, Trump, we elected you because you were supposed to be different. So you have to prove to us you’re different. You can fire her, do whatever, but at the end of the day, Trump, you are president. We trusted you to get rid of these people and expose these people.”

… Former FL State Rep. and rabid Trump supporter Anthony Sabatini: “Trump is losing his touch. Bad personnel are undermining him left and right. We need a full reset.”

… Steve Bannon from the stage at Turning Point: “Epstein is a key that picks the lock on so many things, not just individuals, but also institutions, intelligence institutions, foreign govts and who was working with him on our intelligence apparatus and in our govt. I support Pam as AG but think a Special Counsel has to be named to take the Epstein case over.”

… NBC asked Bannon how his attempt to defend Bondi went over with the crowd: “The audience sentiment during our live shows at the conference are running 100% against Bondi remaining as AG. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

… MAGA podcaster Jack Posobiec from the Turning Point stage: “I will not rest until we go full Jan. 6 committee on the Epstein Files. Every single client involved should have an FBI agent at their door going after them the same way they went after the Jan. 6ers. That’s how we should go after everyone on the Epstein client list.”

… Megyn Kelly posted on X: “I’m sure it’s a relief for Pam Bondi to hear the president is still in her corner. Unfortunately, huge swaths of the party are not. She repeatedly misled on Epstein. Then didn’t have the courage to explain herself. Suddenly, she’s camera shy and no questions are allowed. Good luck!”

… Kelly’s post got 1.9 million views and 52,000 likes in 24 hours.

… Alex Jones: “This has put the Trump admin into a mega-massive crisis. Trump in press conferences and the rest of it saying ‘Don’t ask questions’ triggers the ultimate Streisand Effect and is insane. I don’t know where in the world they’re coming up with that plan.”

The Streisand effect is the phenomenon where an attempt to hide, remove, or censor information online backfires, resulting in the information being publicized more widely. Essentially, trying to suppress something on the internet can draw more attention to it, making the original information more accessible and discussed than if no action had been taken.

The term originated from an attempt by American singer Barbra Streisand to suppress a photo of her Malibu mansion on a website. The photo was part of a collection of California coastline photos, and Streisand's legal action to remove it drew significant media attention and public interest, leading to the photo being widely circulated and viewed.

… MAGA influencer Evan Kilgore: “I feel totally betrayed.”

… Right-wing podcaster and white nationalist leader Nick Fuentes: “So now Trump is claiming the Epstein files are a Democratic hoax? Lol. MAGA is dead.”

… MAGA podcaster and pollster Rich Baris: “Look at the replies to that post on Truth Social. People aren't buying it. Trump’s MAGA base is showing cracks in the polling. New MAGA voters are growing dissilusioned - citing the Iran strike, Ukraine aid, and silence on Epstein. If Trump doesn’t recalibrate, the coalition that lifted him in 2024 is likely to collapse in 2026.”

… I checked out Trump’s post on Truth Social on Sunday. After 24 hours it received over 40,000 replies and 99% were negative. All from his supporters. I’ve been on Truth Social every day since the first day it went active, and I have never seen anything remotely like this. As much as Trump wants this to go away, it isn’t going away. I will do a Substack tomorrow morning highlighting some of the replies.

… MAGA podcaster Benny Johnson, who always backs Trump no matter what for years since his grift depends on it, isn’t doing that this time: "So President Trump has acknowledged that the Epstein files exist, and that there is something there. He says they were written, however, written by his enemies and therefore will not be released. What!?"

… Elon Musk also responded to Trump’s post: “This is in the running for worst post ever made. He said ‘Epstein’ half a dozen times while telling everyone to stop talking about Epstein. Just release the files as promised. This is a very big deal. What the hell kind of system are we living in if thousands of kids were abused, the govt has videos of the abusers and yet none of the abusers are even facing charges!?”

