Trump Accidentally Exposed Himself in Epstein Panic! MAGA Civil War Gets Worse
PDS Published 07/14/2025
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MAGA is refusing to just “forget” Epstein — and now Trump is going ballistic that the monster he created is turning on him.
Right, for years, Trump, his family members, and his allies have used the Epstein files as a dog whistle to rile up their base.
Repeatedly claiming there was a client list, calling for it to be released, and just generally spreading conspiracy theories.
But now, the same top officials who promised MAGA all these juicy details are saying there's no there there.
And Trump is all “Epstein? Epstein who? Oh, THAT Epstein? Why are people still talking about that? I have absolutely no clue why there would be any reason at all for people to still be talking about that after we spent years telling you to fixate on it!”
But it turns out that MAGA isn’t willing to just let go like that.
And since we covered this situation last week, the whole thing has gone totally off the rails and turned into a full MAGA revolt.
And as the base implodes on itself, we’ve seen key voices turning on Trump.
This including Andrew Shulz, who uploaded an episode of his Flagrant podcast that was literally titled “Why Trump is Covering for Epstein & How Diddy Got Off”
With Shulz absolutely tearing into Trump after playing the clip from the press conference last week, where the president acted all surprised that people were still talking about Esptein and told them to just “forget” about it:
“That is like, in all seriousness, that is that is, I think what is enraging people right now. Is it's insulting our intelligence. Like, obviously, the intelligence community is trying to cover it up. Obviously, the Trump administration is trying to cover up. Something changed, because they ran on this idea of exposing it all. All these guys had great ideas. Cock-eyed Kash, Dan Bongino.”
“He had clips done. He had bars.”
“They he was ready to tear it all down. He was ready to tear down the entire FBI office.”
“Shut down the Hoover building day one. Day one! That beast’s still standing!”
“Then he goes on Joe Rogan and he's like, ‘Listen, do you think if I had it I wouldn't share it with you?’”
“I do.”
“Yeah.”
“I do.”
“I do believe that 100%.” 15:02 - 15:39
With his co-host also chiming in:
“Now they're saying nothing happened. So, one of two things, in my mind, is a possible. One, you're covering it up. Or two, nothing really happened, and you exploited the rape of thousands of children to get your man elected. So, which one do you want here?” 16:10 - 16:21
With Shulz later going on to take aim at Trump more broadly, accusing the president of failing to fulfill the campaign promises that he and many others voted on:
“I believe when Trump — everything he campaigned on, I believed he wanted to do. And now he's doing the exact opposite thing of every fucking single thing.” 30:27 - 30:35
“He's doing the exact opposite of everything I voted for. I want him to stop the wars. He's funding them. I want him to shrink spending, reduce the budget. He's increasing it. It's like everything that he said he's going to do, except sending immigrants back. And now he's even flip-flopped on that!” 31:10 - 31:09
Right, and that’s just one example — we also saw a ton of people in the general MAGA media sphere using their platforms to slam Trump on the Epstein files.
Hell, you even had Joe Rogan chiming in a rare social media post where he seemed to kind of be meme-ing the whole situation without mentioning Trump or Epstein explicitly, writing:
“Shout out to all the people that still don’t believe in conspiracies. Your ability to stick to your guns is inspiring.”[]
But the bulk of the criticism came this weekend at the Student Action Summit conference hosted by Charlie Kirk’s right-wing group, Turning Point USA.
Right, and the whole Epstein situation became a MAJOR focal point in that gathering of some of Trump’s most devout supporters.
And during that summit, you had audience members erupting into boos over the administration’s handling of the case.
“How many of you are satisfied with the results of the Epstein investigation?”
*Crowd boos* 00:01 - 00:14
With many speakers slamming the Trump administration’s handling of the case and saying the president needs to pay attention to what the base.
