Latest news with #TheMovement
The Hill
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Greene talks about her ‘genocide' comment and being an ‘early indicator' of GOP discontent
The Movement is a weekly newsletter tracking the influence and debates steering politics on the right. Sign up here or in the box below. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) says that Republicans should take her vocal criticisms of the GOP — which she insists are not criticisms of President Trump — as a warning about coming troubles with their base. 'I'm an early indicator, and my complaints are felt and being said far and wide among your average American people who voted for the President and Republicans in 2024,' Greene told me in a phone interview on Monday. 'The Republican Party is the one drifting away from what we campaigned on.' Greene also expanded to me on being the only Republican in Congress to call Israel's actions in Gaza a 'genocide.' Far from backing away from the term, Greene said: 'It's easy to call it a genocide.' More on that in a moment. I had reached out to the firebrand Georgia congresswoman in wake of her comments to the Daily Mail that the GOP had 'turned its back on America First' and that she was unsure of whether 'the Republican Party is leaving me, or if I'm kind of not relating to Republican Party as much anymore.' The comments surprised some, given Greene's ardent support of Trump, who is the leader of the GOP. She told me it is 'ridiculous' to suggest she does not support the president. But they are part of a pattern of Greene breaking with leaders in the GOP, including Trump. In recent weeks, she called the crisis in Gaza a genocide; raised the alarm about U.S. strikes in Iran; critiqued the U.S. continuing to sell weapons to help Ukraine; and pushed for more Jeffrey Epstein disclosures despite resistance from Trump, among other gripes. Just on Monday, Greene in a post lamented that there have been zero arrests in a number of MAGA-amplified scandals like the 'Russian Collusion Hoax,' 'COVID,' 'Mar-A-Lago Raid,' and 'Epstein Pedophile Arrest,' among others. She posted: 'Don't talk about it if you aren't going to do it.' Who was she talking about in that post, and who needs to change? Greene declined to name specific names. 'That criticism is to everyone, literally everyone, and no one's left out of that,' Greene said. 'If you're going to go on television — and this is for everybody — and point their fingers at all these people and call them criminals, say they committed treason, then do something about it,' Greene said. 'If they make these accusations, but yet hold no one accountable, they're going to lose everybody. They're going to lose a vast majority of people who really were told they had to care about this, and they cared about it, but yet nothing got done.' After Greene and I spoke on Monday, CNN reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi was directing federal prosecutors to start a grand jury probe into Obama administration officials over their role in the 2016 Russia election interference investigation. The question is whether Greene is a canary in the MAGA coal mine, or whether her criticisms just put her on an island. She is a giant figure in terms of followers and attention, but some could dismiss her concerns as representing only a minor faction on the right. Greene said she is reflecting what she is hearing in her deep-red Georgia district. But there is clearly some annoyance with the criticism from Greene. Asked about Greene's comments in the Daily Mail and on X, a White House official told me: 'President Trump campaigned on securing the border, signing tax cuts, and ending the genital mutilation of minors. He's accomplished all three within the first 200 days. Those are all promises MTG campaigned for and should be happy about.' Greene in response told me that she had posted over the weekend praising zero crossings in the past three months, and noted that she voted for Trump's 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' that locked in tax cuts. But she pushed back by saying Trump has not had the opportunity to sign her bill, the Protect Children's Innocence Act, to codify Trump's executive order to ban gender-affirming care for minors because it hasn't yet gotten a vote in the House or Senate. 'I'm not criticizing the President on this. I'm criticizing everyone around him. They're actually working against the president by making his executive orders, his accomplishments only temporary,' Greene said. Greene's 'America First' critique of U.S. foreign policy — going as far as to call the crisis and conflict in Gaza a 'genocide' — is perhaps the most notable break. Greene said she dubbed the situation a 'genocide' by 'simply looking at the truth and being willing to speak,' saying that there are 'many others' who agree but 'they're afraid to say it.' 'I support Israel, and we want to see every single hostage released …. It was horrific what happened on October 7,' Greene said. 'But it's also horrific what's happening in Gaza and many innocent people are being killed, have been killed. Christians have been killed, and children have been killed and are being starved.' 'It's easy to call it a genocide. And I think Israel has made clear what they want to do. They really want to, basically, move all the Palestinians out of Gaza, and that's what they're in the process of systematically doing,' Greene said. I noted that even many progressive Democrats critical of Israel have not used the term 'genocide' to describe what's happening in Gaza, since the term implies targeted destruction of an ethnic group based on their identity. American Jewish groups, not to mention Israel itself, strongly reject accusations of 'genocide.' 'I think it's pretty easy to understand. It's targeted at who they are, so that's their identity,' Greene said. 