Trump’s Epstein Problem Is Getting Worse
PDS Published 07/21/2025
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Trump might be throwing a milliondistractionsat the wall, but his Epstein problems have gone nowhere.
And the latest comes from The New York Times, as an Epstein accuser just told the outlet she brought Trump’s name to the FBI twice regarding a “troubling” encounter.
That accuser is named Maria Farmer, a woman who worked for Epstein in 1995 and 1996 while she was in her 20s.
She first reported Epstein to law enforcement in 1996 after she was sexually assaulted by both him and Ghislaine Maxwell, and after she learned Maxwell had massaged her teen sister’s bare chest.
And she told the Times that when she reported this to both the NYPD and FBI, she told officials to take a broader look at those in Epstein’s circle, including Trump.
With her pointing to one encounter she had with him in 1995 when Epstein unexpectedly called her to his Manhattan office one night, and she showed up in running shorts only for Trump to arrive soon after, and he began to “hover” over her.
She said she felt scared as she could feel Trump staring at her bare legs, and then when Epstein came into the room, he reportedly told Trump, “No, no, she’s not here for you.”
But after both Epstein and Trump left the room, she claims she heard Trump comment that he thought she was 16 years old.
And on top of bringing this to authorities in 1996, she apparently told the story again when the FBI interviewed her about Epstein in 2006.
With Farmer telling the outlet she had always wondered how law enforcement handled her complaints, though the Times said it was unclear if her remarks prompted a deeper investigation into Trump or not.
But the outlet did claim her story is “among the clearest indications yet of how Mr. Trump might have come to be named” in the sought-after Epstein files.
For his part, Trump’s camp has denied the story, with a White House rep saying that:
“The president was never in [Eptstein’s] office. The fact is that the president kicked him out of his club for being a creep.”
And all this comes as Trump has been playing Epstein whack-a-mole for a few weeks, trying to fight constant questions and criticisms about his administration's handling of the files.
But the more he fights it, the more public interest seems to grow.
With CNN reporting that books and media about Epstein have seen an uptick in sales in recent weeks.
And a Netflix docuseries on Epstein also saw a 268% jump in viewership in the second week of July compared to the first week.
Right, so there is a pretty big increase in people invested in this case and its history as the pressure campaign to release the files grows.
But many are doubting if we will ever get substantial information, right.
Because while the DOJ did just ask a federal judge to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein,
Some think whatever comes out will only disappoint the public.
With Sarah Krissoff, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan telling the AP:
“ The president is trying to present himself as if he’s doing something here and it really is nothing.”
With sources telling the outlet that grand jury presentations are generally brief because the goal is to just give enough information to land an indictment,
So you had another former federal prosecutor saying:
“it’s not going to be everything the FBI and investigators have figured out about Maxwell and Epstein.”
“People want the entire file from however long. That’s just not what this is.”
So in other words get that Nathan Fielder “I hope you're hungry… for nothing” gif locked and loaded in your drafts.
But of course, even though it could very well be a dud, we will still have to see what comes of it.
We also have to keep our eyes on the lawsuit Trump just filed against the publisher of the Wall Street Journal.
That relates to an article the Journal published right after show went out on Thursday.
And in case you missed it, the TLDR is that Trump allegedly sent a super sus birthday card to Epstein in 2003.
Right, the report said that Ghislaine Maxwell compiled letters from dozens of Epstein’s friends as a birthday gift, and one was from Trump.
And his letter reportedly included a drawing of a naked woman, with his signature mimicking pubic hair.
And it also featured a sort of imaginary scripted conversation between Trump and Epstein that ended:
“A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
And Trump denied the authenticity of the letter to the Journal, ever so eloquently saying:
“This is not me. This is a fake thing. It’s a fake Wall Street Journal story. I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words.”
And even though there is substantial evidence that Trump has “wrote” quite a few pictures in his life, he still followed through on his promise to sue.
Accusing Dow Jones and its parent company, News Corp, of libel, and also listing Ruport Murdoch and two Wall Street Journal reporters. []
With the suit claiming that:
“Defendants concocted this story to malign President Trump’s character and integrity and deceptively portray him in a false light.”
But the Journal is standing by its reporting, with a spokesperson for Dow Jones saying:
“We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
And some have questioned what this report from the Journal would do for the MAGA base that has been demanding answers.
