"The letter bearing Trump’s name, which was reviewed by the Journal, is bawdy—like others in the album. It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker."

~ Wall Street Journal

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/1

https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796

"A pair of small arcs denotes the woman’s breasts, and the future president’s signature is a squiggly 'Donald' below her waist, mimicking pubic hair.

The letter concludes: 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.'”

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/2

"Last night, The Wall Street Journal—owned by Rupert Murdoch who also owns Fox 'News'—reported on a birthday card Trump sent to Epstein. At the bottom of the card, near Trump’s signature, it read: 'may every day be another wonderful secret.'”

~ Scott Dworkin

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/3

https://www.dworkinsubstack.com/p/trumps-spin-machine-fails-miserably

Trump’s Spin Machine Fails Miserably, Epstein Haunts, and More Great News

The Trump regime wants silence. So let’s be louder than ever.

The Dworkin Report

"‘He’s a lot of fun to be with’: Trump & Epstein were close friends for 15 years. As Trump tries to claim he was ‘not a fan’ of Epstein, photos, videos and anecdotes paint a picture of a their relationship.

It was a friendship that spanned three different decades. To Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein was a 'terrific guy'. Epstein believed himself to be Trump’s 'closest friend', and praised the future president as “charming”.

~ Adam Gabbatt

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles
/4

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/18/trump-epstein-friendship

‘He’s a lot of fun to be with’: Trump and Epstein were close friends for 15 years

As Trump tries to claim he was ‘not a fan’ of Epstein, photos, videos and anecdotes paint a picture of their relationship

The Guardian

"I think we should give Trump a break. After all, who among us hasn’t written a fan letter to a pedophile with a drawing of a naked woman signed where the pubic hair should be?"

~ Norman Ornstein quoted by Greg Dworkin

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/5

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/18/2333940/-Abbreviated-Pundit-Roundup-The-Epstein-stories-just-keep-coming

Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: The Epstein stories just keep coming

Wall Street Journal: Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump. The leather-bound book was ...

Daily Kos

"On Thursday, a report emerged that the Wall Street Journal was preparing to publish an article highlighting new details of the relationship between Trump and Epstein. Trump was frantically attempting to kill the article, calling both WSJ publisher Rupert Murdoch and editor in chief Emma Tucker. Trump's efforts to intervene failed, and the Wall Street Journal published its article on Thursday evening."

~ Robert B. Hubbell

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/6

https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/success

Success!

July 18, 2025

Today's Edition Newsletter

"Among the disclosures in the article, the revelation that drew the most attention involved a birthday card sent to Epstein on his 50th birthday by Trump. ...

Trump appears to be desperate, making wild claims that no one believes. The WSJ would not have proceeded with the article unless it had solid backup for its story."

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/7

"Moreover, the birthday card is consistent with Trump's description of his own behavior on the Access Hollywood tapes and the civil finding that he sexually abused E. Jean Carroll.

Trump's last line of defense appears to be ordering his followers to disregard news reports regarding his involvement with Epstein. That is a weak defense that will work with a subset of his followers."

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/8

"Trump denied that he ever wrote such a letter or, indeed, ever drew anything ever: 'I never wrote a picture in my life,' he told the Journal, adding later on Truth Social, 'I don’t draw pictures.' He called in every favor to try to stop the article’s publication, making phone calls to the paper’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, and its editor, Emma Tucker, and swearing he would sue if they published."

~ Andrew Egger

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/9

https://www.thebulwark.com/p/an-enigma-wrapped-in-a-wonderful-secret-trump-epsitein-files-bondi

An Enigma Wrapped in a Wonderful Secret

A new Epstein revelation leads Trump to declare war against the Wall Street Journal.

The Bulwark

"Vice President JD Vance called the story 'complete and utter bullshit,' asking 'Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?'

This was flailing, back-to-the-wall damage control. Trump’s claim that 'I don’t draw pictures' was disproven within minutes of his making it. In fact, a plethora of comparable black-Sharpie doodles drawn by him around that time are already a matter of public record."

