Trump can’t defuse Epstein bomb: WH in FREEFALL as MAGA revolts, calls for firing, FBI official AWOL

Trump can’t defuse Epstein bomb: WH in FREEFALL as MAGA revolts, calls for firing, FBI official AWOL

MELBER STARTS RIGHT NOW. HI, ARI. HAPPY MONDAY. >> HAPPY MONDAY. THANKS, NICOLE. >> WELCOME TO THE. >> BEAT, EVERYONE. >> I’M ARI MELBER. >> THE POLITICAL. >> DEBACLE SADDLING DONALD. >> TRUMP OVER. THE COURSE OF. >> THIS WEEKEND AND. >> BOILING OVER. >> TONIGHT IS. >> WIDELY VIEWED ON THE RIGHT AS HIS. >> BIGGEST PROBLEM. >> WITH HIS BASE IN THIS. >> YOUNG PRESIDENCY. >> A, QUOTE. >> HUGE RISK TO HIS HOLD ON THE. >> PARTY, EVEN. >> THE COMING MIDTERMS. >> THAT’S FROM. >> HIS ALLIES HEADLINES. >> SCREAMING ABOUT. >> A, QUOTE, REBELLION. >> OR REVOLT AGAINST TRUMP. >> A POLITICIAN WHO CERTAINLY BENEFITED. >> FROM. >> LOYALTY AND A TYPE OF PERCEPTION OF ALMOST LOCKSTEP, UNASSAILABLE MAGA LOYALTY IS NOW FINDING IT CLEARLY IN DANGER. THE PRESIDENT’S BROKEN VOW THAT HE WOULD RELEASE ALL THIS JEFFREY EPSTEIN MATERIAL, AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S QUITE OBVIOUS MISHANDLING OF ASPECTS OF THIS CASE, AND CERTAINLY THE MESSAGING, SOMETHING THEY’RE USUALLY KIND OF GOOD AT, HAS BOOMERANGED. >> THE FALSE. >> STATEMENTS BUSTED CLAIMS FROM THE PRESIDENT ON DOWN TO HIS ATTORNEY GENERAL. ALL OF THIS HAS BECOME THE PROBLEM ON THE RIGHT. IT WAS THE CONTROVERSY AT A MAGA GATHERING JUST THIS WEEKEND THAT HAD PLENTY OF BOLD FACED MAGA NAMES. >> HOW MANY OF YOU ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE. RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION? >> WHAT I’M GETTING AT IS THAT AT SOME POINT. WE WANT ANSWERS. >> AT SOME. >> POINT. >> YEAH. >> ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. >> THAT’S IT. >> WHO WENT TO EPSTEIN ISLAND? WHO SPECIFICALLY. >> WENT ON THE PLANE? >> WHO STAYED. >> FOR MORE THAN. >> A NIGHT? >> I DON’T THINK THEY’RE TELLING US THE TRUTH ABOUT EPSTEIN. >> I WILL NOT. >> REST UNTIL. >> WE. >> GO FULL. >> JAN SIX. COMMITTEE ON THE JEFFREY. EPSTEIN FILES. >> I SUPPORTED DONALD TRUMP IN THIS LAST ELECTION. >> YES. >> HE DID JUST ACTIVELY COVER UP A GIANT. CHILD RAPIST RING. >> JEFFREY EPSTEIN WAS WORKING ON BEHALF OF INTEL SERVICES. PROBABLY NOT AMERICAN. >> RELEASE ALL. >> THE EPSTEIN FILES, NO MATTER THE CONSEQUENCES. >> THERE IS NO WAY THAT. WE ARE. >> GOING TO ACT LIKE THE. PROVEN HARM. >> AND ABUSE THAT. >> JEFFREY EPSTEIN HAS CAUSED NEVER. >> HAPPENED. >> AND WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO ASK ON WHOSE BEHALF WAS HE WORKING? >> IF YOU WANT THE FULL RELEASE OF DOCUMENTS, THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR GETS IT. >> AND HERE’S WHY. >> EPSTEIN IS A KEY THAT PICKS THE LOCK ON SO MANY THINGS. >> IT WENT. >> ON AND. >> ON AND ON. >> LIKE THAT. >> AND IF YOU LIVE IN THAT UNIVERSE OF POLITICS OR YOU FOLLOW THAT KIND OF MEDIA, WHAT YOU SAW THERE IS NOT NEW. THAT’S A CRESCENDO OVER THE PAST WEEK AND THE PAST YEARS, BECAUSE THE CONSPIRACIES IN THE CONTENT, THE POWER, SO MANY MAGA VOICES FOR THEIR AUDIENCES, FOR THEIR ONLINE PROFITS AND FOR THEIR POLITICAL HEAT MAKE THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC AN OBVIOUS PUBLIC BETRAYAL, ONE THAT THEY CANNOT ABIDE, NOT IN FRONT OF THEIR AUDIENCES. