Everyone Donald Trump has threatened since the Jeffrey Epstein scandal blew up in his face
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had the Epstein client list "sitting on her desk" on February 21. At a MAGA influencer event held at the White House on February 27, she and her team revealed a "Phase 1" binder for the release.
x.com
Fast-forward to July 7, when the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a memo saying there was "no incriminating 'client list.'"
MAGA began collapsing immediately, and #PedoPresident started trending on X (and hasn't stopped.) Petitions demanding transparency circulated, and Republican House Representative Thomas Massie introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act to enforce a vote among the House of Representatives to release the government's full files on the Epstein case, saying, 'We all deserve to know what's in the Epstein files, who's implicated, and how deep this corruption goes.'
Trump responded by calling Massie the 'worst Republican Congressman.'
Other outspoken Trump supporters like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Laura Loomer, Alex Jones, and Megyn Kelly started to criticize the president, with MTG echoing Massie's call for truth.
x.com
Then, a bombshell Wall Street Journal scoop dropped on July 17, where investigators had found a bawdy 2003 birthday note, allegedly penned by Trump, in Epstein's personal files.
Five days later, the DOJ admitted the president's name appears 'multiple times' in federal evidence—but then insisted there were 'no further Epstein files' to release.
Instead of mollifying supporters, Trump has inserted himself into the conversation surrounding the pardon of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's alleged co-conspirator. When asked if he would pardon her, he said he was "allowed to" if he wanted, but that "nobody's asked" him about it.
www.instagram.com
This move detonated his online base, whose Q-adjacent lore casts Maxwell as queenpin of a global trafficking ring. Overnight, some of Trump's most die-hard supporters turned their backs on him.
His response has been to launch (or threaten) legal action in every direction as part classic countersuit strategy and part headline-scrambling fog machine.
Below is a who's-who list of his current targets, and what each feud is really about.
The Wall Street Journal
FeatureFlash Photo Agency/Shutterstock
On July 18, Trump lodged a $10 billion libel complaint in federal court, saying the Journal 'fabricated' the birthday letter and smeared him as Epstein's pal. Trump's lawyers immediately asked the judge to depose [owner Rupert] Murdoch 'within 15 days.'
'I hope Rupert and his 'friends' are looking forward to many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case,' Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Apart from Murdoch, the suit names the Journal's Publisher, Dow Jones & Company, alongside its parent, News Corporation. The Dow Jones CEO, Robert Thomson, is also on there, as are the two reporters on the Epstein story bylines, Joseph Palazzolo and Khadeeja Safdar.
Former President Barack Obama
ZB Photos/Shutterstock
Growing tired of blaming everything on Biden, Trump turned back to his 2016 tactics of blaming everything on former President Barack Obama.
At a July 22 press talk, Trump urged the DOJ to 'go after' Obama, claiming he 'buried' evidence tying Bill Clinton to Epstein and engineered the original Russia probe to retaliate.
He later shared a photo across his social media channels depicting O.J. Simpson's car chase, with Obama in Simpson's driver's seat and Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance driving two cop cars behind him.
www.instagram.com
In doing so, Trump also inadvertently trolled Vance by using the digitally fattened face photo that many people use to make fun of him.
Former President Bill Clinton
Lev Radin/Shutterstock
The second former president Trump went after was Bill Clinton, who has long faced conspiracy theories from MAGA over his relationship with Epstein.
During a meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer while visiting Scotland, Trump said he'd never 'had the privilege' of going to Epstein Island and that it was one of his 'very good moments' turning down the invite.
However, he took it a step further, saying, 'Bill Clinton went there supposedly 28 times. I never went to the island, but [former Treasury Secretary] Larry Summers, I hear, went there, he was the head of Harvard. And many other people that are very big people, nobody ever talks about them.'
For the record, Clinton, like Trump, was also found on the Epstein flight logs.
x.com
However, even Democrats and Clinton supporters are just as willing to hang him as they are Trump, but if he says his name being on there is a lie, who's to say the same isn't true for Clinton?
Former Vice President Kamala Harris
OogImages/Shutterstock
As if two former presidents weren't enough, Trump's also turning his gaze to former Vice President and 2024 challenger Kamala Harris, who he now says ran a campaign 'funded by illegal celebrity payments.'
He's hinted that the DOJ should indict her based on 'wire fraud.'
