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NBC News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
The Epstein saga continues to affect Washington: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Happy Tuesday! In today's edition, our Congress team breaks down how the Jeffrey Epstein saga is freezing up the House of Representatives. And speaking of the House, Steve Kornacki analyzes how mid-decade redistricting by Republicans in a few key states could alter the math of the midterms. — Scott Bland House cancels last day of votes before summer break as Epstein consumes Capitol Hill By Scott Wong, Kyle Stewart and Syedah Asghar The GOP-controlled House is cutting short its last workweek before the summer recess because of a fight on Capitol Hill over the release of the government's files on the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House was scheduled to hold votes on Thursday before lawmakers departed for their five-week recess. But Republican leaders informed rank-and-file lawmakers on Tuesday that the final vote of the week would now be a day earlier, on Wednesday afternoon. The shift in schedule occurred because of a standoff on the Rules Committee, which decides how legislation comes to the floor but has been ground to a halt by the Epstein issue. The panel, which is closely aligned with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., typically passes a rule for legislation on Monday that sets up debate and allows bills to come to the floor for the week. But Democrats had promised Monday to force the committee to take more votes on whether to require the Trump administration to release all remaining files from the Epstein case. To avoid embarrassing votes on Epstein, Republicans decided to recess the committee and not attempt to pass a rule for bills this week. Without a rule, Republicans would be left with nothing to vote on after Wednesday. The Epstein saga has dominated chatter on Capitol Hill for more than a week as many Trump supporters have clamored for the release of all documents related to the convicted sex offender and the president and his administration sought to downplay the issue. It appeared to be dying down in recent days, but the Trump administration breathed new life into the story Tuesday morning, when the Justice Department announced that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will meet with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell in the coming days. By Steve Kornacki In the coming weeks, Republicans in Texas and Ohio are expected to redraw their states' congressional maps. Their intent is transparent: to bolster their party's chances of protecting its super-slim House majority in next year's midterm elections. As it stands now, there are 220 Republican districts, meaning the party can afford a net loss of no more than two seats in 2026 and still keep the House. In theory, the redistricting effort could shift as many as eight seats from the Democratic to the GOP column, although the ultimate yield will depend on how aggressive the GOP gets — and how much the courts and voters will tolerate. It could also be offset by similar measures from Democrats in blue states like California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to do a redraw of his own but faces a far trickier process. Yet even if Republicans do emerge from a fresh round of redistricting with a batch of new, safe seats, it may still be woefully insufficient to keep the House, given the dramatic losses that the party in the White House often endures in midterm elections. It was during the first Trump presidency that the GOP coughed up a net 40 House seats in the 2018 midterms, easily losing control of the chamber. But the structure of the current Republican majority is much different than it was back in '18. Far fewer GOP seats now are in districts that are politically hostile to Trump and a far greater share are in politically safe Trump landslide districts. Nor are there as many marginal GOP incumbents in districts Trump carried only narrowly in the most recent presidential election. If successful, the redistricting push would amount to another big difference from 2018: It would give Republicans far more opportunities to play offense this time around.