Right, and specifically, one of the most viral moments from the conference being this clip of Kirk talking to an audience full of Trump supporters:
“Can we pan to the audience, I’m curious. How many of you — raise your hand — think this is a big deal, Epstein thing? Would you raise your hand? So, I mean, every hand — every hand has gone up.” 00:02 - 00:12
But, beyond that, we also saw many other key Trump allies and major conservative voices bringing up Epstein in their discussions and speeches throughout the conference.
This including Tucker Carlson, who brought it up repeatedly in a lengthy speech he gave, as well as throughout various other interviews and conversations throughout the event:
“And I think that's really at the heart of why the Epstein thing is so distressing. I mean, the guy was some weird sex freak who was abusing girls. We knew that. But the fact that the US government, the one that I voted for, refused to take my question seriously and instead said, Case closed. Shut up, conspiracy theorist’ was too much for me. And I don't think the rest of us should be satisfied with that.”
*Audience cheers* 4:31 - 5:03
“What is it about Jeffrey Epste that's so infuriating to people — so infuriating that it's actually causing seismic political problems? And I hope that they'll address it and it'll get better. I really do. But what is it? I'll tell you what it is. It's the frustration of normal people watching a certain class of people get away with everything every single time. That's what it is.”
*Audience cheers* 16:56 - 17:21
And that last point is one that we’ve seen many others making — this idea that so many people in MAGA view the Epstein case as central to exposing the “deep state.”
Right, as one expert explains, the Epstein narrative is a key element of MAGA’s criticism of “the ruling class” and has basically become a lynchpin conspiracy that forms the basis of so many other MAGA beliefs about the deep state.
So by pulling that one foundational Jenga piece, Trump is essentially threatening to topple a whole tower of beliefs — beliefs that he spent years stoking to get himself re-elected.
Right, and that’s why this is such a big deal to the base: it isn’t just about Epstein — by gaslighting his base about this whole situation, Trump is functionally undermining their entire system of beliefs.
With some supporters even accusing the president of becoming “deep state” himself, despite the fact that they voted for him because he vowed to fight the “deep state” — including by releasing key parts of the Epstein case.
And now, some of the biggest voices within the base are saying this is enough to cause an existential crisis that could cost Republicans future elections
Like Steve Bannon, another big Trump ally, who also brought up Epstein repeatedly throughout the Turning Point USA event.
With him explicitly saying at one point that this situation is “deeper than Epstein” and adding:
“It’s not about just a pedophile ring and all that, it’s about who governs us. And that’s why it’s not just gonna go away.” 00:01 - 00:07
“For this to go away, you’re going to lose 10% of the MAGA movement. If we lose 10% of the MAGA movement right now, we’re going to lose 40 seats in ’26, we’re going to lose the presidency. They don’t even have to steal it.” 00:12 - 00:25
And he’s not alone — we also saw Megyn Kelly saying the same thing in a conversation with Kirk:
“Like, this could actually cost Trump in the midterms. We need to make a smart choice right now. We can't lose any of the MAGA base.” 14:56 - 15:02
With her and many others repeatedly slamming Attorney General Pam Bondi throughout the event, and some directly
But it’s not just top media personalities and influencers — we’re now seeing reports that the whole situation is even causing major rifts within the Trump administration itself.
Right, several outlets reported over the weekend that Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino is considering leaving his post after clashing withover the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files.
With one source even telling NBC:
“Bongino is out of control furious. This destroyed his career. He’s threatening to quit and torch Pam unless she’s fired.”
Though, notably here, you had Trump pushing back on that — right, when asked by reporters yesterday if Bongino was still serving in his administration, the president responded: “I think so.”
Claiming he had spoken with him that day and adding “No, I think he's in good shape.”
With Trump also making a VERY long and rambling post on Truth Social, where he defended Bondi and rebuked his own base, writing:
“What’s going on with my “boys” and, in some cases, “gals?” They’re all going after Attorney General 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.”
With him going on to claim that the Epstein files were written by many of his various perceived political opponents, including President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and “the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration,” among others, and adding:
“now my so-called “friends” are playing right into their hands.”
You also had Trump claiming that if there was anything that would implicate him in the Epstein files, Democrats would have released them already.
