Epstein, Epstein, Epstein

"Thou hast committed fornication:—
but that was in another country,
and besides, the wench is dead."
  Christopher Marlowe, The Jew of Malta, 1590

Republicans don't care what Trump did or didn't do with young girls. What matters is that he is deporting immigrants, reversing DEI, and attacking people and organizations on the political left.

Democrats do care. They care because Trump cares. Trump -- the master at populist messaging -- is fumbling his message because there is something about this case that makes Trump want to hide. Trump -- whose superpower is utter shamelessness -- seems both ashamed and desperate. Trump looks off his game.

 Trump and Epstein: "Best Friends Forever" back on the Washington Mall

Trump brought this on himself. He implied that he was going to find prominent Democratic scalps in the Epstein files. Republicans got excited about the story and called for full-disclosure. Then Trump's abrupt, weird reversal: nothing to see here, move on. Republicans are using extreme measures to hide something. House Speaker Mike Johnson sent House members home rather than let them vote to get the Epstein files. Johnson is not swearing in an elected House member rather than let her be a decisive vote to open the files. It is hard to pretend this is normal.

Trump is persuasive when he is presenting himself as proud, cruel, brave, decisive, vengeful, or any other pose that reflects ruthless domination. That is Trump. What he is not good at is playing dumb. Asked if he would pardon Ghislane Maxwell, Trump said, "I haven’t heard the name in so long. I can say this: I’d have to take a look at it." Trump suggested to the reporter that talk of pardon was all new to him. 

Well, I’ll take a look at it, I will speak to the DOJ. I wouldn’t consider it or not consider it. I don’t know anything about it, but I’ll speak to the DOJ.

He hasn't heard Maxwell's name???  Hasn't given it thought??? Yeah, right.

Trump got more bad luck this week. His commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, happened to have been an immediate next-door neighbor to Epstein in Manhattan. What are the chances in a city of eight million? Then, worse luck yet, Lutnick said to a reporter perfectly reasonable, self-protecting things distancing himself from Epstein. Lutnick described meeting him at his home and seeing a massage table in the living room. Lutnick immediately bragged that it was a place for sexual services, "the right kind of massage." Lutnick said Epstein was "a disgusting person, " evident at first glance. Oops. That undermines Trump's claim of a 15-year innocent relationship.

It gets worse for Trump. Lutnick said that Epstein created video evidence for blackmailing his guests, calling Epstein, "The greatest blackmailer ever." Lutnick said that Epstein urged men into the trap.

They get a massage, that’s what his MO was. "Get a massage, get a massage," and what happened in that massage room, I assume, was on video This guy was the greatest blackmailer ever, blackmailed people. That’s how he had money.

Now we have even more reason to think there is important information to uncover, and it comes from a Trump-related source. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi's senate hearing yesterday brought more drips. Sheldon Whitehouse (D. RI) got to ask her a delicious question::

[Y]ou seem to have looked at zero of those suspicious activity reports involving Jeffrey Epstein accounts. Let me ask you something else. There’s been public reporting that Jeffrey Epstein showed people photos of President Trump with half-naked young women. Do you know if the FBI found those photographs in their search of Jeffrey Epstein’s safe or premises or otherwise? 

Bondi was ready. She ignored the question and attacked.

You sit here and make salacious remarks once again trying to slander President Trump left and right. When you're the one who was taking money from one of Epstein's closest confidants.

She was referencing an alleged campaign contribution from Reid Hoffman. Senator Whitehouse said he didn't get one. Facts don't matter. The go-to response for the Trump team cannot be denial. There is too much evidence, too many photos for outright denial. Americans are watching a message war, and Democrats are in the position of attacker and have the better hand. Is this about Trump and naked 14-year-olds on a massage table? Or is this a story of a Democratic witch hunt?

Democrats are keeping up the drip, drip, drip, and events are falling into place for them.

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