NBC News
a day ago
- Business
- NBC News
The long arm of Trump's new law: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Happy Monday! On this day one year ago, Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race. In today's edition, we dive into the early financial and political impacts of the 'big, beautiful bill' and how the White House is trying to shift attention away from the Epstein files. — Adam Wollner The long arm of Trump's new law It has been more than two weeks since President Donald Trump signed the 'big, beautiful bill' into law. But the impacts of what is likely to be the signature legislation of Trump's second term are only starting to be felt, both financially and politically. Final price tag: The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released its final score of the sprawling 887-page bill today, Sahil Kapur reports. The CBO projected the law will add $3.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. It found that the law's net spending cuts of $1.1 trillion are outstripped by the $4.5 trillion in decreased revenue, compared with if the measure had not passed. The law will also 'increase by 10 million the number of people without health insurance' by 2034, according to the CBO. Latest poll numbers: A new survey released over the weekend showed Republicans have their work cut out for them in selling the law to the public. Just 39% of U.S. adults said they approved of the 'big, beautiful bill,' according to a CBS News/YouGov poll, while 61% disapproved. That's roughly in line with what other polls found ahead of the legislation's final passage. The CBS News/YouGov survey also found that a majority (54%) said they thought the law will increase their health care costs and that a plurality (40%) said it would increase their taxes — even thought it extends the tax cuts Trump signed into law during his first term. And while 61% said they thought the package would help wealthy people, far less said it would help the middle class (28%) and poor people (24%). That all helps to explain why some Republicans are trying to shift their messaging and cast the bill as a tax benefit for 'working families,' highlighting the move away from taxes on tips and overtime in particular. In the states: As the law is implemented in the coming months and years, its effects will be felt differently state by state. Adam Edelman notes that many of the biggest political fights stemming from the tax cut and spending are already converging in battleground Nevada. About 1 in 3 Nevadans are on Medicaid, according to data from the state and KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group. But unlike some other states, which may be able to shift funds around in their budgets to build financial support for affected residents, Nevada's hands are largely tied. It has no state income tax, and a state constitutional provision requires a two-thirds majority to raise revenue. Then there are the new law's tax provisions related to tipped employees and gamblers, which will have an outsize effect on a state whose economy relies almost exclusively on casinos and hospitality. In 2026, Gov. Joe Lombardo — who has walked a fine line between offering praise for certain aspects of the megabill while pushing back against others — is seen as the most vulnerable Republican governor up for re-election. And Nevada's battleground 3rd District, represented by Democratic Rep. Susie Lee, will be the site of a key race in the fight for the House majority. And in 2028, Nevada will most likely again host critical contests for the White House and the Senate. Amid Epstein fallout, the Trump administration turns to MAGA's other greatest hits By Ryan J. Reilly and Henry J. Gomez Facing backlash from MAGA supporters about the handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, President Donald Trump and his administration have released a flood of information on old grievances and issues popular with the base. Overnight, Trump used his Truth Social platform to attack Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., post a fake artificial intelligence-generated video showing former President Barack Obama being arrested by the FBI and share AI-generated mug shots of a variety of Democratic officials who have served as Republican bogeymen over the years. Trump also weighed in on another MAGA favorite — the names of sports teams — and threatened to try to block a deal to build a new football stadium in Washington, D.C., unless the Commanders changed their name back to the Redskins. The team dropped that name in 2019, after years of criticism that it was racist. The intensity of the Epstein conversation has dampened since last week, after the Trump administration had to contend with many of its MAGA supporters who were furious that officials weren't releasing more information about the files. On Friday, Trump sued The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch after the Journal published an article saying Trump sent a letter to Epstein in 2003 that included a drawing of a naked woman. By today, many prominent MAGA social media accounts appeared to have moved on from the Epstein issues, focusing instead on some of the other topics the Trump administration has been pushing. The Justice Department and other agencies released files today that have long been the subjects of conspiracies. But they weren't Epstein documents; they were documents about Hillary Clinton and more than 230,000 pages related to the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Attorney General Pam Bondi has been a particular target of the MAGA base's ire. 'Saying Trump posts random stuff to distract is like saying the sun rises to mess with your sleep schedule,' a former Trump adviser said. 'It's just what it does.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