In another Truth Social rant, Trump said he was 'looking at the large amount of money owed by Democrats, after the Presidential Election,' saying they'd admitted to paying, 'probably illegally,' for celebrity endorsements. He later emphasized, 'YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PAY FOR AN ENDORSEMENT. IT IS TOTALLY ILLEGAL TO DO SO. Can you imagine what would happen if politicians started paying for people to endorse them.'
Beyoncé, Al Sharpton, and Oprah
Photo by; Jaguar PS/Shutterstock; Ovidiu Hrubaru/Shutterstock
In the same Truth Social post targeting Harris, Trump also went after Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and Al Sharpton for various reasons.
As for Queen Bey, he (falsely) said she was paid $11 million for 'an ENDORSEMENT (she never sang, not one note, and left the stage to a booing and angry audience!)'
Oprah allegedly took $3 million for 'expenses,' while Sharpton, whom he called 'a total lightweight' and 'low rated TV 'anchor,'' allegedly took $600,000 for…something.
Sharpton refuted the claims on MSNBC, saying, 'This is the second or third time lawyers for National Action Network are looking at whether we can sue him for defamation because he had knowledge this time that there was no endorsement and that I didn't get any money. This went to the nonprofit I'm connected to.'
ABC News and NBC News
Creative Salim; bangoland/Shutterstock
Every news that doesn't worship the ground he walks on is Fake News in the Trump world, and neither ABC nor NBC is safe from his wrath.
Fresh off a $16 million settlement from Paramount, the owners of CBS, Trump called for the networks to lose their licenses for being 'political pawns for the Democratic Party.'
He first attacked their viewership and management, then doubled down on his stance that networks 'aren't allowed to be political pawns,' but only for the Democratic Party.
Shockingly, following the settlement with Paramount, Trump has done nothing to bring any legal action against South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone for that epic takedown of him on the most recent season premiere, showing him in bed with Satan and making fun of his small penis.
So, can the lawsuit blitz bury the Epstein story?
Photo byHopefully not.
The $10 billion WSJ case will crawl through discovery; Obama and Clinton enjoy presidential immunity from most civil claims; campaign-finance prosecutions would require evidence the FEC says it hasn't seen; and broadcast licenses can't be yanked just because he says so.
What this strategy does do however, is keep conservative media focused on Trump's counter-punches instead of the potential impending pardon and withholding of the actual files. You know, his usual 'distract and deflect' MO.
Whether the president's scatter-shot legal barrage can recapture these voters—or will simply keep Epstein in the headlines—is an open question. For now, the only certainty is that the defendant list keeps growing, and it's not likely to stop anytime soon.
And here we were, hoping they'd simply release the files.
This article originally appeared on Pride: Everyone Donald Trump has threatened since the Jeffrey Epstein scandal blew up in his face
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
33 minutes ago
- Fox News
Elizabeth Holmes spotted at Texas prison where Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes was spotted jogging at the same minimum-security Texas prison that is now housing Ghislaine Maxwell after a recent transfer. Holmes, 41, is serving an 11-year sentence for knowingly misleading investors at Theranos, the blood-testing company she founded in 2003. The company ceased operations in 2018. She was sentenced in 2022 after she was convicted on three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Holmes was pictured on Saturday jogging in a gray shirt and shorts, as well as compression gloves and a hat in the rec yard at Federal Prison Camp Bryan. The prison in Bryan, Texas, is the same facility where 63-year-old Maxwell, the convicted associate of deceased sex predator Jeffrey Epstein, is now being held after she was transferred on Friday from Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee in Florida. It remains unclear why she was moved, but Maxwell and her lawyer met twice with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche before the transfer took place. Maxwell's attorney has been publicly seeking a pardon or sentence commutation from President Donald Trump. The president said he has not received such a request, but has not ruled out the possibility of a pardon or commutation. Maxwell has also offered to testify to a congressional committee about Epstein in exchange for immunity. Maxwell, who is eligible for release in 2037, was found guilty in 2021 on sex trafficking charges in connection with helping Epstein abuse underage girls.
