The Conversation -- July 13, 2025
Most days the big news is that Trump is being cruel or corrupt (or both) again, not to mention careless and craven. Today it's more along the lines of crazy.
laura h. noticed (see yesterday's Comments) that Trump “sounding especially deranged and even a little panicked” over the Epstein files. Trump claimed yesterday in a social media post that the Epstein documents were "written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration." Say what? Epstein himself -- who of course was, in real life, a partying pal of Trump's -- now seems to be a zombie in Trump's mind; he “never dies.” Here's part of Trump's long, panicky (and unintentionally comical) post, via Caleb Howe of Mediaite: “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 Administration, who conned the World with the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, 51 'Intelligence' Agents, 'THE LAPTOP FROM HELL,' and more?” Howe has the complete, crazy text, which Trump ends with his weird sign-off: “Thank you for your attention to this matter!” ~~~
~~~ Glenn Thrush & Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times: Donald “Trump on Saturday threw a political lifeline to Pam Bondi, his embattled attorney general, appearing to side with her over Dan Bongino, the F.B.I.’s deputy director, who has threatened to quit over Ms. Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.... Mr. Trump, appearing concerned about the fallout from his administration’s decision to close the Epstein investigation, went on to plead with his followers to 'not waste Time and Energy' on the disgraced financier and registered sex offender he once socialized with.... The blowback over the Epstein case ... has defied the patterns of previous Trump controversies, provoking criticism from activists on the right increasingly willing to cast doubt on Mr. Trump’s actions and motives — and not just place blame on his surrogates and subordinates. Saturday’s post, which included unfounded accusations against Democrats, did not appear to achieve its intended result of diverting attention and quelling doubts about the case, based on the negative response of even Mr. Trump’s supporters.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Don't the Times writers have an obligation to write some version of, "In his post, the President* of the United States sounds batshit crazy"? The article, as written, normalizes scribblings so insane that no one 20 years ago imagined could have been written by a real U.S. president for public release. ~~~
~~~ Matt Dixon & Brennan Leach of NBC News: “... it's not clear that Trump's post will be enough to quell the furor.... All they wanted to talk about ... [this weekend] at the Student Action Summit hosted by the conservative activist group Turning Point USA was the 'Epstein files.' 'I think that these people — and I don’t know, for whatever reason, there could be reasons — but I don’t think they’re telling us the truth about Epstein,' podcaster Brandon Tatum told the assembled crowd at the Tampa Convention Center. 'I think that that that guy was involved in something nefarious that implicates a whole lot of people. And my guess is that the whole lot of people may have, may happen to be some of our allies and some people that we don’t want to have a bad relationship with.'... Former Florida state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, who was among Trump's biggest supporters when in the state Legislature and was in attendance at the event, called Trump's Truth Social post 'out of touch.'... The Epstein issue is challenging [the Trump] alliance like never before.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: The great part of this MAGA drama is that it's much ado about very little. They're fighting over myths (kind of like the Reformation, I guess, for those who have opinions about papal indulgences and such). Of course there are "Epstein files," and no doubt they contain "binders full of men." After all, local and federal officials investigated Epstein beginning in 2005, and the feds investigated him again in & around 2019. (French prosecutors also opened an Epstein investigation in 2019.) Epstein himself reportedly made sex tapes of young women & prominent men in his New York City & U.S. Virgin Island properties. Did he catalogue those videos in such a way that would comprise a "client list"? Maybe. Bondi definitely has access to files she is withholding. She should just say so. Also, the likelihood that Epstein killed himself is high. That is, it's unlikely powerful forces conspired to murder him to keep him from telling all. And frankly, who cares? We already know of quite a few public figures, including Donald Trump, who joined in Epstein's partying, and -- with the exception of Britain's Prince Andrew -- none has suffered much for it because most were already known sleazebags. ~~~
~~~ Conservative Charlie Sykes on Substack: "... bozos are fighting with buffoons as the ringleader of the whole bangarang looks on. Who could have seen this coming? Other than absolutely everybody? (And, no we do not have to pick sides in a slap-fight among deplorables.)"