… Author Michael Wolff to Meidas: “Trump has gotten away with literally everything. Somehow, hiding in plain sight, this long relationship with Jeffrey Epstein—Trump has just waved it away, swept it under the rug, ignored it. I remember once, when I was at Mar-a-Lago to do a sit-down interview, his aides asked for a rough outline of what I wanted to talk about. I had a lot of subjects, but I also said Epstein. And they told me, ‘If you ask about that, he’ll just stop the interview and you won’t get anything.’”

… Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA): “Why are the Epstein files still hidden? Who are the rich and powerful being protected? On Tuesday, I’m introducing an amendment to force a vote demanding the FULL Epstein files be released to the public. The Speaker must call a vote and put every Congress member on record.”

… Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) at a campaign rally: “Did anyone really think the sexual predator president who used to party with Jeffrey Epstein was going to release the Epstein files?”

… Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX): “Either Trump and his acolytes fueled the rumors of the significance of these Epstein files to help his campaign, or something is there! That’s why on Monday, I’ll introduce a resolution demanding the Trump Admin release all files related to the Epstein case. Put up or Shut up!”

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… Bondi attempted to divert attention away from Epstein by dropping charges in the middle of the trial against a MAGA favorite Michael Kirk Moore. Moore was charged with discarding hundreds of covid vaccines and distributing 2,000 fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards in exchange for cash or required ‘donations.’ Moore gave saline shots to children so they would think they were getting the vaccine.

… Bondi: “At my direction, DOJ has dismissed charges against Dr. Kirk Moore.”

… But this highly unusual, unethical and reprehensible move by Bondi didn’t work to distract MAGA on Epstein.

… Trump announced 30% tariffs on the EU in another form letter this weekend. NYT reported that EU is seeking to create new trade alliances around the world while excluding the US. EU leader Ursula von der Leyen: “We’re living in turbulent times, and when economic uncertainty meets geopolitical volatility, partners like us must come closer together. In hard times, some turn inward, toward isolation and fragmentation. But you are always welcome here, and you can count on Europe.”

… But von der Leyen also said the EU is prepared to retaliate against the US right after the Trump tariffs take effect on August 1: “At the same time, we will continue to prepare further countermeasures.”

… NYT: “It is a split screen that is becoming typical. On one side, the US sows uncertainty as it blows up weeks of painstaking negotiations and escalates tariff threats. On the other, the 27-nation EU and other American trading partners are forging closer ties, laying the groundwork for a global trading system that revolves less and less around an increasingly fickle US.“

… Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto, after meeting with von der Leyen: “We in Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia, we really consider Europe to be very, very important in providing global stability.”

… WaPo reported that despite Trump’s claims that he is close to a trade deal with Japan, relations between the two countries haven’t been this bad since WWII: “‘A Great Honor to have just met with the Japanese Delegation on Trade. Big Progress!’ he wrote on Truth Social after speaking with Japanese negotiator Akazawa. But there was not much progress at all. Japan did not readily give in to the Trump admin’s demands, not least because of the domestic political considerations that constrained Ishiba’s admin from making concessions on key industries, such as autos, steel and rice.”

… “As trade talks dragged on, PM Ishiba repeatedly stressed his nation’s unique standing as the largest foreign investor in the US since 2019, creating 1 million jobs. After all, touting those investments had worked with Trump before. This time, it hasn’t resonated. 'It feels like we’re still in a dense fog,’ Akazawa told reporters.”

… “Trump has been fixated on 2 matters with Japan: Autos and rice. These are also the 2 areas where Tokyo isn’t willing to budge. In 2024, Japan exported 1.4 million cars to the US and imported just 16,074. Japanese auto experts say US cars have long been unpopular in Japan, because they are too big for its narrow roads and parking spaces.”

… “Rice is also a complicated issue for Japan, partly because of an affection for farming, partly because of taste. The homegrown Japonica grain - known for its plump, round shape and natural sweetness - has been long cherished in Japan. It also becomes soft and sticky when cooked, and is considered an ideal grain for traditional Japanese foods such as sushi and rice balls. Dramatically increasing imports could leave farmers vulnerable to competition and draw the ire of the powerful agriculture lobby, making it politically difficult for Ishiba to move from his stance that protecting Japanese rice is a matter of ‘national interest.’”