And there, you had the Washington Post noting that the story may have pushed them closer to Trump again, writing:[]
“the Journal article has triggered a now-familiar reaction — causing Trump’s fractured base to quickly rally around him as a victim.”
Right, people like Laura Loomer and Charlie Kirk, who had been pressing on Epstein to varying degrees, all dismissed the report as a partisan attack.[][]
Outlets like Politico saying this allowed a fractured MAGA base to train “their ire on a common enemy: the media.”[]
With unnamed administration sources telling the outlet:
“Thank God for Dems and media overreach on this. It saves us every time.”
“There’s nothing Donald Trump does better than being on offense. It has helped rally the troops because people see this as more bullshit.”
But just because he won the battle does not mean he won the war, right, not everyone has moved on.
Just this morning you had people like Marjorie Tayor Greene implying that MAGA is not done asking Epstein questions, writing:
“If you tell the base of people, who support you, of deep state treasonous crimes, election interference, blackmail, and rich powerful elite evil cabals, then you must take down every enemy of The People. If not. The base will turn and there’s no going back. Dangling bits of red meat no longer satisfies. They want the whole steak dinner and will accept nothing else.”[]
So I would love to know your thoughts on anything here, especially since this is just the one story that will not go away, that is sticking like glue.
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Either go back to being racist or you’re not getting a stadium!
That’s the threat that Trump is leveling against the Washington Commanders right now.
Right, if you’re not familiar, back in 2020, the NFL team based in Washington DC announced that it was going to drop its incredibly controversial team name of “Redskins” during a broader push against racism and police brutality.
And they’ve had the name “Commanders” since the 2022 season after an especially awkward interim in which they were known as the “Washington Football Team.” []
Obviously, there was a lot of backlash to ditching the name they’d had since 1933 but it didn’t change anyone’s minds.
With Josh Harris, whose group bought the Commanders from former owner Dan Snyder in 2023, saying earlier this year that the new name is here to stay.
Enter Donald Trump - who said yesterday that he wants the Commanders to revert back to their original name.
Claiming the team would be, quote, “much more valuable” if it did.
But more than just expressing a preference, Trump has threatened to throw his weight around to make it happen - saying in a post on Truth Social,
“I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington.” []
And there, he’s referring to the deal struck between the team and the government in DC to build a new home for the Commanders at the site of the old RFK Stadium.
It’s not exactly clear how much pull Trump will have over the stadium deal - the land was signed over from the federal government to the District of Columbia by Biden back in January.
But Axios reports there is a chance Trump could influence the project using the power of the White House or through federal design commissions. []
So this is definitely something we’re going to have to keep our eyes on.
Especially considering that we’ve yet to get a statement from the team regarding this whole thing.
It’s also worth noting that Trump’s ire wasn’t limited to just the Commanders - he also took similar aim at Cleveland’s MLB team.
Which, until 2020, was called the Cleveland Indians.
They adopted the name “The Cleveland Guardians” in 2021 and they’ve been met with a similar mix of support and criticism as the Commanders.
And, like with the Commanders, Trump has become a recent and very loud critic - saying on Truth Social Sunday,
“The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. What he doesn’t understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!” []
In this case, the team has responded - clarifying there are no plans to revisit the name change or walk it back. []
With The Guardians’ president of baseball operations saying,
“We understand there are different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago, but obviously it’s a decision we made. We’ve got the opportunity to build a brand as the Guardians over the last four years and are excited about the future that’s in front of us.” []
Now, I’m sure this is a genuine effort by Trump for a cause he cares deeply about and not an attempt to redirect the general conversation away from something he’d like swept under the rug.
Cough cough Jeffery Epstein cough cough.
So while we wait for more updates here - especially about the DC stadium, I would love to know your thoughts.
Especially if you’re a fan of either of these teams or if you had an opinion one way or the other about the name changes.
Let me know in those comments down below.
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The Trump administration has defied a third of all the court orders levied against it.
That’s the finding of a new Washington Post examination of 337 lawsuits filed against the White House since Trump reentered office. [Headline]
With judges ruling against the White House in 165 of those cases, and the White House allegedly defying or frustrating court oversight in 57 of those, almost 35%. [Quote, find “35 percent”]
Which just puts into perspective the sheer scale of this administration’s unprecedented standoff with the judicial branch.