Aamer Madhani of the AP: “... Donald Trump on Saturday announced he’s levying tariffs of 30% against the European Union and Mexico starting Aug. 1, a move that could cause massive upheaval between the United States and two of its biggest trade partners. Trump detailed the planned tariffs in letters posted to his social media account. They are part of an announcement blitz by Trump of new tariffs aimed at allies and foes alike, a bedrock of his 2024 campaign that he said would set the foundation for reviving a U.S. economy that he claims has been ripped off by other nations for decades. In his letter to Mexico’s leader, President Claudia Sheinbaum, Trump acknowledged that the country has been helpful in stemming the flow of undocumented migrants and fentanyl into the United States. But he said the country has not done enough to stop North America from turning into a 'Narco-Trafficking Playground.'... Trump in his letter to the European Union said the U.S. trade deficit was a national security threat.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Jenna Smialek & Ana Swanson of the New York Times: “Both economies [-- Mexico & the E.U. --] do a huge amount of trade in goods and services with the United States. And both governments have been in intense negotiations with the United States, right up until Mr. Trump’s letters were sent.” (Also linked yesterday.)
Giselle Ewing of Politico: “... Donald Trump on Saturday said he is considering revoking the citizenship of one of his longtime foes — actor and comedian Rosie O’Donnell — something he has no clear legal pathway to do. The move is an escalation of Trump’s weaponization of American citizenship. While the president has enacted mass deportations for immigrants and looked to end birthright citizenship for the children of some immigrants, his threat to revoke the New York-born actor’s citizenship marks a new frontier. 'Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship. She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday morning. O’Donnell currently resides in Ireland.” The New York Times story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Maybe Trump really can't get away with revoking a U.S. citizen's birthright, but he can make the life of any U.S. citizen a nightmare by threatening to take away his citizenship. No citizen or person residing in the U.S. is safe from his delusional megalomania.
Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: “It is not reassuring, at a time of man-made and natural disasters, that the president is spouting gobbledygook and his maladroit cabinet members are spinning out. It’s a paradox: If you choose your cabinet based on looks, you are likely to end up with a cabinet that makes you look bad. Running government is harder than bloviating on Fox News and assorted podcasts. And if you demand über-fealty from your advisers, you will end up surrounded by toadies who don’t level with you.”
Zolan Kanno-Youngs & Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: “Thousands of new deportation agents deployed into American cities. A doubling of detention space to hold tens of thousands of immigrants before they are expelled. Miles of new border wall, along with surveillance towers equipped with artificial intelligence. That is the expansive plan that ... [Donald] Trump’s top immigration officials now intend to enact after months of struggling to overcome staffing shortages and logistical hurdles that have stymied his pledge to record the most deportations in American history.... The annual budget of Immigration and Customs Enforcement alone will spike from about $8 billion to roughly $28 billion.... Tim Quinn, a former senior official in Customs and Border Protection, said the rapid expansion of the immigration agencies makes accountability mechanisms even more essential. But the administration earlier this year took steps to dismantle the watchdog agencies inside the Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency of ICE.” ~~~
~~~ Jennifer Peltz & Alexandria Rodriguez of the AP: “Democratic lawmakers condemned Florida’s new Everglades immigration detention center after visiting Saturday, describing it as crowded, unsanitary and bug-infested. Republicans on the same tour said they saw nothing of the sort at the remote facility that officials have dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz.' The state-arranged tour came after some Democrats were blocked earlier from viewing the 3,000-bed detention center that the state rapidly built on an isolated airstrip surrounded by swampland. So many state legislators and members of Congress turned up Saturday that they were split into multiple groups. “There are really disturbing, vile conditions and this place needs to be shut the hell down,” U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat, told reporters after visiting the agglomeration of tents, trailers and temporary buildings.... Cage-style units of 32 men share three combination toilet-sink devices, the visitors measured the temperature at 83 degrees (28 degrees Celsius) in a housing area entranceway and 85 (29 Celsius) in a medical intake area, and grasshoppers and other insects abound, she and her fellow Florida Democrats said. Although the visitors said they were not able to speak with the detainees, Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, also a Democrat, said one called out 'I’m an American citizen!' and others chanted 'Libertad!'” The Washington Post's story is here. ~~~