CNBC
37 minutes ago
- CNBC
India to maintain Russian oil imports despite Trump threats, government sources say
India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of penalties, two Indian government sources told Reuters on Saturday, not wishing to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. On top of a new 25% tariff on India's exports to the U.S., Trump indicated in a Truth Social post last month that India would face additional penalties for purchases of Russian arms and oil. On Friday, Trump told reporters he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia. But the sources said there would be no immediate changes. "These are long-term oil contracts," one of the sources said. "It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight." Justifying India's oil purchases from Russia, a second source said India's imports of Russian grades had helped avoid a global surge in oil prices, which have remained subdued despite Western curbs on the Russian oil sector. Unlike Iranian and Venezuelan oil, Russian crude is not subject to direct sanctions, and India is buying it below the current price cap fixed by the European Union, the source said. The New York Times also quoted two unnamed senior Indian officials on Saturday as saying there had been no change in Indian government policy. Indian government authorities did not respond to Reuters' request for official comment on its oil purchasing intentions. However, during a regular press briefing on Friday, foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has a "steady and time-tested partnership" with Russia. "On our energy sourcing requirements ... we look at what is there available in the markets, what is there on offer, and also what is the prevailing global situation or circumstances," he said. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump, who has made ending Russia's war in Ukraine a priority of his administration since returning to office this year, has expressed growing impatience with Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks. He has threatened 100% tariffs on U.S. imports from countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a major peace deal with Ukraine. Russia is the leading supplier to India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, accounting for about 35% of its overall supplies. India imported about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil from January to June this year, up 1% from a year ago, according to data provided to Reuters by sources. But while the Indian government may not be deterred by Trump's threats, sources told Reuters this week that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian oil after July discounts narrowed to their lowest since 2022 - when sanctions were first imposed on Moscow - due to lower Russian exports and steady demand. Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical Ltd have not sought Russian crude in the past week or so, four sources told Reuters. Nayara Energy - a refinery majority-owned by Russian entities, including oil major Rosneft, and major buyer of Russian oil - was recently sanctioned by the EU. Nayara's chief executive resigned following the sanctions, and three vessels laden with oil products from Nayara Energy have yet to discharge their cargoes, hindered by the new EU sanctions, Reuters reported last week.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump's executive order seeks to remove homeless from streets. What is seen in Erie County
On July 24, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to 'end crime and disorder on America's streets, which was directed at the homelessness endemic taking place across the nation." The executive action makes it easier for cities and states to remove homeless people from the streets by ending consent decrees that limit local and state governments' ability to move homeless people into treatment centers and other facilities. The issues that pertain to homelessness that the executive order focuses on are seen in Erie County. The 2024 PA 605 In Time Census, as cited by the Erie County Home Team Homeless and Housing Coalition, provides the following statistics of note for the county: 454 residents in Erie County we're identified as homeless. 76 residents were unsheltered and living in a place that was considered inhumane. 378 were living in an emergency shelter or a transitional housing program. 37 families could be found in shelters consisting of 116 people and 37 children under the age of 18. 47% of adults dealing with homelessness battled mental illness while 36% battled substance abuse. An additional 577 people were in supportive housing or considered 'near homeless." "Talking to all of my colleagues across the country like in Philadelphia, their challenges are far different than ours in Erie County," Erie County Executive Brenton Davis said. "Honestly, I am thankful for the first world problems that we have. For all the different things that we have, we know what the finite number is and if you know what the number is then you can work towards solving it." From 2024: Erie County opens single-site location for Our Neighbors' Place overflow homeless shelter What to know about the executive order The executive order is divided into several objectives, according to which provides the following order details: The purpose and policy (of the order) which is due to the endemic vagrancy, disorderly behavior, sudden confrontations and violent attacks making cities unsafe. Restoring civil commitment and what to take appropriate action on. Fighting vagrancy on America's streets and how immediate steps will be taken to assess grants. The redirection of federal resources towards effective methods of addressing homelessness and where to take appropriate action. The increase in accountability and safety in America's homelessness programs. Finally, the general provisions of the order. The full order can be found on "To me, anything that provides a resource to local government to be flexible to solve the issues in our community I fully support," Davis said. Organizations in Erie to assist with homelessness In Erie, there are multiple organizations that are on the front lines in battling homelessness, including but not limited to the Erie City Mission, Mercy Center for Women, Mental Health Association, Emmaus Soup Kitchen, Erie County Care Management and more. provides a list of multiple resources from shelters to free clothing to medical services and more. More: Could visit to Erie's Mercy Center for Women help the state craft a maternal health plan? "I can only speak to this locally, Erie County is a social service-rich environment," Davis said. "Everything is finite, resources and funding are finite. I think it's a matter of finding an array of tools to make it more accessible and flexible. That'll be the key." Contact Nicholas Sorensen at nsorensen@ This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: What to know about homelessness in Erie County Solve the daily Crossword