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PROMISED A PAYOFF FOR MANY YEARS ON THIS ONE. SO NOW PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS TOP AIDES ARE ENGULFED BY THE VERY KIND OF CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT THEY SPENT SO MANY YEARS PROMOTING, APPARENTLY WITHOUT A LOT OF FORETHOUGHT ABOUT HOW IT WOULD LAND IF THEY WERE IN CHARGE AGAIN. AND WE’RE SEEING CALLS FOR A SO-CALLED ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR OWN LEADERS WHO CLAIMED ONE THING AND THEN DID THE OPPOSITE. IF YOU WANT A FACT, CHECK PAM BONDI’S CLAIM THAT SHE HAD THE EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST ON HER DESK, WHICH IS ONE OF THOSE VERY LITERAL STATEMENTS. IT’S NOT LIKE SOMEDAY WE’LL GET ACCOUNTABILITY OR WE’LL LEARN MORE. IT’S I HAVE THIS WELL-DESCRIBED CLIENT LIST FROM THIS NOW DECEASED SEX TRAFFICKER ON MY DESK, SHE SAID. AND THAT WASN’T TRUE. AND THE FACT CHECK IN THIS CASE FOR THAT IS IN THE MEMO HER OFFICE RELEASED ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. SO YOU CAN SEE HOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU SEE THIS AS PARTLY A RUNAWAY CONSPIRACY THEORY OR CONTENT FARMING DEBACLE, IT ALSO INVOLVES WHETHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE TELLING THE TRUTH. AND ON THIS ONE, THERE APPEARS TO BE AN OVERLAP BETWEEN THE TEST THAT JOURNALISTS AND INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROFESSIONALS AND INSPECTORS GENERAL TEND TO APPLY, AND WHAT THE MAGA FAITHFUL WANT. WHAT YOU HEARD THERE ANSWER THE QUESTION ARE YOU TELLING THE TRUTH? AND SHOULD THERE BE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THAT? NOW, THE CONFERENCE YOU SAW THOSE CLIPS FROM IS FROM A NORMALLY PRO-TRUMP GROUP, TURNING POINT USA, AND YOU SAW THE BIG NAMES INGRAHAM, KELLY, TUCKER CARLSON, A LOT OF FOX VETERANS, STEVE BANNON, WHO STILL HAS A VERY ACTIVE RELATIONSHIP INSIDE THIS ADMINISTRATION, WARNING THEM THAT THEY MUST CHANGE COURSE, THAT THIS CANNOT JUST BE QUIETED DOWN OR COVERED UP, TO USE THE SINISTER VERSION OF HOW SO MUCH OF THIS STORY ON EPSTEIN HAS PLAYED OUT OVER THE YEARS. NOW, TRUMP’S D.O.J. FAMOUSLY BASICALLY SAID, NO, NOTHING MORE TO SEE HERE. NO MORE INFORMATION OR EVIDENCE TO BE GIVEN. AND THE QUESTIONS THEY HAD VERY LOUDLY PUSHED WERE NOW NOT GOING TO BE ANSWERED WITH THE MEMO I MENTIONED, AND A SIGN THAT TRUMP IS CONCERNED. OVER THE WEEKEND, HE POSTED A FAIRLY LONG KIND OF DEFENSE, BUT ALSO PLEADING WITH HIS FOLLOWERS TO JUST MOVE ON. THE TIMES SUMMARIZED IT THIS WAY BACK