Trump Epstein Scandal Just Got Crazier As Hillary Clinton Hit With Subpoena
PDS Published 08/05/2025
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…Because the House Oversight Committee just issued subpoenas to Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and several other former government officials in relation to the Epstein probe.
Right, this morning Rep. James Comer, who is the chairman of the committee, announced he is seeking depositions from several people between August and October, including both the Clintons, former AGs Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Bill Barr, Merrick Garland, Jeff Sessions and Alberto Gonzales, and then former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller. []
And you might notice that Trump’s name is not on the list.
But the subpoena does also direct the Department of Justice to release the full and complete Epstein files to the committee by August 19.[]
Comer also published the letters issued to each person, and in the one to Bill Clinton, he noted:
“By your own admission, you flew on Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane four separate times in 2002 and 2003. During one of these trips, you were even pictured receiving a “massage” from one of Mr. Epstein’s victims…You were also allegedly close to Ms. Ghislane Maxwell, an Epstein co-conspirator, and attended an intimate dinner with her in 2014, three years after public reports about her involvement in Mr. Epstein’s abuse of minors.”[]
The letter to Hillary also noted the apparent “close relationship” the Clintons had with Epstein and added:
“Ms. Maxwell’s nephew worked for your 2008 presidential campaign and was hired by the State Department shortly after you became Secretary of State.”
The letters addressed to the several Attorneys General mostly focused on what role the DOJ played in Epstein-related investigations at the time they were the head of the department.
And in the letter to Bill Barr, who was AG both under George H.W. Bush and during the latter half of Trump’s first term, Comer said:
“Your second tenure as U.S. Attorney General, beginning in early 2019, coincided with the federal sex trafficking investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, as well as his eventual death while in federal detention. It also coincided with the federal indictment of Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell, which stemmed from the Epstein investigation.”
Obviously, it is not clear how all these people will respond to these subpoenas, []
But when it comes to the Clintons, they have previously denied any wrongdoing when it comes to Epstein, with a spokesperson issuing a statement back in 2019 saying that:
“President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York.”[]
Further claiming that he only traveled on Epstein’s plane in connection with work for the Clinton Foundation, and he had not spoken to Epstein in over a decade.
So we will have to see where this goes, but this is notably not the only Epstein news today.
Because two Epstein victims just sent scathing letters condemning the Trump Administration’s handling of this case to a judge in Manhattan.
Both victims chose to stay anonymous as they asked that any victim-identifying information be redacted from any public release of Epstein-related documents.
With one writing:[]
“I come forward to you today in disdain, disgust and fear of how the United States of America’s DOJ has handled the promise to release the ‘Epstein Files’…I use quotations because what are these ‘Files’ exactly, anyway?”
“Sad to say, for the victims we never got our day in court. Apparently, Epstein killed himself under whose watch? Oh, was it Trump’s DOJ? Hmmm, interesting.”
“I am not some pawn in your political warfare. What you have done and continue to do is eating at me day after day as you help to perpetuate this story indefinitely. Why not be completely transparent? Show us all the files with only the necessary redactions! Be done with it and allow me/us to heal. You protect yourself and your powerful and wealthy “friends” (not enemies) over the victims, why? The victims know the truth.”
The other letter echoed some of these concerns, questioned the circumstances of Epstein’s death, and added:[]
“I am not sure the highest priority here is the victims, justice for the victims or combatting child exploitation.”
With that victim also asking that a third party review documents before a public release to ensure no victim’s names or likenesses are included, arguing that:
“It is imperative with the scrutiny over this media frenzy that the victims are completely and entirely protected.”
So again, that is just more to watch out for.
If you were wondering what Trump is doing to address any of this, well, we can do a quick check on him now and, oh…it looks like he is walking on the roof of the white house while yammering at reporters.
(cover your mouth and mumble “jump!”)
What, who said that? You can't say that!
(cover your mouth and mumble “jump!” again)
Wow, to whoever is doing that, that’s a really really awful thing to say, you can’t wish bad things on people like that jeez guys.
But anyways, that is where we are on this one, and any thoughts you have, I would love to hear em.
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I’m not sure Republicans are gonna have the balls to do any more town halls after what just happened to Mike Flood.