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/10

Joyce Vance tells us why Trump's call to have Bondi release grand jury material from the Epstein case is yet another diversionary red herring:

"Release of the grand jury material, or as Trump would have it, only the bits that are 'pertinent,' isn’t automatic. ...

Bondi is giving Trump cover so he can try to ride this dispute out."

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/11

https://joycevance.substack.com/p/following-orders

Following Orders

In the post-Watergate order, attorneys general take direction from the president, but only up to a certain point.

Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance

"She acceded to his order that she ask the court to release what is just a small fraction of the material from the Epstein investigation, only testimony of witnesses prosecutors brought before the grand jury when they sought their indictment. And she does it knowing that it’s unlikely to succeed or could take some time."

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/12

"If the Trump letter to Epstein were forged—never reviewed by federal prosecutors, as the Journal reports, or deemed by DOJ to be fake—Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, and Dan Bongino would know it, and one or two or all three of them would’ve leapt to Trump’s defense.

Instead, we got spittle-flecked but substance-free ravings from Vice President JD Vance, who couldn’t possibly know the truth of the matter."

~ Brian Beutler

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/13

https://www.offmessage.net/p/wsj-trump-epstein-bombshell

16 Thoughts On The Trump-Epstein Bombshell

A wonderful secret leaks, a rare enigma ages.

Off Message

"One thing is now clear: The Wall Street Journal is no longer in Trump’s corner."

~ Aaron Parnas

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/14

https://aaronparnas.substack.com/p/breaking-donald-trump-sent-jeffrey

BREAKING: Donald Trump Sent Jeffrey Epstein a 50th Birthday Letter and Drew a Nude Woman

Trump threatened the Wall Street Journal. It published it anyways.

The Parnas Perspective

"A week ago, I wouldn’t have thought I’d be writing about the Jeffrey Epstein scandal once, much less a second time in four days. But here we are. And that is the point. The story isn’t going away, no matter how badly Donald Trump wants it to … and he wants it badly."

~ Dan Rather

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/15

https://steady.substack.com/p/the-scandal-thats-sticking

The Scandal That’s Sticking

Deflection and diversion for once aren’t working for Teflon Don

Steady

"Right-wing podcaster Nick Fuentes: 'We're gonna look back at the MAGA movement as the biggest scam in history. The liberals were right - we will see Trump as a scam artist. The Republicans must be hanged in the midterms. Trump must fucking pay for this. You don't need our support anymore? Forget about the midterms.'"

~ Ron Filipkowski

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/16

https://www.meidasplus.com/p/today-in-politics-bulletin-172-71725

Today in Politics, Bulletin 172. 7/17/25

… Press Sec Karoline Leavitt finally addressed questions I and others have raised for months about discoloration in Trump’s hands, swollen ankles, and dragging his right leg when he walks: "I know that many in the media have been speculating about bruising on the president's hand and also swelling in the president's legs.

Meidas+

"'The 2026 midterms, it just needs to be a Democrat avalanche. The Republicans are traitors - they shit on on our face.'”

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/17

"For the first time in memory, a significant chunk of Trump’s online base is taking off the blinders. They’re not just furious that Trump is calling the Epstein files a Democratic smear job—they’re seeing it in the context of broader betrayals."

~ kos

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/18

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/17/2333789/-This-could-be-the-final-straw-for-MAGA

This could be the final straw for MAGA

They’re having a meltdown over at r/conservative, the main political hub for right-wing users on Reddit. In thread after thread ...

Daily Kos

"Up until this week, Trump’s grip on his base has been sui generis in American politics, and he’s worn their support as armor through two impeachments, 88 criminal charges, two assassination attempts and one massive, improbable political comeback. Yesterday, though, Trump verbally nuked MAGA voters who are upset about the handling of the Epstein case."

~ Politico Playbook

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/19

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2025/07/17/trump-world-searches-for-off-ramp-on-epstein-00459214

"He called them 'weaklings,' and said that his 'PAST supporters have bought into this "bullshit," hook, line, and sinker.' (Interestingly, this is one of the rare Trump Truth posts that the pugilistic Trump War Room account on X did not repost.)"