And then making false claims about the 2020 election being stolen, arguing that the DOJ needs to be spending its resources investigating that matter instead of looking into the Epstein files, and then instructing his supporters to, quote:
“not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.”
But clearly he’s wrong about that part.
Right, Trump’s decision to just double down and deflect in response to demands from his base has just inflamed the tensions even more.
With many reiterating the same talking points we’ve been seeing over the last week.
Claiming that Trump is covering something up, accusing him of doing the opposite of what they elected him to do, slamming his response to the situation as inadequate, and calling for the files to be released.
So clearly, this problem isn’t going to just magically disappear, and Trump won’t be able to just lie his way out or try to distract his base — they’re not going to let this go.
And as far as what happens next, we’ll have to see if the base can maintain this pressure and if Trump starts to change his tune as it mounts.
But, in the meantime, we’ve seen Democrats capitalizing on the rift, trying to further the factions emerging in Trump’s coalition.
With Democratic leaders in the House also launching an effort to force the chamber to vote on releasing the files.
Right, and while that is generally viewed as a long-shot that won’t even make it to the floor for a vote, the Democrats leading these efforts say they hope to embarrass the GOP in the process.
And at least put pressure on Republicans who serve on the committees that will hear the proposal, opening them up to becoming targets for the MAGA base.
So yeah, a lot going on, a lot of moving parts, and with all that, I’d really love to know your thoughts in those comments down below.
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Stop crying like little baby bitches and do your damn jobs.
That is, give or take some choice words, the advice Barack Obama had for Democrats this weekend.
With him saying:
“I think it’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up.”
These remarks were delivered at a private fundraising event in New Jersey on Friday, but CNN just obtained excerpts of his speech, and multiple outlets have now verified what he said.
With him really trying to push those who currently are in office to level things up in their efforts to fight Donald Trump, adding:
“You know, don’t tell me you’re a Democrat, but you’re kind of disappointed right now, so you’re not doing anything. No, now is exactly the time that you get in there and do something. Don’t say that you care deeply about free speech and then you’re quiet. No, you stand up for free speech when it’s hard…What’s needed now is courage.”
He also told the party to focus on what is going on right now.
Right, there has been a ton of reporting on which Democrats are trying to line themselves up for runs in 2028, tons of people focusing on that, wondering if there’s a rabbit for the left to pull out of their hat at this point.
But Obama cautioned:
“Stop looking for the quick fix. Stop looking for the messiah. You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates.”
With him specifically pointing to Governor races in the states of New Jersey and Virginia.
And he is not the only one giving blunt messages to the party right now, you also have an interview Mark Cuban did with Pod Save America yesterday gaining a ton of traction, where he said:
“We pick the wrong pressure points. It’s just, ‘Trump sucks.’ That’s the underlying thought of everything the Democrats do. ‘Trump sucks.’” (34:14-34:22)
“That’s not the way to win. It’s just not.” (34:28-34:32)
Noting that it’s also about social strategies, and Democrats are just ages behind in that regard.
And of all people Mark suggested they should copy, he pointed to MrBeast:
“You gotta do what MrBeast does. You gotta reverse engineer algorithms to know what is going to sell best and what is going to get the most engagement. Right, go talk to him, that’s probably the best person to educate you on all of this. But in a world where everyone has their own unique feed, you have to flood the zone, you have to say things that are going to be fed to each individual person in a way that may connect to them.” (7:57-8:23)
And he argued that this is something Trump is actually good at, because he is kind of like a salesperson for himself who just floods the zone and is making sure he is constantly heard.
“Doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. Say it enough times, people will believe it. Get it in places where it’ll get coverage enough so in this day in age, it fills those algorithms. And so you will always see Trump in your algorithm.” (11:27-11:40)
And this comes as the midterms are just around the corner, so the ship does have to get turned around some way somehow.
And while some reports say that backlash to Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill might help Democrats by then, it is not someone that they can just rely on.
