When I heard Trump was asking House Republicans to vote to release the Epstein Files, my first thought was "the FBI must have finished its purge of Trump and favored Republicans from the files."
Will you please publish something about the issues surrounding Venezuela and why Trump is pushing for a war with them. I don't understand the rationale for any of his actions toward Venezuela. What is he trying to accomplish and why? Thanks
I think Greene is the canary in the coal mine. She knows her district and she knows her constituents. Perhaps they are just worried about higher prices for food, clothes and medical care. They see big companies laying off 1,000s of workers, and they're pissed because they were promised a great economy.
Gabe, another good analysis. The only thing I would add is Trump's Middle East adventurism might at least be partially explained by the financial benefits being gained by him and his family.
- Saudi Arabia's $2 billion investment in Jared Kushner's private equity firm, Affinity Partners.
- The $2 billion Emirati-backed investment in Binance that appears to have been funneled into Liberty Financial, Trump's family cryptocurrency fund.
-The luxury Boeing 747 donation to be Trump's "library's" private jet from the government of Qatar.
- And all the licensing deals the Trump family has in the Middle East including luxury skyscrapers, golf courses, and resorts in countries like Qatar, Dubai, and Oman.
This is a useful analysis, as far as it goes. But I think there are larger issues at work here as well. I think the GOP supporters range, as in most political movements, from deeply committed, the boss-can-do-no-wrong types, to the more transactional what-have-you-done-for-me-lately folks--and that last group is where the votes came from that got Trump re-elected the last time.
That group of voters doesn't see anything changing for the better for them--housing prices and availability are too high for them, grocery prices haven't come down, some of the neighbors have been deported or threatened by an unaccountable ICE, and their kids' college loans and Pell grants are under siege. Their healthcare hasn't gotten cheaper or better (which will get worse if the cuts to the ACA and Medicaid occur as planned). They can't see an orderly or better future for their children, no matter their age. I also think that the bizarre tariff shifts have undermined folks' confidence in the economy. It's less predictable now than it was under the last administration. In short, few of Trump's policies have benefited the majority of Americans.
The threatened war with Venezuela, though not well reported nationally because of Epstein and the shutdown, will eventually break through those other two topics and folks will realize that their children might well find themselves fighting a stunningly unnecessary war in South America. BTW, Lindsay Graham is not really an interventionist--he is an opportunist who will conform to whatever keeps him in office. I wouldn't take him as a touchstone for anything.
In this context, the Greene-Trump split is simply a personality-driven conflict that is only indirectly related to the real shifts in political sentiment occurring within the body politic. This is much more than just two people.
I think it's a mistake to attribute everything to a cult of personality, which is only one interpretation. But there are other explanations to explore: Institutional power of the presidency; media fragmentation; primary election dynamics; fear of base backlash for bucking a sitting president. The article doesn’t seriously engage those alternative explanations. I think that's why a lot of people can't understand why Trump was elected. They attribute everything to his cult of personality, but it's more complicated than that.
Just finished listening to you on 1A. Your positions were solid, yet not inflammatory. I certainly don't count 1A as "Conflict Entrepaneurs", but the interviewer seemed to want more 'fighting' words'. I liked the representative who spoke about educating her constituents in governmental process. Reminded me of all the great learning I do here at Wake Up To Politics!
Trump has just jiu-jitsued the Dems into a self-destructive political move that may doom the Dems forever. It’s not just that 80% of Epstein’s clients were societal elites most commonly associated with the Dems. Nor is the damning relationship between Stacey Plaskett and Epstein in which she worked as an attorney directly with Epstein to promote his financial interests while later under oath denying any prior contact with Epstein, but she further is shown in real time taking direction from Epstein as she examined Cohen, Trumps’ attorney, in a Congressional hearing. Which one assumes would be known to the Intelligence Community to which Epstein was clearly tied. And NOT the Mossad but American Intelligence. But it seems Trump had NO Contact with Epstein’s under-age female acolytes while Prince Andrew and Larry Summers, neoliberal economist pal to Democrats from Slick Willie (26 times on Epstein’s jet and multiple visits to The Island) to Obama and Biden, enjoyed the pleasures of Epstein’s company and comrardery. The Dems are done.
Looks like the Dems have fallen into the Epstein trap. Buy popcorn, here we go. Also, the idea that Marjorie Greene is presidential material is laughable.
Epstein files will have huge false positives, maybe 90%. Quite a few Reps, huge numbers of the rich & famous, many many Dems, and all will claim they’re innocent, including the 10% or so who actually are guilty, even very very guilty. (Ex-Prince Andrews, etc)
Where are the videotapes?
If a married rich guy is on camera with a hot 22 pro / prostitute, how big a deal will it be? Are those videos still in existence? Or, like HR Clinton’s illegal emails, has all trace has been deleted?
MTG should put out a proposal on health, like repealing Obamacare, and lead by being a leader. She’s far more likely to be king maker than queen in 2028, but she’s young. And crazy. But often right.
When I heard Trump was asking House Republicans to vote to release the Epstein Files, my first thought was "the FBI must have finished its purge of Trump and favored Republicans from the files."