'I mean, they've bombed it to the point where it's unlivable … They are in talks of trying to get other countries to take Palestinian refugees. So I don't think it can be any more clear.' Welcome to The Movement, a weekly newsletter looking at the influences and debates on the right in Washington. I'm Emily Brooks, House leadership reporter at The Hill. Tell me what's on your radar: ebrooks@ STRANGE BEDFELLOWS FOR 'ORGASMIC MEDITATION' CONVICTS Can the right-wing outrage over 'weaponized' prosecution give a boost to those involved with a salacious case? Those defending the sexual wellness company OneTaste are finding strange bedfellows on the right as they fight convictions of the group's founder and former CEO Nicole Daedone and its former head of sales Rachel Cherwitz. Daedone and Cherwitz were convicted in June for 'forced labor conspiracy in connection with their coercive scheme to obtain the labor and services of certain OneTaste employees.' The company, which taught 'orgasmic meditation,' turned from a start-up celebrated for its focus on female sexuality to being criticized for alleged abuse of employees. It was the subject of a controversial 2022 Lena Dunham -produced Netflix documentary, 'Orgasm Inc.' It's not the type of case that immediately invites a conservative defense, but defenders of Daedone and Cherwitz see an opening with those skeptical of overzealous prosecutors — like those in the MAGA movement supportive of Trump and outraged about his prosecutions, as well as those of Jan. 6 rioters. 'The bulk of the support has come from the conservative movement,' said Juda Engelmayer, the crisis publicist for Daedone and Cherwitz. Getting others to take a deep look at the underlying legal issues, he said, requires 'getting your head around that concept is an ick factor.' The libertarian magazine Reason's senior editor Elizabeth Nolan Brown in February outlined a key argument of those defending OneTaste heads: 'The two face a single count of conspiracy to commit forced labor … Neither woman is charged with actually forcing labor or engaging in other criminal acts.' Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who was once investigated by the DOJ for alleged sex trafficking but never charged, has criticized the case on his One America News show. Trump adviser Roger Stone has critiqued the FBI over the case, as well. And it doesn't end in the conservative media space. There are people privately pressing the DOJ to look into the case. One member of Congress wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel with concerns about the case earlier this year, the Daily Mail reported. The Daily Mail censored the name of the member of Congress who wrote to Patel about the case — identified only as being a House Judiciary Committee member who has a law enforcement background. But Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), who fits that bill, confirmed to me that he was the one who sent the OneTaste letter to the FBI. The 'ick factor' could be a limiting factor for the defendants as they hope for more support on the right — given social conservative values opposed to the sex-positive OneTaste ethos. Daedone and Cherwitz are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 23, and plan to appeal the conviction. GAMBLING TAX DIVIDE EMERGING ON THE RIGHT A divide is emerging on the right over whether gamblers should be able to deduct their losses on their taxes, pitting social conservatives against top Republicans who hope to reverse the recent change. At issue is a last-minute provision in the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' that lowered the gambling loss deduction from 100 percent to 90 percent, set to kick in in 2026. That means if a gambler broke even one year, winning $1 million and losing $1 million, the gambler would still be taxed on $100,000 worth of income on winnings. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) said in a 'field hearing' in Las Vegas, Nev. last month that he was open to nixing that change. 'I know that many members on both sides of the aisle are open to working to address it before it goes into effect on January 1st,' Smith said. But social conservatives are starting to pipe up encouraging the opposite direction. Advancing American Freedom, the group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, is circulating a memo opposing that reversal and encouraging to lower the deduction even more: 'Gambling losses should not be deductible at all.' 'Nearly all gamblers lose money, leading to further financial, health, and family problems. Congress should encourage a pro-growth tax code by declining to reinstate full expensing for gambling losses,' the memo said. ON MY CALENDAR It's a quiet August here in Washington. Send me your interesting upcoming seminars, Capitol Hill forums, and galas to be featured in this section: ebrooks@ Monday, August 25 to Thursday, August 28: State Policy Network annual meeting in New Orleans, La. THREE MORE THINGS The Trump administration is not planning to mandate coverage for in vitro fertilization, contrary to the president's campaign pledge, the Washington Post reported. The Young Republicans honored four leaders at its national convention in Nashville, Tenn., over the weekend, inducting them into the 1856 Society: Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Political Affairs Matt Brasseaux; former National Director of Election Integrity for the Trump Campaign and RNC Christina Norton; The Washington Reporter Editor-in-Chief Matthew Foldi; and Trump 2024 National Delegate Selection Director John Findlay. Douglass Mackey, whose conviction over posting memes about the 2016 race was overturned by an appeals court this year, was celebrated at a bash at MAGA Capitol Hill hangout Butterworth's on Friday. Napkins at the event featured the meme telling voters to text to vote that Mackey posted under an anonymous Twitter account that was the center of the conviction of conspiracy to suppress voters. WHAT I'M READING
NDTV