Right, because yesterday evening, GOP Representative Mike Flood from Nebraska held a town hall in his state where he answered questions from his constituents.
The only problem was that Nebraska’s Democratic Party posted the details of the event online and added, “you know what to do!” [Post]
So when Flood took the stage, the crowd that stared back at him was not a friendly one.
And you could tell they were already riled up before the event even started just by the way they finished the pledge of allegiance. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 03:22 - 03:31] Caption: [Audience:] “… One nation, under God …” [Distinct person:] “Indivisible!” [Audience:] “… indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!”
Then, as soon as he broached the first topic — the Big Beautiful Bill — he immediately got heckled. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 08:17 - 08:27, 08:41 - 08:50] Caption: [Mike Flood:] “There’s been a lot of misinformation out there about the bill.” [Audience:] *Booing* [Mike Flood:] “Okay, let’s start here. Let’s start here. … Please let me tell you why I voted the way I voted, and then we will take your questions, and you will have an opportunity to get answers.”
Now if I was to show you all the heckling and booing he got, I would have to just play the entire hour-and-a-half town hall, because it literally never stopped. [Continue B roll]
I mean, if you thought giving powerpoint presentations in high school was bad, just imagine trying to get through this.
[Clip, 13:07 - 13:19] Caption: [Mike Flood:] “The next slide … talks about … the two big changes. … The next slide talks about two big changes.”
But when he actually tried to engage the audience in a dialogue, he did not get the reactions he seemingly thought he would. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 13:33 - 13:03] Caption: [Mike Flood:] “If you choose not to work, you do not get free healthcare. You do not get free healthcare.” [Audience:] *Booing* [Mike Flood:] “Okay, okay. So here’s a question. Do you think that people who are 28 years old, that can work and refuse to work, should get free healthcare?” [Audience: (shouting)] “Yes!”
With him then trying to appease them a little bit, but it did not work. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 18:00 - 18:10] Caption: [Mike Flood:] “I truly believe, this bill protects Medicaid for the future.” [Audience:] *booing* [Mike Flood:] “I believe it.” [Audience:] *Booing*
And when he celebrated the BBB’s tax cuts, they responded with a chant of their own. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 15:16 - 15:26] Caption: [Audience:] “Tax the rich! Tax the rich! Tax the rich!” [Mike Flood:] “No taxes on overtime.” [Audience:] “Tax the rich! Tax the rich!”
So then, the organizer started reading questions submitted from constituents.
Such as why did you vote for a bill that increases the debt by three to four trillion dollars?
[Clip, 20:36 - 20:46] Caption: [Mike Flood:] “When President Trump passed the 2017 tax cuts, we saw explosive growth in this country.” [Audience:] *Booing* [Mike Flood:] “We saw explosive growth.”
Why did you cut SNAP [food stamps] and healthcare research?
[Clip, 21:22 - 21:30] Caption: [Mike Flood:] “We do not have unlimited money in the United States.” [Audience:] *Booing*
And oh, just for funsies, what is the current national debt?
[Clip, 22:56 - 23:06] Caption: [Mike Flood:] “Our current national debt is approaching $37 trillion.” [Audience:] *Shouting*
Then, they let audience members come up to the mic and ask their questions directly, and oh my God did it get so, so much worse. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 28:46 - 29:13, 29:25 - 29:46] Caption: [Attendee:] “With $450 million FEMA dollars being reallocated to open alligator Alcatraz, and $600 million taxpayer FEMA dollars being used to now open more concentration camps, and ICE burning through $8.4 million a day to illegally detain people, how much does it cost for fascism? How much do the taxpayers have to pay for a fascist country?” [Audience:] *Cheers* … [Mike Flood:] “Americans went to the polls in November, and they had a choice between a Democratic candidate that had an open border, no enforcement, fentanyl, drugs, human trafficking, and they had a choice between that and a candidate that said, ‘close the border.’”
With another attendee making a point in a similar vein. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 35:52 - 36:28, 37:04 - 37:12, 37:37 - 37:42, 37:52 - 37:58] Caption: [Attendee:] “There’s a saying that silence is complicity. Your silence tells us that you have no problem with the January 6 attack on the Capitol, the pardoning of all those involved, the big lie about the 2020 election with absolutely no evidence. These are markers of fascism. I have read a dozen or so books on authoritarianism and fascism. You said in Seward that you are not a fascist. Your complicity says otherwise. … What is wrong with you? What is wrong with you?” [Mike Flood:] “Sir, I want to be very clear with you. … Fascists don’t hold town halls with open question and answer series. … And what happened on January 6, 2021 was not right, and I’m on the record saying so.”