As Trump pursues his trade agenda, other countries' views shift on ties with China: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Scott Bland breaks down new poll numbers that show the world's views shifting on China and the economy. Plus, Sahil Kapur examines how Republican members of Congress are hate-voting for certain pieces of legislation. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. — Adam Wollner As Trump pursues his trade agenda, other countries' views shift on ties with China Analysis by Scott Bland President Donald Trump's first year back in the White House has coincided with some sharp changes in allied countries' assessments of the importance of Chinese economic ties. That's according to new data from surveys conducted in 25 countries by the Pew Research Center. Pew notes that the changing attitudes also reflect a rebound from low points in the immediate aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which began in China. But the data also demonstrates how Trump's presidency and his trade agenda have sharply shifted public opinion in other nations — shifts that could have far-reaching effects for years. In particular, Pew asked whether it was more important for each country surveyed to have close economic ties with the U.S. or China. Generally, the share of respondents choosing China has grown in recent years, while the United States' share has shrunk. But two nations in particular stand out. There's Australia, which this week is hosting military exercises meant to signal strength against China. This year, Australian respondents said 53%-42% that having closer economic ties with China is more important. Four years ago, that was reversed — 52%-39% toward the U.S. And then there's Mexico, one of the biggest U.S. trading partners. Mexican survey respondents have long recognized the importance of the trade relationship with the U.S., but amid the back-and-forth on tariffs this year, they split on whether ties with the U.S. or China were more important. These opinions have shifted over time, and there's no telling where they'll go in the future. But as the U.S. tries to shift its trade policy and tries to counter China geopolitically, these surveys offer some early evidence of backlash in one realm that could affect the other. Republicans keep voting for bills they say they don't like By Sahil Kapur There's a new trend in Congress that has emerged in President Donald Trump's second term: Republican lawmakers across the ideological spectrum keep voting for bills they have publicly criticized. In some cases, GOP members of Congress have explicitly threatened to vote 'no' on bills they say are deeply flawed before eventually folding and voting 'yes.' In others, they warn bills they have voted for will require fixing down the road. A few notable examples: Medicaid: Two weeks after voting to pass a sweeping domestic policy bill that cuts Medicaid by about $1 trillion, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a bill to repeal some of those cuts. 'Now is the time to prevent any future cuts to Medicaid from going into effect,' Hawley said in a statement. Hawley said he feared the party's megabill would cause long-term harm if the Medicaid cuts are fully implemented, but still voted for it because it will deliver more hospital money for Missouri in the first four years. 'You can't get everything you want in one piece of legislation. I like a lot of what we did. I don't like some of it,' he told reporters after unveiling his own measure on Tuesday. National debt: Nowhere has this dynamic been more pronounced than with the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members have repeatedly threatened to oppose bills before acquiescing under pressure from Trump. With Trump's megabill, they complained about red ink: It's expected to add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 'What the Senate did is unconscionable,' Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said in a Rules Committee meeting, vowing that 'I'll vote against it here and I'll vote against it on the floor.' He ultimately voted for that bill, unamended, after conservatives were told Congress would consider future bills to lower the debt. Rescissions: And in the run-up to the votes on a package to cancel $9 billion in previously approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, several Republicans expressed serious concerns with its substance, its deference to the executive branch and the damage it could do to bipartisan dealmaking on government funding in the future. 'I suspect we're going to find out there are some things that we're going to regret. Some second- and third-order effects. And I suspect that when we do, we'll have to come back and fix it,' said Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, before voting in favor of the bill. Bottom line: It isn't unusual for lawmakers to back legislation they call imperfect. But this year, that contrast has become more stark. It comes as Trump has solidified his grasp over the GOP base, resulting in lawmakers growing increasingly leery of crossing him and risking their political futures. Read more from Sahil → ✉️ Mailbag: Could Democrats undo the 'big, beautiful bill'? Thanks to everyone who emailed us! This week's reader question is on the future of the megabill President Donald Trump signed into law. 