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/20

"You have to feel for Donald Trump’s Maga base. The one huge secret they didn’t want disclosed was that he actually really hates them."

~ Marina Hyde

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/21

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/18/donald-trump-maga-jeffrey-epstein-list

Listen up, weaklings: there’s no Epstein client list. Why are you so obsessed? Yours, Donald J Trump

It’s the bonfire of the Maga hats. The real mystery is where their wearers got the idea of a paedophile conspiracy from in the first place, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde

The Guardian
Trump supporters burn Maga hats in response to his handling of Epstein files – video

Some Trump supporters recorded videos burning their signature Make America Great Again hats, reacting to the president's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files

The Guardian

"The Epstein affair is only a symptom. It should be placed in the context of the regime’s behavior on a much wider scale. If it drives a wedge within MAGA, good and fine. The real objective is to highlight the corruption and its ensuing damage to democracy and the health and welfare of all Americans. Epstein is just one more thing."

~ Mark Mansour

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/23

https://mmansour.substack.com/p/maga-consuming-itself

MAGA Consuming Itself

what are the implications of Trump’s and Bondi’s about face on the “Epstein files”?

America’s Fractured Politics

Former Trumpworld insider Lev Parnas warns that, from what he is hearing as he talks to people still inside that circle, Trump and his team are desperate to divert MAGA attention from the Epstein story, and if this tactic fails, they are planning a coup with the 2026 elections, a total fascist takeover of the country.

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA #coup
/24

https://thelefthook.substack.com/p/the-secrets-are-spilling-trump-epstein

The "Secrets" Are Spilling: Trump, Epstein, and The WSJ Article

Former Trump fixer and MAGA insider Lev Parnas joins me for a late night chat to spill the tea about Trump and Epstein and discuss the latest WSJ bombshell article about their relationship.

The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali

David R. Lurie sounds a similar alarm about an impending coup:

"For Trump and his cronies, the prospect of losing power — or even sharing it with Democrats in the event control of the House shifts in 2026 — could prove to be catastrophic because of their reasonable fear of being held accountable for criminality that dwarfs Trump’s first term."

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA #coup
/25

https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-coup-attempt-2028-ice

The emerging coup

Lawless authoritarian regimes don't give up power willingly.

Public Notice

Jonathan Freedland talks to Ali Breland about the pickle Trump has placed himself in with the Epstein files, and his sleight-of-hand attempt to convince his followers he's acting by calling on Bondi to release grand jury testimony.

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/26

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/audio/2025/jul/17/trump-goes-to-war-with-maga-over-epstein-files-podcast

Trump goes to war with Maga over Epstein files – podcast

Jonathan Freedland speaks to Ali Breland of the Atlantic about the tricky situation the US president finds himself in and why he’s taking it out on his most ardent fans

The Guardian

"Authoritarian leaders are known to be brutal and lawless, but their Epstein-like systems of sexual predation have remained largely in the dark. ...

Mussolini was the first autocrat to develop a state-assisted machine of libidinal gratification."

~ Ruth Ben-Ghiat

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA #strongmen #Mussolini
/27

https://lucid.substack.com/p/predatory-strongmen-epsteins-kindred

Sex-Predator Strongmen: Epstein’s Kindred Spirits

Part I: Mussolini and Gaddafi

Lucid

"Police files, diaries, and testimonies from Mussolini’s inner circle and his last major lover, Clara Petacci, suggest that he had extramarital sex with up to four different women daily during his twenty-three years in power. The hours he spent on this pursuit did not decrease even in the run-up to World War Two, when the increasingly grandiose Mussolini headed the Ministries of War, Army, Navy, Colonies, and the Air Force."

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA #strongmen #Mussolini
/28

"This is the thing about stories like the Jeffrey Epstein saga: There’s always new stuff waiting to come out. ...