But fascist or not, he was also accused of a capitalist shill.
[Clip, 58:18 - 58:37, 58:49 - 58:59] Caption: [Attendee:] “Why does it seem like when you make your voting decisions, they’re based on capital rather than the working class? Billionaires and corporations got their tax issues enshrined into law forever, but the working class gets a no-tax-on-tips-or-overtime that only applies to some of us, and now we wind up in a situation where we are!” … [Mike Flood:] “The Republican Party now more than ever represents the heart and soul of the working class.” [Audience:] *Booing*
And then at one point he was asked about what the person called the “genocide” in Gaza, but his response was interrupted by chants of “free Palestine!” [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 44:18 - 44:30] Caption: [Mike Flood:] “No American wants any child, no matter the place they live, to ever suffer. But you’ve got to remember, we’re dealing with Hamas.”
Also, someone asked about Trump firing the Bureau of Labor Statistics head for publishing jobs data he didn’t like, and Flood just played dumb. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 45:06 - 45:14, 45:38 - 45:55] Caption: [Mike Flood:] “I don’t know what the situation was with the Department of Labor person. Neither do you! I don’t know. … I will say this though. If all that person did was get the data out there, and I don’t know that’s the case, but if that’s all they did, I would not have fired her. I mean, to be honest, but I don’t know because things are complicated.”
And then finally, someone asked the question we all knew was coming. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 33:39 - 33:49, 33:58 - 34:27] Caption: [Organizer:] “Next question, why are you covering up the Epstein files?” [Audience:] *Cheering* … [Mike Flood:] “At the next pro forma session of the Congress you’ll find my name as a sponsor on a resolution from the House Rules Committee to release the Epstein files, to protect the victims and not revictimize them again. I support Jamie Comer, who is the House’s Oversight Committee chairman subpoenaing Ms Maxwell later this month to testify in Washington. I am for the release of those records.”
Though there, I should correct him on a couple of things.
Right, first, Comer actually postponed that testimony by Ghislaine Maxwell back to October at the earliest. [Headline]
This supposedly so the Supreme Court can decide whether to review her case in late September.
And second, Comer’s Epstein resolution is non-binding, so it wouldn’t actually force Trump to do anything.
But after some more tough questions, Flood finally wrapped things up to chants of “vote him out!” [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 01:26:59 - 01:27:06] Caption: [Mike Flood:] “Thank you very much, and have a safe drive home.” [Audience:] “Vote him out! Vote him out!”
Now obviously I should note that the crowd of some 700 there did not reflect all of Nebraska.
Right, as I noted before, the Democrats encouraged people to attend, and this was held in Lincoln, a relatively progressive city for the state.
Also, Flood occupies a safe seat, with him winning his district last year by more than 20 points.
But at the same time, this isn’t the first town hall where he’s faced such a grilling.
Right, during another back in May, someone asked him about a line in the Big Beautiful Bill that stops courts from holding the White House in contempt if it ignores their injunctions. [Lead B roll into clip]
And Flood gave this startling answer. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 01:31 - 01:36] Caption: [Mike Flood:] “I am not gonna hide the truth. This provision was unknown to me when I voted for that bill.”
And other Republicans got similar treatment from their constituents that spring as well.
With Senator Joni Ernst going viral for this response to someone yelling that people will die as a result of the Medicaid cuts. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 00:18 - 00:22] Caption: [Joni Ernst:] “Well we all are going to die.”
But this six-week recess that Mike Johnson called early to avoid voting on releasing the Epstein files is the first time they’ve had an extended break since the BBB passed.
