Epstein Still Taking the City by Storm – “The Sunday Political Brunch”—July 20, 2025
Mark Curtis, MINDSETTER™
Epstein Still Taking the City by Storm – “The Sunday Political Brunch”—July 20, 2025
“Hurricane Epstein Storm Surge” – The furor over the Jeffrey Epstein documents has turned into a Category 5 political hurricane. In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the so-called “client” list and other documents were “on my desk to review” and that the matter was a top priority from President Donald Trump. Then on July 7, 2025, the Justice Department issued a memo saying the “review revealed no incriminating ‘client list.’” Well, maybe there is no summary list, but the names of some pretty prominent people have already been listed in other court documents related to the sex trafficking investigation of Epstein. Some of the people most angry about the non-release are some of Trump’s most ardent MAGA supporters. Trump maintains his backers are being hoodwinked by a hoax, saying, “Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this “bull——,” hook, line, and sinker.” Trump made the remarks on his Truth Social site, adding, “They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.” Trump says former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden are behind the ruse.
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“The Plot Thickens” – And just when you thought this case could not get any stranger, it does. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey was fired Wednesday. She was among those who prosecuted Jeffrey Epstein and his sidekick Ghislaine Manwell. She is also the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, who was a nemesis of President Trump’s. Trump has now fired both Comeys. Coincidence? After her dismissal, Maurene Comey sent a memo to colleagues saying, “Fear is the tool of the tyrant!” And then there is more. Late Thursday night, President Trump posted that he directed Attorney General Bondi to unseal and release any pertinent grand jury testimony related to the Epstein criminal cases. Of course, the final say on this will be up to federal judges, so who knows what will be made public, and when? On Friday, Trump filed a libel lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and reporters who wrote a story about a collection of letters gifted to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, including a note bearing Trump’s name and an outline of a naked woman. It was described as a “racy” letter Trump purportedly wrote and sent to Epstein. Trump says the letter is “fake!” I think we’re in for the long haul here!
“GOP Split” – This could be the most critical crisis of his two terms, as some leading Republicans are now bolting from Trump. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R) Louisiana called on the White House to release all of the documents, saying, “It’s a very delicate subject, but you should put everything out there, let the people decide it.” Johnson wants a detailed review from Bondi’s contradictory statements, “I think she was talking about documents, as I understood that were on her desk. I don’t know that she was specific about a list or whatever, but she needs to come forward and explain that to everybody.” Even Laura Loomer, Trump’s leading confidant, says, “The best thing the president can do is appoint a special counsel to handle the Epstein files investigation.” She also told Politico, “I don’t want it to consume his presidency.” But as we saw with Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, a scandal can indeed consume and paralyze a White House. This could also put a dark cloud over the 2026 midterm elections.
“Can Democrats Seize the Moment?” – “The American people deserve to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth as it relates to this whole sordid Jeffrey Epstein matter,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D) New York Democrat, said Monday, “Democrats didn’t put the Epstein matter into the public domain. This was a conspiracy that Donald Trump, Pam Bondi and these MAGA extremists have been fanning the flames of for the last several years, and now the chickens are coming to roost.” Jeffries and others want Epstein's confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell, to testify before Congress about what she knows. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison, for child sex trafficking on behalf of Epstein and others. Could she come before the House and “name names?” This story is starting to snowball!
“But, Not So Fast” – For all the turmoil Trump and the Republicans are having right now, Democrats are having their own crisis in confidence. Former President Barack Obama chastised his party to buck up in a recent speech, saying, “I think it’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up.” He added, “You know, don’t tell me you’re a Democrat, but you’re kind of disappointed right now, so you’re not doing anything. No, now is exactly the time that you get in there and do something,” Obama said. “Don’t say that you care deeply about free speech and then you’re quiet.”
“New Poll” – If the Democrats don’t have enough problems being in the desert right now, a new poll will bring little comfort. Republicans may be having their own “civil war,” but the new Harvard/CAPS Harris polls says that only 40 percent of respondents approved the job the Democrat Party was doing, down from 42 percent in June. In fact, 71 percent of independent voters, a key swing group, disapproved of where Democrats were headed. That’s bad news now, but even more so headed into the 2026 midterms. Swaying key independent voting blocs will determine if Democrats can seize control of the U.S. House and/or the Senate next year. It also has implications for the 2028 presidential race, especially the early primaries.
“The President’s Health” – This past Thursday, it was disclosed that President Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, which is common among people in his age group on blood thinners. Severe bruising of the hands is common, and reporters noticed and rightly asked about it. I know of the condition because I have it, too. Presidential critics are likely to say he’s trying to elicit sympathy during the Epstein mess. On the other hand, this White House has been harshly critical about how the last White House handled (or mishandled) questions about President Joe Biden’s health. But at age 79, Trump may simply want to appear to be more transparent about his health than his predecessor. In both cases, I believe the public has every right to know about a president’s health. As I’ve said often here, the presidency belongs to the people and not to the individual who was elected.
“Inflation Rising Again” – While it’s not time to sound the fire alarms, it is worth noting that inflation rose again in June, to an annualized rate of 2.7 percent. But with the midterm elections just over 15 months from now, the yellow caution light needs to come on for President Trump and Republican Congressional leaders. Economists are saying the new tariffs are a major contributor to this. From a political standpoint, 2.7 percent inflation is really not enough to swing an election, but if it doubles or triples between now and November 2026, there could be trouble for the party in power. A spike in inflation is one of the main reasons that Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Joe Biden did not get second terms. High inflation also can affect which party controls each chamber in Congress, and the margins are thin as it is.
“Trump Education Cuts” – It’s another win for President Trump at the U.S. Supreme Court which is in a rare July session. The justices say that the Trump administration can move forward with its effort to dismantle the Department of Education and fire approximately 1,400 employees. A federal District Court judge in Boston had blocked the layoffs. I am curious about what will happen to Education Secretary Linda McMahon. She is a Trump favorite and former matriarch of World Wrestling Entertainment. She was Secretary of the Small Business Administration in the first Trump term. I bet he tries to find her another job within his administration. This is sure to anger teachers and other education execs who are losing their jobs.
“Cuomo Stays in NY Mayoral Race” – After weeks of drama, the decision is in. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), New York, is going to stay in the New York City Mayor’s race. Cuomo, who lost a three-way Democrat primary, will run as an independent. Current Mayor Eric Adams is also running as an independent. The citizen anti-crime group, Guardian Angels, founder Curtis Sliwa is the Republican nominee, and State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D) New York, is the Democrat’s nominee and is an avowed socialist. So, for now, it’s a four-way “battle royale” and it will be fascinating to track the polling. I still say both Cuomo or Adams could cut a deal for one of them to drop out before November, and endorse the other. Also, will President Trump endorse anyone? I bet he does! Even though he’s now a Florida resident, he still has huge business interests in New York.