Hi all, we are nearing the end of the week. Let me catch you up on today’s news. I’ll try to keep this brief.
Today, we’ve already seen a cascade of developments, and for me here on the west coast, it’s not even noon!
The day began with a deeply disturbing New York Times investigation into Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein during the 1990s and early 2000s. The article, “Don’s Best Friend: How Epstein and Trump Bonded Over the Pursuit of Women,” documented an intimate and prolonged friendship that Trump has repeatedly attempted to downplay. You can read it here at this gift link I am providing for you as a subscriber to this Substack.
Through more than 30 interviews, contemporaneous accounts, and documentary evidence, the reporting painted a picture of two best friends bonded by misogyny, sexual exploits, and a shared sense of dominance.
Before I continue, please be warned that some of what I am about to recount is quite graphic.
One former Epstein assistant recalled occasions when Epstein would call Trump late at night, put him on speakerphone, and subject her to explicit stories about Trump’s sex life. In one particularly grotesque recollection, the two men “discussed how much pubic hair a particular woman had, and whether there was enough for Mr. Epstein to floss his teeth with.” Multiple accusers also recalled Epstein boasting about his close friendship with Trump, including claims that Trump had a bedroom reserved for him at Mar-a-Lago. Epstein would introduce himself to people as “Don’s best friend.” These accounts directly contradict the president’s long-standing insistence that Epstein was merely a casual acquaintance.
The timing of the exposé is critical. The Epstein files are expected to be released imminently, and the reporting underscores why public scrutiny is essential before evidence can be obscured or dismissed. Trump has repeatedly referred to the Epstein files as a “hoax,” language that now carries even greater weight as Ghislaine Maxwell pursues a habeas corpus petition while representing herself. Her argument is expected to lean heavily on the president’s own statements undermining the legitimacy of her prosecution. When a sitting president attacks the justice system in this way, it actively corrodes the rule of law, and gives criminals like Maxwell an opportunity to be set free.
At the same time, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released additional photographs from Epstein’s estate, including materials referencing the ages of girls. The content is horrifying, but accountability demands exposure. Shielding powerful individuals from scrutiny has never protected democracy. It has only weakened it. You can see all the photos released today here.
While these revelations were emerging, Trump was simultaneously facing open rebellion within his own party. Several Republican members of Congress publicly expressed outrage after Speaker Mike Johnson, aligned with the president, refused to allow a vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. A discharge petition led by Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries reached the required 218 signatures, including four Republicans, to force a vote on a clean three-year extension. Rather than permit the vote, Johnson effectively shut down the House and sent members home until January. Must be nice to get so many vacations while so many Americans suffer.
The consequences are immediate and severe. Between 22 and 24 million Americans rely on those subsidies to afford health insurance. Letting them lapse will trigger sharp premium increases at the start of the new year. One Republican lawmaker, Kevin Kiley, called the refusal to vote “a failure of leadership” and warned that constituents will bear the cost.
Economic manipulation further compounded the damage. Trump seized on newly released inflation data to claim that housing and rent inflation had effectively dropped to zero. The truth is far more troubling. Because of the government shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics lacked updated data and relied on placeholder assumptions, including zero values for key housing components. Other figures were disproportionately influenced by Black Friday sales. This was not a sudden economic breakthrough. It was a distortion of the data, presented as success. In other words, just another Trump con.
The same shell game appeared in Trump’s treatment of the military. The president announced $1,776 “warrior dividend” checks for service members, framing them as a personal gesture of support. In reality, as Defense One reported, the funds came from congressionally allocated housing allowances. Money intended to help troops afford housing was simply rebranded so the president could take credit, even as service members continue to struggle in a housing crisis he claims does not exist. He essential stole from them to give them a “gift.”
Finally, the through line of personal enrichment was impossible to ignore. Trump Media announced a $6 billion merger with a speculative fusion energy company that currently has no commercial power plants and relies heavily on Department of Energy approvals and grants. The stock surged more than 30 percent on the announcement. A sitting president presiding over regulatory agencies while his own company benefits financially is a stunning level of corruption happening in plain sight. In any other presidency, it would lead the evening news for weeks. In the Trump era, it’s just another corrupt act to act the very long list.
When pressed on MSNBC about the president’s repeated exaggerations, Trump’s economic adviser Kevin Hassett offered little more than deflection, suggesting that supporting slides existed somewhere. Because with Trump, facts are optional, accountability is evaded, and power is wielded for personal gain.
To top it off, we are now learning via CNN’s Betsy Klein that Trump’s hand-picked board at the Kennedy Center has voted to rename the facility to the “Trump Kennedy Center,” despite a lack of Congressional authority.
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