Because yes, right now both Trump and Congressional Republicans have low approval ratings.
But Democrats are even less popular, with an approval rating of just 27% in Congress.
So there is a ton of rehab needed here, and I would love to know your thoughts on any of it, especially on the idea that Democrats are sort of taking all these hits while lying down.
Where do you think most change is needed, how can it toughen up and change its messaging, anything here.
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They say, “go woke, go broke,” but that was not the case for Superman.
Because the movie brought in $122 million in the domestic box office during its opening weekend, and another $95 million from international markets. []
That haul makes it the third-biggest opening weekend of the year, and it marks a strong comeback for DC after a series of let downs.
And the movie found this success despite the conservative backlash it was facing, which we talked a bit about last week.
Right, the director of the film, James Gunn, called Superman’s story an immigrant’s story, and that caused Fox News hosts and others on the right to go into full meltdown mode,
Because I guess they did not understand Superman was not born in the U.S. and in fact hails from a different planet entirely?
But you had tons of people wondering if this backlash would impact the box office, and so far at least, it looks like it did not hold the film back.
With the New York Times even going so far as to say that: “If anything, the attention from Fox News and elsewhere may have helped.”[]
Noting that advanced ticket sale tracking showed the movie potentially opening to a lower total.
In fact, if politics did hold the film back at all, those issues would potentially have come from other parts of the globe, with analyst David A. Gross explaining in his newsletter that:
“This is an outstanding domestic opening... If there’s any softness here, it’s overseas. Superman has always been identified as an American character, and in some parts of the world, America is currently not enjoying its greatest popularity.”[]
But, the “film has not opened in all markets and foreign audiences often start slower,” so its international haul could turn around.
And Gross also praised the fact that “[Director James] Gunn chose not to rely on big stars. Storytelling and filmmaking are doing the work here.”
And so you have Warner Bros. executives celebrating this box office success, and James Gunn also writing:
“I'm incredibly grateful for your enthusiasm and kind words over the past few days. We've had a lot of "Super" in Superman over the years, and I'm happy to have made a movie that focuses on the "man" part of the equation - a kind person always looking out for those in need. That that resonates so powerfully with so many people across the world is in itself a hopeful testament to the kindness and quality of human beings.”[]
Its success has also opened the door to other kinds of political discussion, as many found the central conflict of the film to resemble what we are witnessing between Israel and Palestine.
With one now-viral Letterboxed review calling it “about as far left as a comic book movie could be” and “very anti Israel.”[]
And while you do have some outlets like Vulture saying:
“While there are events in the film that can be read as parallels to Israel’s occupation of Palestine, the movie’s geopolitical allusions aren’t quite so specific.”[]
Noting that James Gunn has denied ties to the situation, saying he wrote it when “the Middle Eastern conflict wasn’t happening” and adding “it really is fictional.”[]
But there are also tons of people who have been critical of Israel’s actions celebrating this narrative in the film.[][][]
And if there has been any backlash to it in this regard, well, again, it didn’t hurt it in the big picture.
But as far as it relates to just the movie industry, many think the success of “Superman” is just an overall good sign.
With the LA Times noting that its “success is key to a planned reboot and refresh of the DC universe.”[]
And rebooting a comic universe is no easy feat in an era of superhero fatigue.
And even though moviegoers might be sick of movies that feel like spinoffs of spinoffs or just filler nonsense, the New York Times said this movie shows there is still clearly demand for “quality films based on A-list comics characters.”[]
But I would love to know your thoughts on this, especially if you saw the movie, or were just following the MAGA outrage.
Just go to Zocdoc and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today!
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It’s not controversial to say that being in jail sucks, but know what makes it even worse?
A severe lack of food.
That’s what immigrants being held at ICE detention centers are claiming in at least seven states.
Immigration advocates claim that a lot of this can be blamed on just how overcrowded the centers are.
Right, Congress has given ICE enough money to hold 41,500 people.