So Flood just got exactly the kind of reception his party feared they might get when they returned home this summer. [Image]
Which is why, back in March, the chairman of the House Republican campaign arm warned his colleagues against doing in-person town halls and suggested virtual events where questions and comments could be filtered. [Headline/image]
And apparently Flood himself now agrees, because he told reporters after yesterday’s town hall:
“This is my third and final one for the year. We’re going to give you all a break.” [Quote]
With the New York Times adding that of the 35 House Republicans whose seats are being targeted by Democrats next year, only one, Bryan Steil, has done an in-person town hall, and it did not go well either. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 01:12 - 01:21]
With many arguing that reflects a growing popular frustration with the ruling party, especially on particular issues.
Right, polling shows that most Americans oppose the BBB, for instance, seeing it as a handout to the rich that hurts poor people and balloons the debt. [Headline and headline]
And in a recent survey, 70% of people said Trump is not handling the Epstein case well, with only 18% saying he is. [Quote, find “18”]
And of course, the impact of his trade policy is gonna be felt by lots of people very directly.
So Democrats are hoping to capitalize on all those weak points going into next year’s midterms.
And they’ve got some reason to be optimistic; right, the first midterm typically punishes the incumbent president’s party, and Republicans already have a very slim majority.
With Democrats only having to net three seats in the House and four in the Senate to flip both chambers. [Quote, find “three seats”]
Though as we covered yesterday, jerrymandering in Texas and other states could give Republicans the seats they need to hold the House.
And most of the GOP Senate seats up for reelection next year are in red states, so it’ll be an uphill climb for Democrats there too.
Plus even though people are really upset with Republicans right now, that doesn’t mean they like Democrats.
In fact, voters in one poll this month gave the party a 19% approval rating, with 72% disapproving, just some horrendous numbers. [Quote same link, find “72”]
So things could go either way, and there’s a lot of time for crazy shit to happen before the elections.
But whether it’s on these numbers or the pandemonium at Mike Flood’s town hall, what are your reactions here?
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This situation in Texas is going off the rails.
Because Texas Republicans just chased their Democrats into Illinois, and now they’re threatening to put them in prison.
With all this starting last month when Donald Trump urged the Texas legislature to redraw its congressional map mid-cycle to give him more seats in the U.S. House.
[Clip, 00:08 - 00:17] Caption: “I think we get five. And I think there could be some other states. We’re gonna get another three or four or five in addition. Texas would be the biggest one.”
Which is a very unusual move, because typically maps are drawn once a decade in time with the census.
But it’s only been four years since Texas last redrew its map, so Governor Greg Abbott called a special session to give Trump what he asked for. [Image]
And last week, they unveiled a proposed map that would likely add five new Republican seats, bumping their majority from 25 to 30 out of 38. [Image]
Then on Saturday a committee approved the map, and the committee’s chairman, Cody Vasut [Pronounce 00:37], didn’t even try to pretend this was anything other than a partisan power grab.
With him telling NBC, “This map was politically based, and that’s totally legal, totally allowed and totally fair. You got states like California and New York and Illinois that have these really large margins between the percentage of seats they have and the percentage of votes that they’re getting, and Texas is underperforming in that. And so it’s totally prudent, totally right, for Texas to be able to respond and improve the political performance of its map.” [Quote]
So the state House was supposed to vote on the map tomorrow, but now that ain’t happening. [Image]
Because yesterday, Democratic state lawmakers filed into buses and booked it out of there, fleeing the state. [B roll, 00:15]
Effectively breaking the quorum Republicans need to pass their map. [Same B roll]
And if you’re like, a what? A quorum is the minimum number of legislators that have to be present for the chamber to vote on anything.
Which, in Texas, means two-thirds of the House.
So only 51 Democrats need to be absent to break the quorum, and according to their own count, they’ve gotten 57 out of there. [Quote, find “57”]
With some reportedly going to Boston and New York, but most went to Chicago, where they held a press conference explaining their decision. [Lead B roll into clip]
With Gene Wu [Woo], leader of the Democrats in the Texas state House, saying: [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 03:03 - 03:26; Clip, 07:32 - 07:43] Caption: “We are not here to have fun. We are not here because this is easy. And we did not make the decision to come here today, we did not make that decision lightly. But we come here today with absolute moral clarity. … Enough of your games. Enough of your lies. Today, the corruption of Donald Trump and Greg Abbott ends.”
Then Representative Trey Martinez Fischer: [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 08:43 - 08:52, 09:02 - 09:05] Caption: “In America, we need to wake up. Republicans are stealing our democracy right before our very eyes. … Not on our watch.”