And if you believe this whistleblower who filed a complaint with the Senate last month, they know very well what they’re doing.
Right, Erez Reuveni [Pronounce 00:21] was a decorated lawyer for 15 years at the Justice Department, including under Trump’s first term, when he defended that administration’s immigration policy.
But in April, he was fired after he told a federal judge that the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia was a mistake. [Image]
Leading him to file this complaint, and in it, he alleges that Emil Bove [Pronounce 00:15], a top prosecutor who’s taken credit for some of the Trump admin’s most aggressive moves, openly suggested breaking the law. [Image]
With this happening during a meeting on March 14, just before the White House flew hundreds of Venezuelans, including Abrego Garcia, to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act. [B roll, 00:07]
And according to Reuveni, Bove “stressed to all in attendance” that the planes carrying the migrants “need to take off no matter what.” [Quote]
With him then allegedly saying that they may need to consider telling judges “fuck you” and ignore possible court orders blocking deportations. [Same quote]
Now I should note that Bove has denied the allegation, with him getting grilled about it in the Senate recently. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 01:03 - 01:27] Caption: [Senator Adam Schiff:] “Did you suggest, as mr Reuveni wrote, that DoJ would need to consider telling the courts ‘fuck you’ and ignore any such court order?” [Emil Bove:] “I did not suggest that there would be any need to consider ignoring court orders. At the point of that meeting, there were no court orders to discuss.” [Senator Adam Schiff:] “Well did you suggest telling the courts ‘fuck you’ in any manner?” [Emil Bove:] “I don’t recall.”
But since then, Senator Dick Durbin has released a cache of messages provided to him by Reuveni that appear to corroborate his claims. [Image]
With that including a text message between Reuveni and a colleague the day after the meeting, in which he apparently lamented, “Guess we are going to say fuck you to the court. Super.” [Quote]
To which his colleague responded, “Well, Pamela Jo Bondi is … not you.” [Quote same link]
Then, in another exchange, Reuveni apparently told his supervisor, “guess its find out time on the ‘fuck you.’” [Quote same link]
To which his supervisor, who Reuveni claims was at the meeting, replied, “Yup. It was good working with you.” [Same quote]
And finally, there’s another text reading, “This doesn’t end with anything but a nationwide injunction, and a decision point on fuck you.” [Quote]
But even putting the “fuck you” to the courts aside, these text messages show career lawyers in the DoJ just being mortified by what their department’s doing.
With for example some reacting to a court hearing the day after the meeting, in which a lawyer told the judge he didn’t know whether the deportations to El Salvador were imminent. [Quote, find “imminent”]
At which point a colleague who had been listening texted Reuveni an expletive followed by “That was just not true.” [Quote same link]
And then adding, “He knows there are plans for AEA removals within the next 24 hours,” to which Reuveni replied, “Yes he does.” [Same quote]
Then, a few days later, Reuveni texted a colleague, “At this point, why don’t we just submit an emoji of a middle finger as our filing.” [Quote same link]
Now that’s just one very high-profile case, but as the Washington Post makes clear, this is part of a pattern of behavior by the Trump administration.
With lawsuits accusing it of providing false information, failing to turn over evidence, quietly working around court orders and inventing pretexts to carry out actions that have been blocked. [Quote, find “snubbing”]
All while Trump and his allies have smeared what they call “radical left judges,” many of whom were appointed by Republican presidents or Trump himself. [Image]
But despite Stephen Miller’s accusations of “judicial tyranny,” none of the judges have actually taken steps to force compliance yet.
With the White House’s open defiance going on for weeks or even months without anyone being held in contempt.
And some of that’s likely due to the court’s just traditionally being slow to act, especially when appeals are ongoing.
But legal analysts tell the Post that judges are also likely to be concerned that the U.S. Marshals Service, whose director is appointed by the president, might not serve subpoenas or take defiant government officials into custody if ordered to by the courts. [Quote, find “Marshals”]
So for now, we’re just watching this cold war between the executive and the judiciary, and only time will tell if it becomes a hot one.
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The Israel military is now attacking one of the only places in Gaza its troops haven’t gone yet.