~~~ Cruelty Is the Point. Maria Sacchetti, et al., of the Washington Post: “Federal immigration officers may deport immigrants with as little as six hours’ notice to countries other than their own even if officials have not provided any assurances that the new arrivals will be safe from persecution or torture, a top official said in a memo this week. Todd M. Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, wrote in a memo to the ICE workforce Wednesday that a Supreme Court ruling last month had cleared the way for officers to 'immediately' start sending immigrants to 'alternative' countries. People being sent to countries where officials have not provided any 'diplomatic assurances' that immigrants will be safe will be informed 24 hours in advance — and in 'exigent' circumstances, just six. Those being flown to places that have offered those assurances could be deported with no advance notice.... Among those who could be targeted are thousands of immigrants with final removal orders who have not been deported to their native countries because a judge found that they might face danger there.... Lawyers warned that thousands of longtime immigrants with work permits and families in the U.S. could now be uprooted and sent to places where they lack family ties or even a common language.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Not only that, you can bet that some U.S. citzens will be caught up in ICE's dragnet -- like dolphins in a tuna net -- & deported to unsafe countries where they have no ties.
Marie: I know life isn't fair, but how about this: if you work at the Department of Injustice, you may be fired because Donald Trump disapproves of the your work assignment you once fulfilled. ~~~
~~~ Perry Stein & Amy Wang of the Washington Post: “Attorney General Pam Bondi this week fired multiple Justice Department employees who were involved in two federal prosecutions of ... Donald Trump during the Biden administration.... In total, 20 people were fired from the department, including two prosecutors who worked under former special counsel Jack Smith.... The rest of the dismissed employees were support staff and U.S. marshals who assisted those prosecutors.... The latest firings come as the Trump administration continues to push out employees across the Justice Department and FBI, often with no explanation or warning.... The latest firings are unrelated to the mass reductions-in-force and reorganizations that Trump has implemented at many other federal agencies....” A CBS News story is here.
Mark Thiessen of the AP: “The federal government on Saturday dismissed charges against a Utah plastic surgeon accused of throwing away COVID-19 vaccines, giving children saline shots instead of the vaccine and selling faked vaccination cards. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on the social media platform X that charges against Dr. Michael Kirk Moore, of Midvale, Utah, were dismissed at her direction. Moore and other defendants faced up to 35 years in prison after being charged with conspiracy to defraud the government; conspiracy to convert, sell, convey and dispose of government property; and aiding and abetting in those efforts. The charges were brought when Joe Biden was president.... A federal grand jury on Jan. 11, 2023, returned an indictment against Moore, his Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah Inc., others associated with the clinic and a neighbor of Moore’s.... The trial began Monday in Salt Lake City with jury selection.... Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., a leading anti-vaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official, posted his support for Moore in April, saying on X that Moore 'deserves a medal for his courage and his commitment to healing!'... In a follow-up X post on Saturday, Bondi said Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene brought the case to her attention.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Excuse me. RFKJ is still “a leading anti-vaccine activist,” or maybe “the leading anti-vaccine activist.”