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
"Don't Deserve To Call Myself Best In The World, I Earned The Right": CM Punk To Gunther
Setting the stage for the World Heavyweight Championship battle in the upcoming Summerslam, CM Punk and Gunther came face to face in the ring, though only for a verbal confrontation. Punk, who hopes to take the World Heavyweight Championship off Gunther's hands, looked to assert his dominance with words, as the veteran highlighted his exemplary resume as a performer in the WWE universe over the years. Punk called himself 'arrogant' but also said that he has earned the right to showcase such a reputation, having beaten Hall of Famers and legends since he started performing in the WWE. It was Gunther who opened the segment, saying he was victorious last Monday because he left CM Punk speechless. Punk, however, was in no mood to remain silent. "I'll give it to you. You are correct. I don't deserve to call myself the best in the world. I earned the right to call myself the best in the world. And I've earned the right to call myself the best in the world and be arrogant about it. But you are out here as world heavyweight champion being as arrogant as me, but you can't back it up," Punk told Gunther on Monday's WWE Raw. "I have left a trail of bodies, a hall of famers, legends, and superstars that you've only dreamed to be in the ring with. And when you compare your career, as great as it's been so far, with my career, this isn't apples to apples," he further said. "I don't deserve to call myself the Best In The World, I EARNED the right to call myself the Best In The World!" - CM Punk #WWERAW — The Movement - Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) July 29, 2025 Gunther looked to stop Punk from continuing his rant, but it was the World Heavyweight champion who was made silent as the latter put a hand on his mic. "You know what, I have enough of this. Shut the...," Gunther said as Punk came back "I wasn't finished." "There's levels to this, kid. And you're going to find out a hard lesson at the Summerslam on Saturday. You are not on my level," Punk said. "For as great as you are, Saturday night, I'm leaving World Heavyweight Champion. But hey, at least you'll be able to share a ring and finally feel what it's like to be in the ring with the one, the only best in the world, CM Punk," the verbal duel concluded.
The Hill
22-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
3 major fights on the right to watch in Trump's next 6 months
The Movement is a weekly newsletter tracking the influence and debates steering politics on the right. Sign up here or in the box below. Disputes on the right that had been simmering on the backburner as Republicans rallied around President Trump during his first six months in office are poised to roar to a boil in the second half of the year. Now that Republicans have pushed through the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' of Trump's tax cut and spending priorities, there is more space to hash out other intra-party debates. Trump's approval ratings seem to be reaching a summer slump, creating an opening for criticism. And the fissure over Jeffrey Epstein disclosures has exposed a slip in Trump's grip on the GOP. Here's what I'm watching: 1. Tariff hikes versus free trade instincts Republicans are bracing for Trump's threatened tariff hikes on most countries — which he had paused for several months — ahead of another critical deadline on August 1. Many Republicans have sat back and given Trump, who they regularly laud as a master negotiator, room to strike deals with trading partners. But Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on CBS News's 'Face the Nation' over the weekend that the Aug. 1 deadline is firm. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) recently told The Hill that the global and American economies are in a 'fragile spot right now' given the uncertainty over tariffs. 'We're in uncharted territory. I do not know the impact the tariffs are going to have on the American economy or the global economy. I don't, and nobody else does either,' Kennedy said. Republicans have already started to voice some concerns about the looming tariffs amid a lack of international deals. For instance, two dozen Republicans led by Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer last month asking the U.S. to maintain its zero tariff policy on civil aircraft, as Politico reported. If the tariffs get more real with little in terms of deals, quiet concerns are likely to grow much louder. 2. Posture toward Russia and Ukraine The president's patience with Vladimir Putin is wearing visibly thin as the Russian president resists any deal that would bring an end to his country's invasion of Ukraine — resulting in Trump growing more open to taking a tougher stance toward Russia. Trump warned on July 14 that if Russia did not agree to a deal within 50 days, he would pursue 'very severe tariffs' on Russia — and Republicans in support of a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill have said that a vote on the matter will come as soon as Trump gives the green light. But there is a notable contingent of Republicans who are still skeptical of being involved at all in the Russia-Ukraine clash. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) criticized Trump's plan to speed up weapons deliveries to NATO countries that would then send those arms to Ukraine in a New York Times interview last week. 