BONDY IN DISPUTE OVER EPSTEIN INQUIRY. THAT’S THE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES TELLING PEOPLE, PLEASE, JUST JUST ACCEPT MY ATTORNEY GENERAL. I CAN’T HAVE A CHANGE THERE RIGHT NOW. AND THE MAGA FAITHFUL FOR ONCE SAID NO, PARTLY BECAUSE OF WHAT I JUST TOLD YOU ABOUT AND THE CLIPS I SHOWED YOU FROM THAT CONFERENCE, AND PARTLY BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING, THEY DIDN’T SAY, OKAY, YES, SIR, WE LOVE OUR LEADER. HE GOT IN ONLINE JARGON, RATIOED, WHERE THERE ARE FAR MORE NEGATIVE COMMENTS THAN LIKES AND SHARES. AND THAT’S NOT THE OPEN INTERNET, THAT’S TRUTH SOCIAL. YOU KNOW WHO USES THAT? MICHAEL FLYNN, TRUMP’S FIRST NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, POSTED PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE EPSTEIN AFFAIR IS NOT GOING AWAY. OR TAKE THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, FOX NEWS’S SISTER OUTLET. NOW, TRUMP SAYS FORGET JEFFREY EPSTEIN. HE URGES MAGA TO GIVE UP THE CONSPIRACY TALE THAT THEY NOTE HE PROMOTED, ALONG WITH ALLIES LIKE PAM BONDI, FBI OFFICIALS KASH PATEL AND DAN BONGINO, WHO ARE NOW BASICALLY ALL CLASHING WITH EACH OTHER OVER THE HANDLING OF THIS EPSTEIN MEMO. NOW, TAKE THIS TOGETHER AND YOU MIGHT SAY, IS THIS STILL THE TOP STORY IN AMERICA? THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF GOING ON, AND THE ANSWER IS YES, INDEED. MANY NIGHTS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT ICE RAIDS AND FOREIGN POLICY AND THE TRADE WAR. AND YET THE POLITICAL REACTION, WHICH COULD IMPERIL THE LEADERSHIP OF THE FBI OR THE DOJ, WHICH IS ALWAYS A BIG STORY, MATTERS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, REGARDLESS OF THE REASON, POLITICAL REACTION IS PART OF IT. THE OTHER PART IS THE MAGA FAITHFUL ARE GOING THROUGH A KIND OF TRUTH BASED PROCESS THAT THEY SOMETIMES HAVE NOT DONE FOR OTHER REAL WORLD BROKEN TRUMP PROMISES. SO WHAT YOU SAW THERE, THAT TEMPLATE, HEY, YOU LIED. WAS THIS ALL JUST A WAY TO TRICK US OR GET OUR VOTES OR GET OUR MONEY IN THE CASE OF THESE MEDIA MERCHANTS? AND HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT THAT? AND SHOULD SOMEONE PAY FOR THE LIE, SOMETHING YOU OFTEN HEAR TRUMP CRITICS SAY WE’RE NOW HEARING THAT FROM THE MAGA FAITHFUL. BUT JUST ON THE EPSTEIN ISSUE, WHICH HAS BEEN SO THOROUGHLY PROGRAMED. SO I WILL MENTION TO THE MAGA FAITHFUL WATCHING AND PEOPLE KIND OF MAKING SENSE OF ALL THIS. THERE ARE OTHER VERY REAL WORLD POLICIES WHERE TRUMP ALSO MADE VOWS. HE SAID HE WOULD RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES AND HIS AG SAID SHE WOULD AND THEY DIDN’T. HE ALSO SAID HE’D BUILD THE WALL. HE’D GET 90 TRADE DEALS IN 90 DAYS. THAT DEADLINE WE REACHED LAST WEEK, THEY HAVE ABOUT TWO. HE DID SAY HE’D END INFLATION AND THE UKRAINE WAR. MIDEAST PEACE, LOWER GROCERY PRICES. THESE ARE THINGS THAT AFFECT REAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DONE. AND