However as of last week it had over 57,000.[]
Another factor, according to a former ICE official who spoke with NBC News, is that it can be hard to plan how much food will be needed at a given time.[]
That’s because there can be huge fluctuations in how many people are at a facility.
This mostly happens because people often come in waves, unlike a normal jail where it’s usually a trickle at any given time. [broll raid]
That difference makes it extremely difficult to stock the correct amount of food, and of course making matters worse is that a lot of these facilities are for-profit.
So they don’t have an incentive to overstock on food “just in case” and lose money.
However, the problem isn’t necessarily with a specific company, with advocates claiming that these problems happen regardless of who’s in charge.
Vanessa Doh-ha-kez Torres, a lawyer with the American Immigration Lawyers Association, put it this way:
“We haven’t seen any company-specific trends. It just goes to the overall detention system and how overcrowded the detention system is as a whole.”
According to some people being held, there’s not only a lack of food but also a severe quality problem.
For example, some facilities allegedly give detainees meat that is so finely ground up that it’s essentially liquid, and that, “It looks like little, small pebbles, and that will be the ounces that they give you.”[]
Other immigration attorneys say they’ve received complaints about moldy food or food that is inedible in general.
The overcrowding also means less food per person, according to one Russian man who’s been held in Louisiana for months:
“The portions got smaller. I have to deal with hunger, so I am getting used to the hunger. So I have lost weight.”
And all of this goes counter to ICE’s own food service standards.
The agency tells the companies that run its facilities that detainees are supposed to be fed at least three meals a day -- two of which are hot.
And no more than 14 hours can pass between dinner and breakfast.[]
For its part, ICE has denied these allegations, with a spokesperson saying:
“All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment and have the opportunity to communicate with their family members and lawyers.” [tweet from DHS]
“Meals are certified by dieticians. Ensuring the safety, security and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE.”
Either way reports of these conditions have led lawmakers to demand access to detention centers across the US.
The most controversial visit was this weekend, when both national and state Democratic lawmakers demanded access to the facility in order to inspect it.
Which they are usually allowed to do on a whim, as it’s part of their oversight powers per the Constitution.
Now, there are some practical limitations, but until recently it was understood that if a lawmaker showed up they were given a tour.
However, Democratic lawmakers were initially turned away from Alligator Alcatraz on Friday.
And it wasn’t until Saturday -- after a huge number of them showed up -- that they were finally let in.
Even though they were eventually let in, the fact they were initially blocked caused outrage and led to lawmakers releasing a joint statement that said:
“The DeSantis Administration’s refusal to let us in wasn’t some bureaucratic misstep. It was a deliberate obstruction meant to hide what’s really happening behind those gates.”
“There is no statute that permits the Governor to overrule the Legislature’s oversight authority. This lawsuit is about defending the rule of law, protecting vulnerable people inside that facility, and stopping the normalization of executive overreach.” []
But what did lawmakers have to say after finally being allowed to check it out for themselves?
Well, US Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz described the facility like this:
“There are really disturbing, vile conditions and this place needs to be shut the hell down.”
“This place is a stunt, and they’re abusing human beings here.”
ADD:
She went on to say:
[packed in cages. Wall-to-wall cages. Three tiny toilets. Sink attached to it. They essentially get their drinking water and brush their teeth where they poop. No privacy.
And generally speaking, Democrats described the conditions as pretty shit.
However, Republicans were also on the tours and they had a completely different take.
State Senator Jay Collins claimed that there was “no squalor” and added that in general the place seemed to be functional and appropriate.
Right, it’s not supposed to be a resort, but it still allegedly had things like ways to track dietary restrictions and good sanitation systems, with Collins adding:
“Would I want that toilet-and-sink combination at my bathroom at the house? Probably not, but this is a transitional holding facility.”
With all that being said, is anything actually being done to alleviate the alleged issues these detention centers are facing?
The short answer is yes… but it’s unclear how much things will change.
Right, in some instances you have state-run alternatives like Alligator Alcatraz -- which as we’ve seen has its own host of issues.
