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Trump Attacks Greene and Massie Amid MAGA Civil War Over Epstein Scandal: A Closer Look
What's covered: Seth Meyers dissects the escalating feud between Trump and MAGA Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie over releasing the Epstein files. The segment covers Trump's flip-flopping positions, the Justice Department memo claiming no evidence of blackmail or client lists, and accusations that Trump's investigations into Democrats may be a smokescreen to prevent file releases.
When your own allies start calling out your obvious coverup tactics, you know the wheels are coming off. The fact that Trump went from opposing the Epstein file release to supporting it—while still not actually releasing anything—tells you everything you need to know about his approach to transparency.
Donald Trump is Greater Than Marjorie Taylor Greene
What's covered: National Review's Rich Lowry argues that Marjorie Taylor Greene's rebellion against Trump over the Epstein files will ultimately fail, comparing her to Steve Bannon and Elon Musk who both had to "crawl back" to Trump. Lowry defends Trump's foreign policy as authentically "America First" and dismisses MTG's conspiracy theories about the Epstein investigation.
The establishment conservative media rushing to defend Trump against MTG—while she gets fawning New York Times profiles—is a fascinating role reversal. But Lowry's probably right that MAGA is ultimately a cult of personality, not a coherent ideology anyone can lead besides Trump.
How Charlotte is Responding to Trump Administration's Immigration Crackdown in City
What's covered: PBS NewsHour interviews Mecklenburg County Commissioner George Dunlap about ICE's "Charlotte's Web" operation, which arrested at least 130 people. Dunlap describes residents sheltering in their homes, businesses closing, and children missing school out of fear, while accusing the administration of targeting the community because its elected officials are predominantly Black Democrats.
When grocery stores and churches are shutting down because people are terrified to leave their homes, that's not law enforcement—that's collective punishment of an entire community. The complete lack of communication with local officials isn't a bug, it's a feature of the cruelty.
Inside the Chicago ICE Raid: A Young Mother Says She Was Detained Unfairly
What's covered: 20-year-old Yelianny Nicoll Primera Herreras describes the ICE raid on her apartment in Chicago, where agents knocked down doors, used drones, and pointed weapons at her family. She disputes claims that those arrested were members of the Tren de Aragua gang, saying "we're good people" and that many families were separated.
The gap between the administration's press releases about targeting gang members and the reality of terrified families having their doors kicked in at night couldn't be wider. When the official story and the human testimony diverge this dramatically, believe the people whose lives are being destroyed.
Congress is Voting to Release Epstein Files. What to Know.
What's covered: A brief overview noting that the Epstein files controversy is back in the news as Congress prepares to vote on their release.
The fact that this keeps cycling back into the headlines—with Trump alternately blocking and supporting release—suggests the story isn't going away until we actually see what's in those files.
Trump Welcomes MBS for First Time Since Khashoggi Death
What's covered: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is visiting President Trump, marking the first meeting between them since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Nothing says "America First" quite like rolling out the red carpet for an autocrat who ordered the assassination of a Washington Post columnist. The realpolitik crowd will defend this, but it's still nauseating.
Bill Kristol and Tim Miller Discuss the Potential of a MAGA Mutiny in Motion
What's covered: Bill Kristol and Tim Miller analyze whether Democrats can capitalize on Trump's recent struggles, with Miller arguing Democrats should press their advantage rather than playing it safe, while acknowledging Trump's historically resilient floor of support.
The big question is whether Trump's support really does have that mythical 38% floor—or whether enough scandals, infighting, and failures can actually crack it. Bush proved it's possible, but Trump operates in a totally different media ecosystem.
Is Marjorie Taylor Greene a Cynical Climber or a Republican Who Actually Believes What She Says?
What's covered: A commentator argues that you can work with someone like MTG because she genuinely believes what she says and can potentially be persuaded, unlike politicians like Marco Rubio who only say what's expedient to advance their careers.
I'm not sure "she really believes the crazy stuff" is actually the compliment this person thinks it is. There's a case that cynical opportunists are actually less dangerous than true believers in conspiracy theories.
Bill Kristol Has Some Suggestions for 2028: Two Democratic Women on the Ticket
What's covered: Bill Kristol pushes back against Democrats who say they won't nominate a woman in 2028 after Harris's loss, suggesting they should nominate Abigail Spanberger and another woman while tweaking their economic message to be more populist.
Kristol's optimism is refreshing, but the "just be more populist" advice is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Still, letting one loss dictate gender politics for an entire generation would be political malpractice.