Purges of FBI and IC, gutting of DOJ, prosecutions of political opponents, assaults on independent institutions, expansion of ICE with fascist-adjacent recruiting messages, firing of general officers—but nothing to see here. Let’s not be alarmist. Also what about Hunter’s laptop.

Churchill, in 1931, describing Kevin Hassett: “I remember when I was a child, being taken to the celebrated Barnum's Circus, which contained an exhibition of freaks and monstrosities, but the exhibit on the program which I most desired to see was the one described as ‘The Boneless Wonder’. My parents judged that the spectacle would be too demoralizing and revolting for my youthful eye and I have waited fifty years, to see The Boneless Wonder sitting on the Treasury Bench.”

Today's private meeting between Trump's defense lawyer and one of his DOJ coverup organizers, Todd Blanche, and Ghislaine Maxwell, stinks to high heaven.

The Epstein birthday card is now public. (Trump can continue to pretend it's not real, but that's not the point.) The point: If the card were the worst thing for Trump in the files, why wouldn't Trump now make the files public? Conclusion: There are worse things in the files.

Any meeting between Trump DOJ and Maxwell or her lawyers should be public. Transparency! Otherwise, it’s simply likely to be the next stage of the coverup.

Needless to say, if Trump’s DOJ is seeking to meet with Maxwell, that would be in service of the coverup not the truth, of collusion not investigation. Sen. Durbin and others should scream bloody murder about this.

Trump and the Epstein files: Promises Made, Promises Broken.

Trump: “People don’t explain to me, I explain to them.” Now apply this to Pam Bondi. Pam Bondi didn’t explain the results on an investigation to Trump. Trump explained to Bondi the conclusion he wanted.

With more developments likely on the Trump-Epstein front, Trump will ramp up efforts at distraction, demagoguery, attacks on enemies (e.g. Gabbard’s fake revelation yesterday), and authoritarianism. Now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of their country.

On a billboard in Times Square.