YET POLITICS IS USUALLY FLUID, NOT STATIC. COMES AT YOU FAST. AND IF THEY DON’T CONTAIN THIS, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HAVING POPPED A BUBBLE, ONE OUT OF 20 OR 1 OUT OF TEN, OR EVEN ONE OUT OF FIVE, ACCORDING TO SOME OF THESE MAGA LEADERS WHO ARE CONCERNED, ONE OUT OF FIVE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR TRUMP MIGHT START SAYING, WAIT A MINUTE IF HE LIED ABOUT THIS. AND TO THEM, IT’S A BIG GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY, AND IT DOES INVOLVE AN UNDERLYING CASE OF A HORRIFIC SEX TRAFFICKER. IF HE LIED ABOUT THIS, WHAT ELSE IS HE LYING ABOUT? AND WHAT IN THIS DEMOCRACY DO WE DO ABOUT IT? WE TAKE THOSE QUESTIONS TO NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE WRITER EMILY BAZELON, A LEGAL REPORTER. AND THERE’S A LOT OF LAW IN THE HANDLING AND MISHANDLING OF THIS. AND ON THE MEDIA SIDE, MICHAEL GRYNBAUM, A MEDIA CORRESPONDENT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES. FULL DISCLOSURE HE WRITES ABOUT MEDIA, INCLUDING TELEVISION NETWORKS. HIS NEW BOOK IS ABOUT PRINT, THOUGH IT’S EMPIRE OF THE ELITE INSIDE CONÉE NAST, THE MEDIA DYNASTY THAT RESHAPED AMERICA. AND AS WE SAY IN THE BIZ, IT DROPS TOMORROW. CONGRATS ON THE BOOK. >> THANKS SO MUCH, EMILY. >> I’M GOING TO START WITH YOU. AS SOMEONE WHO’S FOLLOWED THIS CLOSELY AND BEEN A HOMETOWN EXPERT AND ANALYST FOR US, THERE ARE SERIOUS LEGAL QUESTIONS HERE. AND YET SOME OF THE FREAKOUT IS ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE UNKNOWN OR UNPROVEN, BUT THAT TRUMP AND BONDI SAID THEY WOULD REVEAL. >> RIGHT? >> THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE. >> THIS CLIENT LIST. >> AS YOU. >> SAID, BONDI. >> CLAIMED THAT. >> TO HAVE. >> IT. >> ON HER. >> DESK AND THIS WAS REALLY BUILT UP DURING. >> THE CAMPAIGN. >> THIS IDEA. >> THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WAS HIDING SOMETHING. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE THINK THERE COULD BE A CONSPIRACY HERE, EVEN. >> IF YOU’RE NOT CONSPIRACY MINDED. >> YOU HAVE THIS SUPER WEALTHY GUY. HE IS ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING MANY, MANY GIRLS AND WOMEN. HE KNOWS A LOT OF FAMOUS PEOPLE. THERE HAVE BEEN ALLEGATIONS OF OTHER CELEBRITIES WHO’VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH HIM AND INCLUDING DONALD TRUMP, A FORMER FRIEND OF EPSTEIN’S. SO THIS BECAME A KIND OF ARTICLE OF FAITH WITH A LOT OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WAS HIDING SOMETHING. AND AS SOON AS THEIR PEOPLE GOT INTO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, THEY WOULD LEARN THE TRUTH. IT WOULD ALL BE REVEALED. AND NOW THE RUG HAS BEEN PULLED OUT FROM UNDER THEM. AND THEY’RE SUPER UNHAPPY ABOUT THAT. >> YEAH, THEY’RE UPSET. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT NORMALLY ON THE MAGA RIGHT MEDIA SPACE DEAL WITH TRUMP AND GIVE HIM A PASS AND A LOT OF THINGS, BUT THIS ALMOST SEEMS LIKE THEY CAN’T. MEGYN KELLY, OF COURSE, HAS THAT FOX HISTORY, BUT SHE DOES HER OWN DIGITAL WORK. AND THIS WAS HOW SHE SOUNDED THIS WEEKEND. >> WHO HAVE. >> YOU SEEN? PAM BONDI? SHE HAS NEVER MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY. >> TO GO ON. >> TELEVISION AND. >> DANGLE SWEET. >> NOTHINGS THAT MIGHT BE COMING YOUR. >> WAY. >> TRY TO LEAD. >> YOU TO BELIEVE THAT SHE’S. >> GOT IT. IT’S ON. >> HER DESK. >> IT’S COMING TOMORROW. >> YOU’RE GOING TO. >> SEE. >> SOMETHING ON EPSTEIN. AND IT WAS. >> A TEASE. SO YOU EITHER BELIEVE. >> THAT PAM BONDI WAS TELLING THE TRUTH THEN, OR THAT SHE’S TELLING THE TRUTH NOW, BUT BOTH CANNOT BE TRUE. SHE WAS EITHER. LYING WHEN SHE WENT ON FOX NEWS. ALL THOSE TIMES. >> SAYING, I’VE GOT IT, I’VE. >> GOT IT. >> WE’RE LOOKING AT IT. WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE IT. >> IT’S HORRIBLE. >> OR SHE’S LYING. IN HER TWO PAGE MEMO THAT. >> THEY. >> RELEASED ON. >> A SUNDAY NIGHT. >> WELL. I THINK WE SHOULD THINK. >> ABOUT JUST HOW. >> RARE IT IS FOR. >> THIS LEVEL OF DISSENT TO INFILTRATE THE INFORMATION SILOS THAT MAGA FAITHFUL FOLLOW. >> I MEAN, YOU’RE SEEING. >> IN FACT. >> THAT TURNING. >> POINT, THE FACT THAT THE MANOSPHERE PODCASTS. >> THAT. >> ARE SO. CENTRAL TO A LOT OF. >> LISTENERS IN. >> THE MAGA. >> UNIVERSE ARE HEARING PEOPLE. LIKE MEGYN KELLY BEING SO HARSH. >> ON THIS ADMINISTRATION. >> I MEAN. >> IT’S THE FIRST TIME. >> IT’S HAPPENED, CERTAINLY SINCE TRUMP. >> WAS INAUGURATED FOR THE SECOND TIME. >> AND, YOU. >> KNOW, TO EMILY’S POINT, YOU KNOW, STEVE BANNON SAID. >> EPSTEIN IS. >> THE KEY TO EVERYTHING. >> I MEAN. >> THINK ABOUT THE ASPECTS. >> OF THIS STORY. >> THE FUNDAMENTAL. >> CORE OF TRUMP’S. APPEAL IS THAT HE’S GOING TO TAKE ON. >> THE. ESTABLISHMENT FOR YOU. HE’S GOING IN THERE. HE’S DIGGING. >> UP THE DEEP STATES. >> YOU’RE FINALLY. >> BACK IN POWER. >> AND WHAT IS. >> EPSTEIN, IF. >> NOT A STORY ABOUT. >> AN ESTABLISHMENT. >> PROTECTING ONE OF THEIR OWN, THE POWER. >> ELITE ENGAGING. >> IN THESE. >> PERVERTED, DISGUSTING ACTS? >> AND HERE’S TRUMP. SAYING NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE’S NO FILE. >> LIST, BUT, HEY, LET’S MOVE ON, HE. >> SAID AT THE CABINET. >> MEETING LAST WEEK. >> ARE PEOPLE. >> STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS? AND HE’S DISCOVERING

President Trump is facing MAGA backlash to his DOJ’s memo about Jeffrey Epstein. It comes after Trump’s DOJ poured cold water on conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death and a secret client list. In 2024, Trump pledged to release all the files. MSNBC’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by New York Times Magazine writer Emily Bazelon and Michael Grynbaum, media correspondent for The New York Times. (Subscribe to Ari’s YouTube now: http://youtube.com/arimelber)

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