'If the Democrats gain control of both chambers of Congress how much of the Republicans bill can they change?' In theory, Democrats could change much, if not all, of what's in the new tax cut and spending law if they were in power in Washington, using the same party-line 'budget reconciliation' process Republicans just utilized. But they won't be in that position for a while — and they may not want to completely do away with the sweeping package. Let's start with the first point. Given Republicans' tiny majority in the chamber and the usual headwinds the party in power faces during a midterm, Democrats have a good shot at winning the control of the House next year. But the Senate is a different story. As we've written, Democrats face an uphill climb to the majority in 2026, and the 2028 map doesn't look much more favorable, with the number of states splitting their presidential and Senate tickets dwindling. Then of course, even if Democrats manage to take control of both chambers of Congress, they won't have an opportunity at the White House until 2028. As for the second point, there are a lot of aspects of the 'big, beautiful bill' Democrats would like to reverse, most notably the cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs. But there are others, such as 'no tax on tips,' that have garnered support from Democrats. And while Democrats support increasing the current tax rates on the top earners, they wouldn't want the 2017 tax cuts that the law extends to completely expire. That would mean tax hikes on middle- and lower-income Americans, too. 🗞️ Today's other top stories ✉️ Epstein fallout: Trump took legal action less than 24 hours after The Wall Street Journal published an article saying Trump sent a letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 that included a drawing of a naked woman. The Justice Department also filed a motion to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal case in Manhattan federal court. 📻 Stations in limbo: After Congress approved a package to cut funding for PBS and NPR, media advocates fear that local public broadcasters will be forced to downsize or shutter, which could have an outsize impact on rural areas. Read more → 🩺 Health care hikes: People who get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could soon see their monthly premiums sharply increase as subsidies expire and insurers propose a major premium hike for 2026. Read more → 🪙 Crypto crunch: Trump signed the GENIUS Act, the first piece of federal legislation regulating stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency, into law after it passed through Congress with bipartisan support. Read more → 🤠 Texas two-step: Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin was set to travel to Houston today to meet with Texas Democrats to discuss how to fight back against Republican efforts to redraw the state's congressional maps. Read more → 🌴 Palmetto State dispatch: In conversations with more than a dozen Democrats across the South Carolina, a key presidential primary state, two themes emerged: They want someone ready to 'fight,' but they also want someone who can appeal across party lines. Read more → 🎥 End of an era: 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' will broadcast its final show in May, CBS said, adding that it's not continuing the franchise. Read more → Follow live politics updates → That's all From the Politics Desk for now. Today's newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Dylan Ebs. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@ And if you're a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here. This article was originally published on
NBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- NBC News
As Trump pursues his trade agenda, other countries' views shift on ties with China: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Scott Bland breaks down new poll numbers that show the world's views shifting on China and the economy. Plus, Sahil Kapur examines how Republican members of Congress are hate-voting for certain pieces of legislation. — Adam Wollner As Trump pursues his trade agenda, other countries' views shift on ties with China Analysis by Scott Bland President Donald Trump's first year back in the White House has coincided with some sharp changes in allied countries' assessments of the importance of Chinese economic ties. That's according to new data from surveys conducted in 25 countries by the Pew Research Center. Pew notes that the changing attitudes also reflect a rebound from low points in the immediate aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which began in China. But the data also demonstrates how Trump's presidency and his trade agenda have sharply shifted public opinion in other nations — shifts that could have far-reaching effects for years. In particular, Pew asked whether it was more important for each country surveyed to have close economic ties with the U.S. or China. Generally, the share of respondents choosing China has grown in recent years, while the United States' share has shrunk. But two nations in particular stand out. There's Australia, which this week is hosting military exercises meant to signal strength against China. This year, Australian respondents said 53%-42% that having closer economic ties with China is more important. Four years ago, that was reversed — 52%-39% toward the U.S. And then there's Mexico, one of the biggest U.S. trading partners. Mexican survey respondents have long recognized the importance of the trade relationship with the U.S., but amid the back-and-forth on tariffs this year, they split on whether ties with the U.S. or China were more important. These opinions have shifted over time, and there's no telling where they'll go in the future. But as the U.S. tries to shift its trade policy