And Representative Chris Turner: [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 12:24 - 12:38] Caption: “They are engaged in an illegal act of intentional discrimination by tearing apart majority-minority congressional districts across our state, and we are not gonna stand for it.”
And finally Illinois’ Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker: [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 22:53 - 23:09] Caption: “All bets are off when the cult leader and would-be dictator of the United States tells Texas to mid-stream change the game, when they know that they’re gonna lose in 2026. All bets are off.”
But in response to this open act of defiance, Greg Abbott is threatening the nuclear option. [Image]
With him writing, “Democrats hatched a deliberate plan not to show up for work, for the specific purpose of abdicating the duties of their office and thwarting the chamber’s business.” [Quote]
“That amounts to an abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office.” [Quote same link]
“This truancy ends now. The derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 3:00 PM on Monday.” [Quote same link]
And then warning that any Democrats who refuse to do so will be removed from membership in the state House. [Quote same link, find “remove”]
And finishing with: “That empowers me to swiftly fill vacancies under Article III, Section 13 of the Texas Constitution.” [Quote same link]
So in other words, he’s gonna kick ‘em out and put new people in their place.
With this coming after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton already threatened to arrest anyone who breaks quorum last month. [Post]
Even offering to assist local, state, and notably federal authorities in “hunting down and compelling the attendance of anyone who abandons their office and their constituents for cheap political theater.” [Same post].
A threat that’s now been reinforced by State Representative Brian Harrison, who demanded of the House speaker:
[Clip, 02:37 - 02:53] Caption: “Immediately move for what’s called a call of the house. The call of the house would authorize law enforcement to immediately be dispatched to arrest, detain and bring back to the capital for the purposes of establishing a quorum these Democrats.”
Now it’s unclear whether and how Texas Republicans could force the Democrats to come back.
Right, there is legal precedent for state authorities compelling lawmakers to return to the chamber, but that’s if they’re actually in the state.
Right, these Democrats have crossed state borders, so technically they should be outside their jurisdiction.
Alternatively, Abbott could seek their extradition from the states where they’re hiding, and in fact, he just threatened to do that, alleging the lawmakers may be committing felony bribery.
And to understand where that allegation comes from, you’ve gotta know that for every day that they’re gone, each absent lawmaker racks up a 500-dollar fine. [Quote, find “500”]
Which would only take two weeks to surpass their 7,200-dollar salary. [Same quote]
So Abbott writes that “many absentee Democrats are soliciting funds to evade the fines they will incur under House rules. Any Democrat who ‘solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept’ such funds to assist in the violation of legislative duties or for purposes of skipping a vote may have violated bribery laws.” [Quote]
But the Democratic leader said they’re using legal ways to defray their costs without going into detail.
Though you had one political scientist telling the Texas Tribune:
“Under Texas ethics laws, it's quite easy for some group to effectively just simply pay these legislators money as a form of compensation that then they can use to pay these fines. Let’s say Mark Cuban wants to pay all these House Democrats $1,000 a day as consultants — they can do that.” [Quote]
Also, the lawmakers can challenge the fines in court, as some have suggested they would, claiming civil rights violations.
Which is why some say the threats from Abbott, Paxton and crew are just scare tactics to pressure the Democrats into folding.
So for now, the lawmakers said they’re committed to staying away for at least two weeks, which would run out the clock on the 30-day special session. [Quote, find “two weeks”]
But after that, Abbott could just keep calling special sessions until the Democrats come back, and it’s unclear how long they’re willing to play this game of chicken.
Right, experts explain that they’d have to last until November, which is when the GOP has to pass its new map before filing opens for next year’s midterms. [Quote, find “opening of filing”]
But even then, experts say Republicans could just hold a second round of primaries if they miss the deadline. [Quote same link, find “second round”]
And if you look at history, the track record for what the Democrats are attempting isn’t very inspiring.