Hi Gab,
Will you please publish something about the issues surrounding Venezuela and why Trump is pushing for a war with them. I don't understand the rationale for any of his actions toward Venezuela. What is he trying to accomplish and why? Thanks
I think Greene is the canary in the coal mine. She knows her district and she knows her constituents. Perhaps they are just worried about higher prices for food, clothes and medical care. They see big companies laying off 1,000s of workers, and they're pissed because they were promised a great economy.
Gabe, another good analysis. The only thing I would add is Trump's Middle East adventurism might at least be partially explained by the financial benefits being gained by him and his family.
- Saudi Arabia's $2 billion investment in Jared Kushner's private equity firm, Affinity Partners.
- The $2 billion Emirati-backed investment in Binance that appears to have been funneled into Liberty Financial, Trump's family cryptocurrency fund.
-The luxury Boeing 747 donation to be Trump's "library's" private jet from the government of Qatar.
- And all the licensing deals the Trump family has in the Middle East including luxury skyscrapers, golf courses, and resorts in countries like Qatar, Dubai, and Oman.
This is a useful analysis, as far as it goes. But I think there are larger issues at work here as well. I think the GOP supporters range, as in most political movements, from deeply committed, the boss-can-do-no-wrong types, to the more transactional what-have-you-done-for-me-lately folks--and that last group is where the votes came from that got Trump re-elected the last time.
That group of voters doesn't see anything changing for the better for them--housing prices and availability are too high for them, grocery prices haven't come down, some of the neighbors have been deported or threatened by an unaccountable ICE, and their kids' college loans and Pell grants are under siege. Their healthcare hasn't gotten cheaper or better (which will get worse if the cuts to the ACA and Medicaid occur as planned). They can't see an orderly or better future for their children, no matter their age. I also think that the bizarre tariff shifts have undermined folks' confidence in the economy. It's less predictable now than it was under the last administration. In short, few of Trump's policies have benefited the majority of Americans.
The threatened war with Venezuela, though not well reported nationally because of Epstein and the shutdown, will eventually break through those other two topics and folks will realize that their children might well find themselves fighting a stunningly unnecessary war in South America. BTW, Lindsay Graham is not really an interventionist--he is an opportunist who will conform to whatever keeps him in office. I wouldn't take him as a touchstone for anything.
In this context, the Greene-Trump split is simply a personality-driven conflict that is only indirectly related to the real shifts in political sentiment occurring within the body politic. This is much more than just two people.
I think it's a mistake to attribute everything to a cult of personality, which is only one interpretation. But there are other explanations to explore: Institutional power of the presidency; media fragmentation; primary election dynamics; fear of base backlash for bucking a sitting president. The article doesn’t seriously engage those alternative explanations. I think that's why a lot of people can't understand why Trump was elected. They attribute everything to his cult of personality, but it's more complicated than that.
DJT is definitely a lame duck.
Just finished listening to you on 1A. Your positions were solid, yet not inflammatory. I certainly don't count 1A as "Conflict Entrepaneurs", but the interviewer seemed to want more 'fighting' words'. I liked the representative who spoke about educating her constituents in governmental process. Reminded me of all the great learning I do here at Wake Up To Politics!
Trump has just jiu-jitsued the Dems into a self-destructive political move that may doom the Dems forever. It’s not just that 80% of Epstein’s clients were societal elites most commonly associated with the Dems. Nor is the damning relationship between Stacey Plaskett and Epstein in which she worked as an attorney directly with Epstein to promote his financial interests while later under oath denying any prior contact with Epstein, but she further is shown in real time taking direction from Epstein as she examined Cohen, Trumps’ attorney, in a Congressional hearing. Which one assumes would be known to the Intelligence Community to which Epstein was clearly tied. And NOT the Mossad but American Intelligence. But it seems Trump had NO Contact with Epstein’s under-age female acolytes while Prince Andrew and Larry Summers, neoliberal economist pal to Democrats from Slick Willie (26 times on Epstein’s jet and multiple visits to The Island) to Obama and Biden, enjoyed the pleasures of Epstein’s company and comrardery. The Dems are done.
Looks like the Dems have fallen into the Epstein trap. Buy popcorn, here we go. Also, the idea that Marjorie Greene is presidential material is laughable.
Epstein files will have huge false positives, maybe 90%. Quite a few Reps, huge numbers of the rich & famous, many many Dems, and all will claim they’re innocent, including the 10% or so who actually are guilty, even very very guilty. (Ex-Prince Andrews, etc)
Where are the videotapes?
If a married rich guy is on camera with a hot 22 pro / prostitute, how big a deal will it be? Are those videos still in existence? Or, like HR Clinton’s illegal emails, has all trace has been deleted?
MTG should put out a proposal on health, like repealing Obamacare, and lead by being a leader. She’s far more likely to be king maker than queen in 2028, but she’s young. And crazy. But often right.
Aloha. From the COCONUT WIRELESS. ........................
Trump didn’t create the MAGA term. Reagan did