The government’s interpretation is, to put it mildly, ‘interpretive jiggery-pokery’ of the highest order. ... It requires not just reading between the lines, but hallucinating new text that simply is not there. -- District Judge Jamal Whitehead ~~~
~~~ New York Times Editors: “'Judges from across the ideological spectrum are ruling against administration policies at remarkable rates,' said Adam Bonica, a political scientist at Stanford University. These rulings have halted Mr. Trump’s vengeful attempts to destroy law firms, forestalled some of his budget cuts and kept him from deporting additional immigrants. Yes, the Supreme Court has often been more deferential to the president. Still, it has let stand many lower-court rulings and has itself constrained Mr. Trump in some cases. The bipartisan alarm from federal judges offers a roadmap for others to respond to Mr. Trump’s often illegal behavior. His actions deserve to be called out in plain language for what they really are. And people in positions of influence should do what they can to stand up for American values, as many judges have done. Here, we’ve compiled quotations from judges’ recent rulings and bench comments.” The citations are remarkable.
What comes first, the money or the assholiness? ~~~
~~~ What a Prick! Whitey-White Billionaire Dude Attacks Diversity. Nitasha Tiku of the Washington Post: “Influential tech investor and Trump adviser Marc Andreessen recently said universities will 'pay the price' for promoting diversity and allegedly discriminating against supporters of ... Donald Trump, according to messages he sent to a group chat with White House officials and technology leaders.... [Andreessen singled out M.I.T. & Stanford.] The investor described a 'counterattack' against universities in his messages and called for the National Science Foundation, a federal research funding agency, to receive 'the bureaucratic death penalty.' Andreessen co-founded one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent venture capital firms, Andreessen Horowitz, which embraced ... Donald Trump’s candidacy last year.... Andreessen has quietly helped shape the administration’s hiring and policy decisions.... Andreessen sent his messages to a WhatsApp group used by Trump officials to discuss artificial intelligence policy with dozens of tech figures and academics.... He quickly deleted many of the messages after sending them....” ~~~
~~~ Marie: The pathetic irony here is that I suspect people strive to become ultra-rich so "normal" people will admire them. But the fact is that quite a few of the super-rich (and probably especially the self-made variety) are too obnoxious for most of us to endure. So rather than admire them, we are apt to shun and/or ridicule them.
Disasters That Keep on Taking. Erin Blakemore of the Washington Post: “Counties that undergo severe climate-related disasters often suffer reduced access to critical health care infrastructure in the years that follow, a study ... published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ... suggests.... In contrast, moderate disasters were associated with increased access to in health care, suggesting that 'disasters can, in some cases, lead to (possibly unequal) redevelopment.' 'More affluent communities often have better connections, such as political influence, that help them maintain these important health institutions following a period of crisis,' Yvonne Michael, a professor of epidemiology at Drexel University ... and the study’s senior author, said in a news release.”
Oliver Milman of the Guardian: On Tuesday, Ted “Cruz inserted language into the Republicans’ 'big beautiful' reconciliation bill, before its signing by Donald Trump on Friday, that eliminates a $150m fund to 'accelerate advances and improvements in research, observation systems, modeling, forecasting, assessments, and dissemination of information to the public' around weather forecasting.... 'Ted Cruz has spent years doing big oil’s bidding, gutting climate research, defunding Noaa, and weakening the very systems meant to warn and protect the public,’ said Cassidy DiPaola ... of Fossil Free Media. 'That’s made disasters like this weekend’s flood in Texas even more deadly. Now he’s doubling down, pushing through even more cuts in the so-called big beautiful bill. Texans are dead and grieving, and Cruz is protecting big oil instead of the people he’s supposed to represent....' Cruz, who has previously cast doubt over the scientific reality of the climate crisis, said that complaints about cuts to the National Weather Service are 'partisan finger pointing.'...” Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: You can bet Travellin' Ted let his big oil & gas donors know about his amendment. So let's make sure every Texan knows about it, too. Ted is up for re-election next year. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee should run a continuous loop on Texans' social media feeds featuring Ted's amendment, maybe over photos of him with his wife visiting the Parthenon.