Right, the first quorum break happened in 1870, when lawmakers blocked a bill giving the governor wartime powers, but they were arrested and the bill ultimately passed. [Quote, first line]
Then, the next one came in 1979, when Democrats blocked a bill that would’ve shifted the timing of a primary in favor of one candidate. [Quote same link, find “garage”]
And after a weeks-long game of hide and seek between Texas rangers and lawmakers in Austin, this one actually worked, with Republicans pulling the bill. [Same quote]
But the next time, in 2002, Democrats tried to block another mid-decade redistricting effort, and after a weeks-long standoff some of them finally caved. [Quote same link, find “2002”]
And lastly, in 2021, Democrats tried to block a bill that overhauled election laws, but after six weeks they gave up. [Headline]
So many think it’s likely that this fifth quorum break will follow a familiar pattern.
The initial thrill of defiance wears off, the media stops paying much attention, and the social, legal and financial pressure reaches critical mass.
Because remember, these lawmakers are sacrificing their day jobs, their homes, and time with their families to make this stand.
And if they think they’ll inevitably lose anyway, they might figure it’s better to just get it over with sooner rather than later.
But even if that happens, it doesn’t mean the fight is over.
Because Democratic leaders in New York, California and Illinois have said they’re looking at ways they can redraw their own maps to favor Democrats.
And today, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee called on Democratic state lawmakers from around the country to prepare for carving up their states. [Quote, find “carving”]
Though depending on the state, they might have unique rules that prevent them from jerrymandering as aggressively as the Texas GOP is.
Right, in New York, for example, although the legislature gets to approve its maps, they’re actually drawn by a special commission. [Quote, find “amend”]
And if Democrats there want to amend the state constitution, they’ll have to pass it in two consecutive sessions followed by a referendum, meaning they can’t do it in time for the 2026 midterms.
And of course, it’s not just Texas; blue states are gonna have to battle other red states planning to redraw their maps like Ohio and Florida.
So yeah, we’ve got a long fight ahead of us, and if you believe those on either side, democracy itself is at stake.
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Donald Trump’s efforts to help Jair Bolsonaro have backfired.
With Brazil’s ex-president now under house arrest for violating a court order actually put in place for seeking out Trump’s help in the first place.
Right, this, as he’s awaiting trial for allegedly plotting to take over the country after he lost an election.
And that’s actually a good place to start.
Right, because Trump? He seems to see something of himself in Bolsonaro.
And, I mean, I’m just speculating, but it may go back to that lost election.
Right, because afterwards, Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat and baselessly claimed that the only way he could have lost was as a result of election fraud.
A few months later, on January 8th, thousands of his supporters ransacked the country’s presidential palace, supreme court building, and house of congress.
But from there, any similarities to events in the US? They end.
Right, because later that year, Brazil’s top electoral court ruled that Bolsonaro abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the country’s electronic voting system – banning him from running for office until 2030.
And finally, in 2024, the country’s federal police formally accused Bolsonaro of attempting a coup.
With the country’s top prosecutor later revealing additional allegations that Bolsonaro plotted to poison his successor and shoot dead the Supreme Court justice investigating him.
Right, that’s the same Supreme Court Justice who ordered his house arrest this week;
it’s the same one that publicly clashed with Elon Musk over his refusal to block certain accounts on X;
And it’s the same one that Trump Media & Technology Group — which is majority owned by Trump and runs his Truth Social site — sued earlier this year.
And also earlier this year, one of Bolsonaro’s sons, who served as a congressman in Brazil, moved to the US..
And since March, he’s reportedly been roaming the halls of the White House – trying to convince people in the administration to help his father. []
And of course, while it doesn’t seem like Trump needed that much prodding, it clearly worked.
Right, last month, Trump threatened that tariffs on Brazilian imports would be raised to 50 percent – calling the case against Bolsonaro witch hunt and also citing a nonexistent trade deficit.
And last week, he made good on that threat, which actually makes the tariffs against Brazil the highest of any that Trump has gone through with – and arguably with even less economic justification. [][]
And that’s not even all of it, right, you also had the White House hitting that Supreme Court Justice with sanctions – accusing him of authorizing arbitrary pre-trial detentions and suppressing freedom of expression.
And in turn, the judge has labeled Trump’s actions as part of an “illegal and immoral” effort to obstruct justice.
And one being engineered by a group of Brazilian “traitors” who had lobbied foreign authorities to carry out “hostile acts” against the country’s economy. []
And there, of course, he’s referring to Bolsonaro and his allies – including his son – who, wouldn’t you know it, is now reportedly seeking US citizenship to avoid going back to Brazil.