'I said it on every rally stage: 'No more money to Ukraine. We want peace,'' Greene said. And seventy-six House Republicans voted in favor of an amendment from Greene last week to bar funds in their annual defense appropriations bill from being used for assistance to Ukraine. Even though the amendment failed and less than a majority of the House GOP supported it, it's still a sizable chunk that could complicate any Trump efforts to support Kyiv. 3. Government funding clashes It took some major pushes from Trump to get congressional Republicans all on board with his 'One Big Beautiful Bill' due in part to concerns from deficit hawks — and those disputes and dynamics are only going to get more complicated as Congress starts to address regular government funding ahead of the Sept. 30 funding deadline. Shutdown fears are already growing, my colleague Alex Bolton reports, since Republicans will need cooperation from Democrats in the Senate to keep the government — which is still operating at levels first approved under former President Biden — open. It typically takes a more moderate deal on appropriations to clear the Senate's 60-vote threshold. And this time, Democrats furious about the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' and package that clawed back funds already allocated to public broadcasting and foreign aid are eyeing taking a more aggressive stance. Further complicating that is government funding furor from deficit hawks on the GOP side who were disappointed by the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' not doing more to cut spending. But with little work done on regular government funding bills ahead of the August recess, a stopgap measure is looking more and more likely — a proposal that will infuriate deficit hawks. Welcome to The Movement, a weekly newsletter looking at the influences and debates on the right in Washington. I'm Emily Brooks, House leadership reporter at The Hill. Tell me what's on your radar: ebrooks@ Follow me on X: @emilybrooksnews. Not already on the list? Subscribe here THE LEGACY OF ED FEULNER Heritage Foundation founder Edward Feulner died this weekend at 83 years old — leaving behind a legacy of shaping influential institutions in the conservative movement as much as anyone from the Reagan era to the Trump era. It wasn't just Heritage that had Feulner's fingerprints. He played a role in founding and was executive director of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House. He was involved in a number of other organizations that still thrive and shape conservative politics and policy today. Former Vice President Mike Pence wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Feulner encouraged him to lead the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, as part of an effort to support state-based conservative think tanks that would eventually turn into the State Policy Network. Current Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby talked about Feulner's movement-building approach in a statement: 'Whether he was bringing together the various corners of the conservative movement at meetings of the Philadelphia Society, or launching what is now the Heritage Strategy Forum, Ed championed a bold, 'big-tent conservatism.' He believed in addition, not subtraction. Unity, not uniformity.' Without a doubt, Feulner was a giant of the conservative movement — and one of its most important builders. 'The young Republicans in Washington may not know it, but they are spending down the intellectual capital stockpiled by Ed Feulner and his generation,' the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board wrote. WAVE OF FILE DROPS — BUT NOT THOSE ONES Could it be that the conservative clamor to release more disclosures on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is dying down after releases from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on other, unrelated sagas that have defined the MAGA hunger for retribution? Gabbard's ODNI on Friday published a press release saying there was 'overwhelming evidence' that former President Obama and his officials 'manufactured and politicized intelligence' to launch a 'years-long coup against President Trump' in relation to Trump's suspected ties to Russia. (More in NPR.) That coincided with a narrative shift from the types of MAGA influencers who had centered on anger over lack of Epstein disclosures for weeks. Now, they're calling to arrest Obama administration officials — and even the former president himself. But that wasn't all. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday released more information on the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).Grassley subsequently released the 'Clinton Annex' appendix to the Justice Department inspector general report on the Clinton investigation. 'I appreciate their ongoing commitment to transparency and strongly urge them to continue to fully review this matter, including its national security impact,' Grassley said in a statement. And for good measure, in a coordinated effort across agencies, the Trump administration released a tranche of files on the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. — despite objections from his family. Is it enough to calm the right-wing outrage about lack of transparency in the Epstein matter? Stay tuned — and maybe look to the House floor for any residual Epstein drama. While Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has said he has no plans to bring a vote a on a non-binding resolution in support of the Epstein files release before August recess, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) told my colleague Mychael Schnell of an Epstein vote: 'It's still a long way to go until recess… I think one's gonna happen before August recess.' ON MY CALENDAR Wednesday, July 23: CPAC's Center for Combating Human Trafficking hosts an International Summit Against Human Trafficking on Capitol Hill in Cannon House Office Building, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attorney General Pam Bondi is a confirmed speaker. Wednesday, July 23: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary speaks for a lecture hosted by The Fund For American Studies and the office of Sen. Rand Paul, 12:30 p.m., Hart Senate Office Building. Thursday, July 24: Libertarianism vs. Conservatism intern debate, a tradition with interns from the Cato Institute and Heritage Foundation. 