ICE itself is getting a huge influx of $45 billion until September 2029 thanks to Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.
According to the American Immigration Council, this means that ICE could afford at least 116,000 beds every year.[]
But if the Trump administration has its way, that might not even be enough.
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The Trump administration is running out of lawyers to defend itself in court.
Right, nearly two-thirds of lawyers in the Justice Department’s Federal Programs Branch – whose job is representing the federal government in court – have voluntarily left or announced plans to leave just since Trump got elected in November.
At least, that’s according to the list compiled by former Justice Department lawyers and reviewed by Reuters –
With the outlet saying that it was able to verify the departure of all but four names on the list using court records and LinkedIn accounts. []
And to be clear, some turnover between presidential administrations is normal…but this?
Something different seems to be happening.
Right, the people who have left reportedly include at least 10 of 23 supervisors, many of whom have already served across presidential administrations.[]
And with that, while some employees left over policy differences, many had reportedly already served in the first Trump administration and viewed their role as defending the government no matter what party was in power.[]
But that’s seemingly become something harder and harder to believe in.
With some saying they feared Trump’s efforts to dismantle certain federal agencies and claw back funding violated the Constitution or were enacted without following processes that were more defensible in court. []
One former employee, for example, saying:
"Many of these people came to work at Federal Programs to defend aspects of our constitutional system.”
“How could they participate in the project of tearing it down?" []
And with that, some career lawyers have reportedly feared being pressured to misrepresent facts or legal issues in court – potentially violating attorney ethics rules.
And I mean, to that point, a former supervisor in another branch of the DOJ filed a whistleblower complaint just last month.
With him alleging he faced pressure from administration officials to make unsupported legal arguments and adopt faulty interpretations of rulings in three immigration cases.
Right, with this coming after the administration accused him of failing to adequately defend the administration’s position in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man wrongly deported to El Salvador.
Of course, the White House has denied that.
And as far as the reports about people leaving by choice?
You had a White House spokesperson saying in a statement:
"The Department has defeated many of these lawsuits all the way up to the Supreme Court and will continue to defend the President’s agenda to keep Americans safe."[]
"Any sanctimonious career bureaucrat expressing faux outrage over the President’s policies while sitting idly by during the rank weaponization by the previous administration has no grounds to stand on.”[]
But whatever the case may be, the department is reportedly scrambling to fill vacancies.
Right, according to Reuters, more than a dozen lawyers have been temporarily reassigned to the Federal Programs Branch from other parts of the DOJ.
Not to mention it’s been exempted from the federal government hiring freeze. []
And of course, this is in contrast to the purge that seems to be happening across much of the department.
Right, the administration has fired dozens of lawyers involved in prosecuting corruption cases or January 6th.
And then, this week, Attorney General Pam Bondi fired twenty employees who had at some point been involved in prosecuting Donald Trump – including two prosecutors who worked under former special counsel Jack Smith.
Right, he’s the guy that led the department’s investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory, as well as a separate case focused on Trump’s handling of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.
And with that, the new dismissals bring the total Smith-related firings to about 35 – with Axios reporting that 15 more could face termination as well. []
So ultimately, the changes at the DOJ are big and widespread, some of it is on purpose and some of it isn’t, and we’ll just have to wait and see what we’re left with.
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We Need to talk about Israel & Syria…Dozens have been killed in armed clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze (Drooz) militias in southern Syria – and Israel has carried out strikes in response.
But also this is just the latest outbreak of deadly sectarian violence in the country since rebel forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December – and there’s a lot we need to talk about with the whole situation.
And starting with this latest violence? It can reportedly be traced back to members of a Bedouin tribe setting up a checkpoint and attacking and robbing a young vegetable seller belonging to the Druze religious minority.
With this then leading to back-and-forth attacks and kidnappings between the two groups. []
And on Sunday, the violence reached a new level.