… WH Econ Senior Advisor Kevin Hassett was asked on ABC why there isn’t any trade deals yet like they promised: "The thing about President Trump is he became one of the most successful if not the most successful businessman in the 20th century because he was able to squeeze everything our of every deal that he made. He's seen some sketches of deals."

… Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) was asked on CNN about tariffs hurting his district more than most. Q - Trump says he's putting a 30% tariff on all goods from Mexico, your state's biggest trading partner. Will the tariffs hurt your constituents? GONZALES: “It may, but I do support the president in this. For too long, Mexico has been able to get away with everything.”

… Deportation Czar Tom Homan’s comments about racial profiling being done by ICE resulted in an LA judge blocking future raids. DHS Sec Kristi Noem was asked about it on Meet the Press. Q - A judge in LA temporarily blocked ICE raids saying fed agents cannot target people without reasonable suspicion and using skin color, the language people speak, will you comply with the order? NOEM: Absolutely, but we have never done that. WELKER: The Border Czar said the physical appearance was a factor in detaining individuals.

…. WH Policy Director Stephen Miller posted about the decision: “The ruling has just been issued. A communist judge in LA has ordered ICE to report directly to her and radical left NGOs - not the president. This is another act of insurrection against the United States and its sovereign people.”

… Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) on CNN: "What if I was outside a Home Depot, because I like to do some work around the house, and not dressed in a suit. Would I be a target of ICE enforcement under Tom Homan? Probably. And it is just wrong."

… Homan was on CNN today trying to walk back his comments about racial profiling: "I want to be clear because my words were taken out of context. Physical description cannot be the sole reason to detain and question somebody. That can't be the sole reason to raise reasonable suspicion. It's a myriad of factors."

… CA Gov Gavin Newsom responded to Miller’s post: “This fascist cuck in DC continues his assault on democracy and the Constitution, and his attempt to replace the sovereignty of the people with autocracy. Sorry the Constitution hurt your feelings, Stephen. Cry harder.”

… Usage of the word “cuck” is interesting here, because that is one of WH Comms Director Steven Cheung’s favorite slurs to attack Dems with. It may also be throwing some shade at Miller about rumors his wife may be having an affair with Elon Musk, since she works so closely with him as his personal assistant.

… Mediaite asked Newsom’s Comms Director Izzy Gardon why they used the word “cuck” to describe Miller: “We were inspired by the White House’s use of the term.”

… Stephen Miller posted on X: "What would LA look like without illegal aliens? You would be able to see a doctor in the ER right away, no wait time, no problem. You kids would go to a public school that had more money than they know what to do with. Classrooms would be half the size."

… Noem told the Turning Point audience that Democrats are evil because they want migrants to be treated better than American citizens with more rights and benefits: "They aren't just liberals anymore. If you look at the Democrat Party, they're a party of communists and marxists and socialists. Our founding fathers fought the biggest military in the world with their personal muskets and rifles. You think we’re just going to let that go away?”

… A delegation of Democratic federal and state lawmakers were allowed a limited tour of Ron Desantis’s migrant concentration camp in the FL swamps. They issued a statement complaining that they were restricted from visiting certain areas as part of “deliberate obstruction meant to hide what’s really happening behind those gates.”

… Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL): “They are essentially packed into cages, wall-to-wall humans, 32 detainees per cage.”

… CNN: “Wasserman Schultz said each cage contained 3 small toilets with attached sinks, which detainees use for drinking water and brushing their teeth, sharing the same water used to flush the toilets. When they toured the kitchen area, she said govt employees were being offered large pieces of roast chicken and sausages, while the detainees’ lunch consisted of a gray turkey and cheese sandwich, an apple and chips.”

… “Rep. Maxwell Frost, who was also on the tour, said the lawmakers were concerned about reports of unhygienic conditions due to toilets not working and ‘feces being spread everywhere,’ but were denied access from viewing units where migrants are currently detained. They were also not permitted to view the medical facilities.“ Frost: “It is something everyone, whether you’re Democrat, Republican or anything, should be deeply ashamed of. Immigrants don’t poison the blood of this nation. They are the blood of this nation.”

… Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL): “What we saw in our inspection today was a political stunt, dangerous and wasteful. One can’t help but understand and conclude that this is a total cruel political stunt meant to have a spectacle of political theater and it’s wasting taxpayer dollars and putting our ICE agents, our troops and ICE detainees in jeopardy.”

… Sen. Padilla on CNN: "If it was only going after dangerous criminals, there would be no debate. I agree with that. But the fact of the matter is the vast majority of those being detained are the same people who were deemed essential workers at the end of the first Trump admin during covid. That's a cruel irony."

… LA Times reported that pets are being left alone and stranded after their owners are locked up by ICE and deported: “Since fed immigration raids, primarily targeting Latino communities, began roiling LA in early June, animal rescues and care providers across the county are hearing desperate pleas for help. Pets belonging to people who are deported or flee are being left in empty apartments, dumped into the laps of unprepared friends and dropped off at overcrowded shelters.”

… Yvette Berke with Cats at the Studios, a rescue that serves LA: "Unless people take the initiative and get the pets out, those animals will starve to death in those backyards or those homes."

… The numbers of dogs relinquished at LA County’s Palmdale shelter more than doubled in June compared with June of last year. At the county’s Downey shelter, the count jumped by roughly 50% over the same period. Fearing arrest if they go outside, some people are also forgoing healthcare for their pets, with clinics reporting a surge in no-shows and missed appointments in communities affected by the raids.”

… Jennifer Naitaki with Michelson Found Animals Foundation: "Pets are like the collateral damage to the current political climate.”

… Newsweek: “In June, the total number of unsold homes in the country was up 20% compared with a year earlier, while inventory was up by 28.9% year-over-year. In the same month, pending home sales were down 1.6% from June 2024. These trends have continued over the past few weeks. In the 4 weeks ending July 6, pending sales in the nationwide market fell 3.5% from a year earlier—the second-biggest decline since early Feb.”

… Sec Def Pete Hegseth used the Metallica song ‘Enter Sandman’ without permission in a ridiculous video announcing that DOD was going to emphasize massive increases in US production of drones. Metallica filed a cease and desist and DOD was forced to delete and reissue the video without any music. The US Department of Defense committed copywrite fraud. Amazing how far we’ve sunk so fast.

… On NBC today, Kristi Noem denied every single reported fact from multiple media sources on her response to the storm in TX. Q - Multiple officials say you did not approve deployment of FEMA search and rescue teams until Monday, which was 72 hours after the flood. NOEM: “They were deployed immediately as soon as they were requested.” (FEMA search and rescue teams did not arrive until 3 days after the storm).

… Noem was asked about a new policy which also delayed relief for days: Q - Disasters often cost millions if not billions of dollars and you acknowledge there is this new policy to sign off on contracts if they exceed $100,000. Why add the extra red tape when there is a crisis? NOEM: “It’s not extra red tape. It's making sure everything is getting to my level and immediately responded. This was not slowed down at all.”

… Q - The NYT is reporting thousands of calls from flood victims to FEMA call centers went unanswered because you did not renew contracts. NOEM: “False reporting, fake news.” Response - but July 7th, 15.9% of calls were answered.

… Journalist Molly Jong-Fast: “There is zero chance that the NYT would run with this story if it wasn’t sourced up to the hilt.”

… Lara Trump asked Trump on her Fox show what his message would be to parents of girls who were killed at the camp in the flooding: “There was very early warning. They were warned. Maybe they should have had bells or something go off.”

… Rep. Jamie Raskin told MSNBC that the Republican plan to delay Medicaid cuts until after the midterms will backfire on them: "The central part of the campaign will be, do you want to elect Democratic majorities to stop millions of people from being thrown off their healthcare, or do you want to go through with it? They thought they were clever in saying they would wait until 2027 so nobody will feel the pain."