Trump is now openly campaigning against Rep. Massie.
In a Truth Social Post, Trump says “I don’t think Massie understands government. I think he is a grandstander. I think he should be voted out of office.”
Click on the above link for a video of Trump saying Massie should be voted out of office.
Who’s Johnson Going to Pick?
“Who’s he gonna pick?” Republican Thomas Massie asked of Speaker Mike Johnson. “Is he going to stand with the pedophiles and underage sex traffickers? Or is he gonna pick the American people and justice for the victims?”
We know the answer.
Trump’s Name Appears Multiple Times in Epstein Files
The Wall Street Journal reports Trump was told by Bondi his name appeared multiple times in Epstein files
When Justice Department officials reviewed what Attorney General Pam Bondi called a “truckload” of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein earlier this year, they discovered that Donald Trump’s name appeared multiple times, according to senior administration officials.
The meeting set the stage for the high-profile review to come to an end. Bondi had said in February that Epstein’s client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review.” Trump said last week in response to a journalist’s question that Bondi hadn’t told him that his name was in the files.
“This is another fake news story, just like the previous story by The Wall Street Journal,” said White House communications director Steven Cheung.
On Tuesday, Blanche said on X that the Justice Department was seeking to arrange a meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell in the coming days to discuss any possible information about anyone who has committed crimes with Epstein.
One of Maxwell’s lawyers, David Oscar Markus, confirmed the discussions and said, “We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case.” Maxwell has been seeking to have her conviction overturned, contending she didn’t receive a fair trial.
The decision to not release the files has triggered the most serious backlash from Trump’s political base since he launched his bid for the White House a decade ago, with a vocal group of the president’s allies seeing the move as a massive betrayal.
Trump has told administration officials in recent weeks that he wanted the growing public attention on Epstein to go away. On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson cut short the legislative session as some lawmakers demanded votes on more releases related to the Epstein files.
Grand jury testimony
Last Thursday, The Wall Street Journal published an article about a letter bearing Trump’s name that was included in a 2003 birthday album for Epstein, which was assembled before the financier was first charged. On Friday, Trump sued the Journal’s reporters, Journal publisher Dow Jones, parent company News Corp and executives, calling the letter “nonexistent” and alleging the article defamed him.
[Mish: For the record, I am betting on the WSJ. I do not believe they would be stupid enough to post the story without the letter. But we need to wait and see.]
Bondi-Bongino Cash
The decision to not release the files and the harsh fallout among the public has roiled some of Trump’s senior staff, who have staked their reputations on exposing the ties between Epstein and moneyed elites.
Patel, the FBI director, and his deputy, Dan Bongino, had been in favor of releasing more documents, people familiar with their efforts said.
Bongino has told colleagues that his association with the administration’s decision to keep the files private has eroded his credibility among the base of support that fueled his rise as a successful podcaster and media personality on the right, according to a senior administration official. Bongino didn’t respond to requests for comment.
On July 9, after ABC News reached out to the White House about Bondi’s briefing to the president, Bongino and Bondi clashed in a meeting in which Bondi alleged that Bongino secretly provided information to the media to damage her reputation, people familiar with the meeting said.
Bongino in turn exploded about Bondi, his face red, and called her a liar, a senior administration official said.
[Mish: It’s pretty clear someone is going to lose their job over this. I suspect Bongino, but both would hardly be surprising.
MAGAKY asks What Happened to Thomas Massie?
If you are looking for a trashy hit piece on Massie, there you go.
But if you are open to different question, I highly recommend the following video.
Flirting With Fascism
A better question than what happened to Massie is: What the Flying F happened to Republicans.
New Rule: Republicans have to stop excusing all the dictator-y stuff that comes out of Trump’s mouth by saying “He’s just kidding!”
Maybe you don’t like Bill Baher’s politics. I don’t either. But he not a radical nutcase.
Importantly, he is honest, unlike most MAGA hypocrites.
Big Epstein Coverup Is Underway, a Pardon Coming to Hide the Facts
In case you missed it, please see Big Epstein Coverup Is Underway, a Pardon Coming to Hide the Facts
Step One: Johnson shuts down the House early to block a vote on Epstein.
I added two addendums to that post so take another look if you did not see them.