and tries to counter China geopolitically, these surveys offer some early evidence of backlash in one realm that could affect the other. Republicans keep voting for bills they say they don't like By Sahil Kapur There's a new trend in Congress that has emerged in President Donald Trump's second term: Republican lawmakers across the ideological spectrum keep voting for bills they have publicly criticized. In some cases, GOP members of Congress have explicitly threatened to vote 'no' on bills they say are deeply flawed before eventually folding and voting 'yes.' In others, they warn bills they have voted for will require fixing down the road. A few notable examples: Medicaid: Two weeks after voting to pass a sweeping domestic policy bill that cuts Medicaid by about $1 trillion, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a bill to repeal some of those cuts. 'Now is the time to prevent any future cuts to Medicaid from going into effect,' Hawley said in a statement. Hawley said he feared the party's megabill would cause long-term harm if the Medicaid cuts are fully implemented, but still voted for it because it will deliver more hospital money for Missouri in the first four years. 'You can't get everything you want in one piece of legislation. I like a lot of what we did. I don't like some of it,' he told reporters after unveiling his own measure on Tuesday. National debt: Nowhere has this dynamic been more pronounced than with the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members have repeatedly threatened to oppose bills before acquiescing under pressure from Trump. With Trump's megabill, they complained about red ink: It's expected to add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 'What the Senate did is unconscionable,' Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said in a Rules Committee meeting, vowing that 'I'll vote against it here and I'll vote against it on the floor.' He ultimately voted for that bill, unamended, after conservatives were told Congress would consider future bills to lower the debt. Rescissions: And in the run-up to the votes on a package to cancel $9 billion in previously approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, several Republicans expressed serious concerns with its substance, its deference to the executive branch and the damage it could do to bipartisan dealmaking on government funding in the future. 'I suspect we're going to find out there are some things that we're going to regret. Some second- and third-order effects. And I suspect that when we do, we'll have to come back and fix it,' said Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, before voting in favor of the bill. Bottom line: It isn't unusual for lawmakers to back legislation they call imperfect. But this year, that contrast has become more stark. It comes as Trump has solidified his grasp over the GOP base, resulting in lawmakers growing increasingly leery of crossing him and risking their political futures. Thanks to everyone who emailed us! This week's reader question is on the future of the megabill President Donald Trump signed into law. 'If the Democrats gain control of both chambers of Congress how much of the Republicans bill can they change?' In theory, Democrats could change much, if not all, of what's in the new tax cut and spending law if they were in power in Washington, using the same party-line 'budget reconciliation' process Republicans just utilized. But they won't be in that position for a while — and they may not want to completely do away with the sweeping package. Let's start with the first point. Given Republicans' tiny majority in the chamber and the usual headwinds the party in power faces during a midterm, Democrats have a good shot at winning the control of the House next year. But the Senate is a different story. As we've written, Democrats face an uphill climb to the majority in 2026, and the 2028 map doesn't look much more favorable, with the number of states splitting their presidential and Senate tickets dwindling. Then of course, even if Democrats manage to take control of both chambers of Congress, they won't have an opportunity at the White House until 2028. As for the second point, there are a lot of aspects of the 'big, beautiful bill' Democrats would like to reverse, most notably the cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs. But there are others, such as ' no tax on tips,' that have garnered support from Democrats. And while Democrats support increasing the current tax rates on the top earners, they wouldn't want the 2017 tax cuts that the law extends to completely expire. That would mean tax hikes on middle- and lower-income Americans, too. 🗞️ Today's other top stories ✉️ Epstein fallout: Trump took legal action less than 24 hours after The Wall Street Journal published an article saying Trump sent a letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 that included a drawing of a naked woman. The Justice Department also filed a motion to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal case in Manhattan federal court. 📻 Stations in limbo: After Congress approved a package to cut funding for PBS and NPR, media advocates fear that local public broadcasters will be forced to downsize or shutter, which could have an outsize impact on rural areas. Read more → 🩺 Health care hikes: People who get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could soon see their monthly premiums sharply increase as subsidies expire and insurers propose a major premium hike for 2026. Read more → 🪙 Crypto crunch: Trump signed the GENIUS Act, the first piece of federal legislation regulating stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency, into law after it passed through Congress with bipartisan support. Read more → 🤠 Texas two-step: Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin was set to travel to Houston today to meet with Texas Democrats to discuss how to fight back against Republican efforts to redraw the state's congressional maps. Read more → 🌴 Palmetto State dispatch: In conversations with more than a dozen Democrats across the South Carolina, a key presidential primary state, two themes emerged: They want someone ready to 'fight,' but they also want someone who can appeal across party lines. Read more →
NBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
A red-state Democrat test-drives a 2028 message: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Alexandra Marquez files a dispatch from the not-so-subtle 2028 shadow primary campaign trail. Plus, Jonathan Allen explores what the Jeffrey Epstein files fight reveals about the future of the MAGA movement — and Donald Trump's role in it. — Adam Wollner A red-state Democrat test-drives a 2028 message GREENVILLE, S.C. — In an early preview of a potential 2028 presidential campaign, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear hit the road across South Carolina this week, testing a message focused on how to grow the Democratic coalition. Beshear laid out a blueprint for the party to win back rural voters, union voters, independent voters and even Republicans — music to the ears of Democrats still feeling the sting of 2024's losses and eager to hear about how the party can rise again. 'The actions of the Trump administration are providing a huge opportunity for Democrats to go out and regain the trust of the American people to be the party of common sense, common ground and getting things done,' Beshear, 47, told union members gathered at the South Carolina AFL-CIO convention in Greenville. 'When we deliver and make people's lives better, they're willing to vote in different ways. They're willing to support different people, and that's where we've got to be,' added Beshear. Red-state credentials: At stop after stop, Beshear noted that he knows how to win voters in traditionally Republican areas. After all, he's done it twice. The first time was in 2019, when he won his first gubernatorial election by less than half a percentage point, beating GOP Gov. Matt Bevin. In 2023, Beshear improved his margins, beating then-state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican, by 5 points. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump won Kentucky by almost 26 points in 2020 and by over 30 points in 2024. South Carolina focus: Though he insisted that his travel to South Carolina came about partly because of his son's baseball tournament near Charleston, Beshear hasn't been coy about his presidential aspirations before arriving in the state that voted first in last year's Democratic presidential primaries. In an interview with 'Meet the Press' just days before he arrived in South Carolina, Beshear said he would ' take a look ' at launching a presidential campaign in 2028. He's at least the fourth Democratic elected official to publicly visit the state this year, arriving just a week after California Gov. Gavin Newsom and several weeks after Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland and Tim Walz of Minnesota. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., also has an event planned in the state later this week. Analysis by Jonathan Allen Whatever is in the Jeffrey Epstein files, Americans haven't learned much about the content because the Justice Department hasn't released them and appears to be in no rush to do so. But the fight over them has told the public a lot about the future of the MAGA movement and President Donald Trump's place in it. The truth that grows more glaringly obvious with each passing day is that Trump is a temporary leader of a modern Republican base that fashioned itself in his image. But countless elected officials and right-wing influencers hope to remain prominent once Trump has exited the presidency. Their timeline simply isn't the same as his. These folks, from Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk to megabroadcasters Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones, simply can't afford to alienate the hardcore MAGA base that is calling for transparency on a matter that speaks directly to their antipathy for powerful institutions and players. That's the most logical explanation for echoing criticism of Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi. It's not that Trump's longtime allies don't support his presidency — Kirk went so far as to say this week that pushing the Epstein issue is done out of love for Trump — but they aren't about to risk their own credibility with his voters. Trump, who watched some of his most prolific backers distance themselves from him on arming Ukraine and bombing Iran, can expect more of the same as his second term progresses. Over time, ambitious figures in the MAGA wing of the GOP are sure to cling tighter to the base than to Trump. That's the new reality for a president who faces a constitutional bar to running for another term. The lesson for him is that despite being the most powerful person in the world, his political capital will continue to diminish each time he picks a fight with his own movement. The Epstein files represent the first major MAGA rift of his second term. If he's not careful, it won't be the last. DOJ fires Maurene Comey, daughter of James Comey and a prosecutor in Sean Combs' and Ghislaine Maxwell's cases, by Ryan J. Reilly, Jonathan Dienst, David Rohde and Zoë Richards