That’s the first reason Trump needs to be worried. …

Here’s the second and more interesting reason. These cracks in the MAGA coalition right now are only that—cracks—but time may prove this week to have been a pivotal, even decisive, moment in MAGA history. …

As other shoes drop, more will."

~ Michael Tomasky

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/29

https://newsletter.tnr.com/index.php?action=social&chash=eb0ecdb070a1a0ac46de0cd733d39cf3.2008&s=cdd6377d8462caad2b4695418c877aea

Don’t be fooled: Donald Trump got absolutely torched this week

Fighting Words. What got me...

"For years, these MAGA loyalists built an alternate reality around the Epstein story. It wasn’t just about exposing pedophiles; it was about confirming their worldview: that the world is run by liberal elites, and Trump is the lone warrior standing in their way. ...

So when Trump brushed it off as nothing more than 'bullshit,' they didn’t feel betrayed; they felt humiliated."

~ Michael Cohen

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/30

https://www.meidasplus.com/p/maga-mob-turns-on-their-messiah

MAGA Mob Turns On Their Messiah

When even MAGA’s most loyal conspiracy peddlers turn on Trump over the Epstein files, it’s not justice they crave; it’s revenge for being played like fools.

Meidas+

"What we’re seeing now is the inevitable collapse of a movement built entirely on delusion. The MAGA faithful weren’t following Trump because he was honest. They followed him because he lied to them in the most flattering way possible."

#Trump #Epstein #pedophiles #MAGA
/31

@wdlindsy the problem with this kind of speculative aggregation is it gets one's hopes up. Then people prove even more monumentally capable of delusion than anyone thought possible; one has to quench the feeble hope and feel even worse for having succumbed to it.
@AnnieG I suspect it might be a bigger problem for all of us if we don't let anything ever get our hopes up. When we take that tack, they have won.
@wdlindsy I persist by being an optimistic pessimist: expect the worst, and prepare to persevere. It maybe that's pessimistic optimism?
@AnnieG I think that's how we have to proceed: hope, but maintain realism at the same time. Hope that takes flight from reality is useless.
@wdlindsy While I don't think Cohen's wrong, I think he's missing something more crucial. Now that the MAGA bubble is bursting, some of the faithful are starting to feel the full weight of regret for the valuable relationships they lost defending this odious man. Family members, friends, sweethearts, members of their faith community, bosses, co-workers--all of them sacrificed as kindling for the Trump altar. These are relationships they may never get back. All because he lied to them and told them he would be their justice, their retribution, and then when the big scandal came he threw them under the bus just like everyone else.

@wdlindsy they do this stuff even if it loses them wars.

not people best suited for public office

@wdlindsy
It’s of utmost importance that the coming tsunami of the “reconciliation bill damage
be explained #neighborToneighbor in terms they can grasp.

In August rather than only WTP marches, ALL #DemocraticPartyofficials must be AVAILABLE
ACTIVELY working
online/offline:
leaflets
postcards
DoorToDoor
Inperson
townhalls
instagram
explain critical ramifications to constituents or we will be doomed.

We must become an ever expanding real #democracyfirst
#UnitedCommunity

@wdlindsy

I'd argue that there's no such thing as a "former Trumpworld insider". Just because the asshole has figgered out what we need to hear to trust him does NOT mean that anything he says is trustworthy.

Parnas, Cohen, and Bolton are neither credible nor authoritative. Don't quote these bastards.

@wdlindsy The irony is that MAGA is finally getting upset about the Epstein issue when they previously ignored the other sexual assault allegations as well as the treasonous theft of reams of highly classified documents which we all saw as evidence.
Rule of law must prevail
@bouriquet @wdlindsy But when #SCOTUS is corrupted (or co-opted?) by power, and ignores legal precedent, to assign him a Throne, what value has the rule of law?
@MrInappropriate @wdlindsy Oh true. We can no longer trust SCOTUS.
He must be tried by the people, with justice administered accordingly by the angry mob, like all despots before him.
It is not civil but it’s the will of the people.
@wdlindsy It's that meme with the guy in a banana outfit except he's wearing a bad wig and orange makeup. And he's a rapist.