And now over two dozen Western nations have issued possibly their harshest rebuke of Israel’s actions yet – calling out the country’s “inhumane” killing of civilians and saying the war must end now.
But starting with this latest attack – we’ve seen airstrikes and then tanks and soldiers hitting a city in the middle of Gaza called Deir al-Balah (LISTEN – dare-il-BUH-lah)
Right, it was one of the few parts of Gaza where Israel hadn’t conducted a major ground operation in its now 21-month war against Hamas.
And that’s reportedly because the country has suspected the group might be holding at least some of the remaining hostages there – possibly including the 20 or so who are believed to be still alive. []
But either way, the result has been that the city is basically the last remaining area of Gaza that hasn’t suffered absolutely devastating damage.
With there being more buildings still standing than in other parts of the strip – including warehouses, health clinics, and a key desalination plant serving southern Gaza.
And all that leading to tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians taking shelter there, while the UN and other humanitarian agencies have also relocated key parts of their operations to the area.
But over the weekend, the IDF issued forced evacuation orders affecting between 50,000-80,000 people – with the UN warning in a statement that “Any damage to this infrastructure will have life-threatening consequences.” (BROLL: 0:00-0:06, 0:49-0:55)
And also noting that the latest offensive brings the total area of Gaza “under displacement orders or within Israeli-militarised zones” to almost 88 percent –
Meaning that more than 2 million civilians are “squeezed into a fragmented 12% of the strip, where essential services have collapsed.” []
And with that, the situation is of course only going from bad to worse.
Right, even without considering the potential fallout from the new offensive, experts were warning that more than 1.5 million people in Gaza – two thirds of the pre-war population – are at risk of severe malnutrition or starvation.
With the UN World Food Programme saying:
“Gaza’s hunger crisis has reached new levels of desperation
“Malnutrition is surging, with 90,000 women and children in urgent need of treatment.”
“Nearly one person in three is not eating for days.” []
And to that point, it’s been reported today that at least nineteen Palestinians, including children, have recently died from hunger over just one 24-hour period. []
And of course, there are many who argue that this isn’t by accident – or at least that there’s more that could be done.
Right, because Israel controls the flow of aid into Gaza and currently allows only a limited amount to be distributed at sites run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (BROLL: 1:44-2:04)
And at these sites, there have been reports of guards stationed there opening fire on Gazans seeking aid on an almost daily basis–
With the total number killed reaching 875 last week, and that’s before troops killed nearly 100 people trying to access aid just yesterday.
And with that incident, you had Israel’s military admitting that the shooting happened but claiming it had fired “warning shots to remove an immediate threat posed to the troop.” []
Right, which is similar to what it’s said in other cases as well – even as witnesses, rights groups, and even GHF contractors speaking anonymously have said otherwise.
And so in response to all this, you’ve now had 25 Western nations – including the UK and more than a dozen countries in the EU – issuing a statement today condemning the Israel government’s actions and calling for an end to the war, saying::
“The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.”
“We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.” []
And beyond that, notably, you had them calling the plan to transfer Gaza’s population into a so-called “humanitarian city” completely unacceptable –
As well as condemning increased settlement building and settler violence in the West Bank. []
Of course, Israel has bashed the statement, with the foreign ministry saying “it is disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.”
The US, unsurprisingly, didn’t sign on the statement, but notably, we have seen signs that the Trump administration is again frustrated with the Israeli government – and especially Netanyahu.
In fact, you had one White House official telling Axios:
“Bibi acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time.”
"This could undermine what Trump is trying to do."
And a second official – pointing to the shelling of a church in Gaza this week – which led Trump to call Netanyahu and demand an explanation, saying:
"The feeling is that every day there is something new. What the f***?" []
But notably, a lot of the frustration has reportedly been driven by Israel’s recent strikes on Syria – with the special envoy to Syria actually criticizing the intervention in an interview with the Associated Press.
And there, it seems the US and Israel have had differing goals ever since the overthrow of Assad.
Right, according to recent reporting from Reuters, Israel has actually been lobbying the US to keep Syria weak and decentralized – mainly to counter Turkey’s growing influence in the country.
But the Trump administration? It’s been focused on supporting the new Syrian government.
So we’ll have to see how that plays out, and then everything else, but of course, we've seen before even when there’s disagreement between Trump and Israel, he hasn’t really let them down.