With the fighting breaking out in the mostly Druze city of Suweida (Soo-WAY-da)– but within a predominantly Bedouin neighborhood – when Druze fighters reportedly encircled and seized that part of the city (BROLL: 0:02-0:13) []
It then spread into other parts of the province, with tribesmen reportedly launching attacks on Druze towns and villages to the north and west. []
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, for example, two towns were shelled, and residents of another village were forced to flee after armed men came and set fire to several homes. []
And in response to this, you had the Syrian interior ministry saying in a statement:
"This dangerous escalation comes in light of the absence of relevant official institutions, leading to worsening chaos, a collapse of the security situation, and the local community's inability to contain the crisis despite repeated calls for calm." []
And with that, the ministry announced that – in coordination with the defence ministry – it would "begin direct intervention in the area to end the conflict and impose order.” []
With the governor of the province calling on residents to "exercise self-restraint and respond to national calls for reform.” []
And with that, you did have a local activist-run news outlet reporting that mediation between Bedouin and Druze leaders aimed at de-escalating tensions had resulted in the release of people kidnapped by both sides during the clashes. []
But then, this morning, the same outlet reported that fighting had erupted in the nearby countryside after drones attacked villages –
This as government forces were also now deployed in nearby areas of a neighboring province (BROLL: 0:18-0:27) []
And overall, Syria’s Interior Ministry said more than 30 people died and nearly 100 others were injured.
While the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least 89 dead, including two children, two women and 14 members of the security forces.[]
And then on top of all that, the IDF carried out a strike against several tanks in the area where all this was happening – seemingly to send a message.
Right, the Druze are seen as a loyal minority in Israel and many even serve in the armed forces, and Israel has already acted in their defense before. []
In May, for example, striking a site near the presidential palace in Damascus after dozens were killed in fighting between pro-government gunmen and Druze fighters.
And then beyond that, of course, Israel has been all up in there – Syria, that is.
Right after Assad fell, Israeli forces seized a UN-monitored buffer zone on Syrian territory and have since launched hundreds of airstrikes on military sites in Syria.
With Israeli officials having said they want to completely demilitarize the southern Syria area, and not allow any armed groups to enter it and gain a foothold, including those of the new Syrian government. []
But notably, at the same time, the two countries have been having what have been described as the most serious talks between them in more than a decade.
With this partly being because both are wary of Iran, which was a close ally of Assad during the civil war.
And the new Syrian government doesn’t want Iran-backed proxy groups gaining a foothold any more than Israel.
Not that there hasn’t been other violence – sometimes with the involvement of the government.
Right, at the start of March, for example, government forces took part in the killing of 1,500 people from the Alawite religious minority.
And last month, a suicide bomber killed more than 20 people in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church – with the government claiming ISIS was behind it.
And on the note of ISIS, we should talk about the Kurds too, right, because the US has relied heavily on Kurdish-led groups including the Syrian Defense Forces to fight ISIS (BROLL: 0:18-0:20, 1:22-1:25)
But that’s been another point of tension with the new Syrian government – even after the US helped broker a deal to bring the SDF into the new Syrian national army.
Right, a US envoy said last week that the two sides are still unable to actually agree on how to go about doing that –
In particular whether the SDF would remain as a single unit in the new army or would be dissolved and its members individually absorbed into the new military.[]
And as the US keeps up a role in those talks, it’s not the only way it’s been getting involved.
Right, a key turning point came back in May when Trump announced that the US would lift decades of sanctions imposed on Assad’s government.
But then also last week, the administration decided to take away the terrorism designation of the insurgent group that led the effort to oust Assad.
And on the flip side, it’s actually the US becoming less involved on the humanitarian front that’s potentially making it harder for Syria to recover.
Right, for better or worse, the US was Syria’s largest donor of aid – providing more than $18 billion in assistance during the country’s 13-year war.[]
With one humanitarian worker, for example, saying the US cuts – with shrinking contributions from European governments – have been “catastrophic” for health care. []
So ultimately, the situation on the ground is as complicated as ever, and the violence isn’t over, but we’ll have to see if somehow the situation can continue to improve.