So it turns out Grok is too much like Elon & his followers. I think we knew that. ~~~
~~~ Kate Conger of the New York Times: “Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, said that its Grok chatbot relied too heavily on input from users of his social media platform X after a code update, causing it to share a series of antisemitic comments on Tuesday. At the time, the chatbot praised Hitler, suggested that people with Jewish surnames were more likely to spread online hate and said a Holocaust-like response to hatred against white people would be 'effective.' It also referred to itself as 'MechaHitler' and posted sexually explicit commentary. X deleted some of the posts on Tuesday evening. Early on Saturday, xAI said in a statement on its X account that 'we deeply apologize for the horrific behavior that many experienced.'” Here's a TechCrunch report.
David Enrich of the New York Times: “In recent months, UnitedHealth has targeted traditional journalists and news outlets, a prominent investor, a Texas doctor and activists.... In legal letters and court filings, UnitedHealth has invoked last year’s murder of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of the company’s health insurance division, to argue that intense criticism of the company risks inciting further violence.... UnitedHealth joins a growing group of companies and wealthy individuals, including ... [Donald] Trump, who are using legal threats and lawsuits to deter or penalize criticism.... For UnitedHealth, the stakes are high. In recent years, the company has been the subject of extensive investigative reporting into its billing practices and denials of patient care, among other things. It faces a variety of federal criminal and civil investigations, including into potential Medicare fraud and antitrust violation....”
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Texas. Isn't That Convenient? David Goodman of the New York Times: “A state court on Friday ordered records in the divorce of Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas to be sealed, a day after his wife, State Senator Angela Paxton, filed a petition that accused Mr. Paxton of adultery. The order to seal the records in the case, in the 429th District Court in Collin County, north of Dallas, came after a request from Mrs. Paxton’s lawyer. This means that further details of the high-profile split would not be available to the public in a case that could significantly affect the race for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas. Mr. Paxton, a firebrand conservative who is popular among Republican voters, is challenging Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary in 2026. Mr. Paxton has been leading in public polling.”
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Reader Comments (1)
Jeffrey, we hardly knew ye…
But to know him even a little was to be thoroughly repulsed. Now, however, it appears he’s baaaaack! And the MAGA minions are demanding amswers, dammit! More to the point, they want the List*, which has become a kind of Unholy Grail in MAGAland.
Reports are coming in about Qanon kooks getting veddy kwazy and saying apostate-y type stuff unless the Dear Leader does something about Eva Braun Bondi bogarting the List.
Then…over here, we have Deluxe Loony Loomer making noises about how Fat Hitler should give Bondi the boot!
Okay, the schadenfreude, she’s a gettin’ ready to make an appearance any minute now, but hang on, don’t let’s get ahead of ourselves.
First-like, do none of these morons get that Eva Braun Bondi would not be trying to deep six the List unless she was under orders from You Know Who? Or at least she knows that person’s name is waaay up there (like we don’t already know that) and is trying to be a loyal little goose stepper?
Second-like, we also know You Know Who never takes responsibility for anything and never pays for anything. That means, if the crazies are howling for blood, Bondi might have to take the fall, which would be (giggle-giggle)… so ironical like, and not a little schadenfreude-y.
BUT! (And there are always buts—and buttheads—in FH’s stinking orbit), word is that if Eva Braun eats a bullet for her beloved, the next AG could be—-KEN FUCKING PAXTON?!?!?
Jumping Jesus on a Trumpoline!
Prob’ly not, but because TACO always tacos, because he can’t stand the heat, to keep Bongino from bouncing, Patel from pushing off, the Qanon lads from losing their shit, and Loomer from loosing more looniness, Fatty will very likely pick a fall guy. And it won’t be him.
Staying tuned, popcorn at the ready!
*Because my mind is always making weird associations, I hear “the List of Jeffrey Epstein” and I think “The List of Adrian Messenger”, a 1963 thriller about a bunch of other guys (not pedophiles, I’m pretty sure), which itself was spoofed by the hysterically funny writers of the TV show “Get Smart” as “The Mess of Adrian Lissenger”. So will we get “The Stein of Jeffrey Eplist?” Weird minds want to know.