Right, and with that, the judge specifically cited the younger Bolsonaro’s lobbying as justification for an order last month banning daddy from going on social media and making him wear a tracker bracelet on his ankle.[]
And bringing us full circle, this is the order that the judge says Bolsonaro has now violated.
Right, with him pointing to the fact that Bolosonaro recently appeared virtually at a protest via phone call to his other son – this one a Senator in Brazil.
With the judge writing in his decision that the former president has used the social media accounts of allies to share messages containing, quote:
“...clear encouragement and incitement to attack the Supreme Federal Court, and overt support for foreign intervention in Brazil’s judiciary.” []
Also adding that Bolsonaro had “repeated his unlawful conduct in an even more severe and defiant manner.”
Saying he had continued to “urge and incite a foreign head of state to take measures aimed at unlawfully interfering with the normal course of judicial proceedings…” []
Now, with that, Bolsonaro's lawyers have denied that he violated any order, saying they’d appeal the decision.
But also, the U.S. State Department came out with a statement condemning the order real fast.
Accusing the judge of using “Brazil’s institutions to silence opposition and threaten democracy” – and adding:
“The United States… will hold accountable all those aiding and abetting sanctioned conduct.” []
And it’s not yet clear what further efforts to “hold accountable” will look like, but what the US has tried so far? You have a lot of people saying it’s backfired.
Right, because we’ve just seen a lot of anger getting directed at the Bolsonaros for bringing Trump down on the country.
All while the country’s current president is seemingly getting a bump in the polls from his defiance of Trump.
But of course, we’ll have to wait and see where these trends, and also if and how else the US gets involved.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi just ordered an investigation into whether or not Obama officials manipulated intelligence while assessing Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Right, this comes as members of the Trump administration have been focusing on 2016 a lot lately.
With Tulsi Gabbard releasing documents she controversially claimed proved wrongdoing in the Obama Administration, the DOJ then opening a task force to look at those claims.
And now Bondi has launched a probe, with a source telling the AP that she directed a prosecutor to present evidence to a grand jury.
Though right now, it is not clear which officials will be the target here, or which prosecutors will be involved in the investigation.
Still, there could be big consequences, right, this could make way for an indictment against whichever officials are investigated. []
So it is no surprise that you had the AP explaining that:
“The development is likely to heighten concerns that the Justice Department is being used to achieve political ends.”[]
Because multiple intelligence reports have already found that, yes, Russia did indeed seek to sway the 2016 election in Trump’s favor.[]
Right, you had the Mueller report even landing convictions for Trump allies, though it did not prove any collusion between Russia and members of the Trump campaign.
And in 2020, a bipartisan review from the Senate Intelligence Committee likewise found interference, and concluded that Obama officials acted without political bias while assessing that interference.
And notably, current Secretary of State and then-Senator Marco Rubio even signed off on this investigation and said that while the Trump campaign did not collude with Russia here, there was still “irrefutable evidence of Russian meddling.”[]
So you had a former unnamed DOJ official slamming Bondi’s move to NBC News, calling it a “political stunt” and arguing that there is “no logical, rational basis for this.”[]
Though, obviously, none of these arguments have stopped Trump and his camp from repeatedly claiming that officials were seeking to undermine his first term by focusing on Russian interference.
And so you had Trump applauding the news on Truth social yesterday by writing:
“The TRUTH always wins out. This is great news.”[]
And then while on CNBC, he claimed he was not part of this decision, though he did continue to cheer it on.
“Pam is doing a great job. I had nothing to do with it. I will tell you this: they deserve it. I was happy to hear it. I actually read it just like you did. I have nothing to do with it.” (27:16-27:26)
He then went on to also claim that the 2020 election was rigged as well.
So he’s just really playing the hits.
With a White House spokesperson also releasing a statement saying:
"This effort aims to provide the American people with the truth about the extent to which former government officials worked to sabotage the Trump administration and undermine the will of the American people in a clear attempt to subvert our Constitutional Republic."
Though, a spokesperson for Obama already slammed these claims as “bizarre” and “a distraction.”[]
So we will have to see where any of this goes, and I would of course love your thoughts on it.
But on the note of distractions, we have to talk about the case that Trump keeps trying to distract the public from…
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