5:30 p.m., in person and live streamed. Monday, July 28: Unleash Prosperity hosts a conversation with Stephen Moore and Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin (R) for an event launching a 'Vote with your feet' website tracking movement of people and money across the states. 5-7 p.m. at the Capitol Hill Club. THREE MORE THINGS Ruthless, the GOP operative podcast hosted by Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook and the man most known by his internet personality ' Comfortably Smug,' struck a business and editorial licensing deal with Fox News, Axios reported. Did you know that Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and daughter-in-law of the president, has a musical streak? She released a new song today, The Telegraph's Rob Crilly scooped, called Eyes of God. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) opened our conversion at the Hill Nation last week summit with a zinger. I asked how post-congressional life was treating him. McCarthy said, 'Fabulous. We don't have Matt Gaetz anymore.' The former congressman and McCarthy antagonist responded on X: 'This is so sad, Kevin. Get help. Move on. You don't have to always be thinking about me.' WHAT I'M READING
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump faces MAGA midterm warnings on Epstein
The Movement is a weekly newsletter tracking the influence and debates steering politics on the right. or in the box below. Conservative influencers and personalities furious at the Trump administration's announcement that it will not release any more information surrounding disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have repeatedly issued a warning: This will cost Republicans in the midterms. Commentator Liz Wheeler said last week that President Trump, in dismissing anger about the Epstein matter, was misreading his base and it could show at the ballot box. Former Trump adviser and commentator Steve Bannon estimated it would cost Republicans '10 percent of the MAGA movement' and cause the GOP to 'lose 40 seats' in the midterms, and the presidency in 2028. The theory is that disappointment over the Epstein decision will depress voter enthusiasm for Trump, and by extension all Republicans, resulting in some voters who care about the issue staying home or even voting for a Democrat instead. (The Justice Department and FBI last week asserted in a memo last week that Epstein did die by suicide and did not have a client list. Officials declined to release any more details, saying information under seal 'served only to protect victims and did not expose any additional third-parties to allegations of illegal wrongdoing.') The midterms, though, are a long way away — and national Republican strategists are, for now, largely dismissing the prospect of the Epstein files being much of a factor. One national Republican strategist I spoke to stressed that no candidate will be making Epstein a main issue, and predicted that the effect of any disillusionment with Trump on the part of voters would be miniscule. Democrats, the strategist thought, would have little ground to message on Epstein given that major Democratic figures like former President Clinton were friendly with the financier. But while no one expects Epstein to be a top motivating issue in 2026, or the kind of thing you'll see in TV ads, it could play into Democrats' major political theme, a national Democratic strategist told me: The sense that Trump and Republicans have betrayed voters who were counting on the new GOP trifecta ushering in transparency and combating the elites — be it through their extending Trump's tax cuts and threatening Medicaid coverage, or through keeping information about Epstein sealed. Bannon articulated that concern, saying that the handling of the Epstein matter has 'disheartened the hardest core populist' base. And we're already seeing Democrats and those on the left seize on the Epstein messaging in hopes of pulling on that thread — and poking at Trump. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) leaned in on the matter on Monday, saying Trump administration officials either 'intentionally lied' or that the files contain information 'that could be damaging to the Trump administration.' Rep. Mark Veasey (D-Texas) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) each said they plan to introduce a resolution demanding the release of the Epstein files. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), meanwhile, expressed his Epstein-files-release message in song. House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has called for the Trump administration to release more material, saying panel Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) should subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. My colleague Mychael Schnell caught an anti-Trump 'No Kings' protest over the weekend with a new messaging line: 'Release the files.' We don't have any hard data in terms of polling so far indicating that Trump and Republicans are in trouble due to the Epstein matter — but judging by the messaging from the A-list line up of MAGA influencers at Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit over the weekend, many of whom unloaded over the Epstein matter, the right-wing base is still furious. The biggest question for the midterms, then, will be how much staying power that fury has — and how much the conservative commentators and figures who long riled up their base and pushed for more disclosures will keep bringing it up. Trump gave pretty explicit orders to his ''boys' and, in some cases, 'gals'' in a Truth Social post on Saturday to stop attacking Bondi, expressing exasperation with Epstein still being in the news and discrediting whatever might be in the files by accusing 'crooked' Democrats of 'writing the files' on Epstein. Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk — who, according to CNN, got a call from Trump over the weekend telling him to cut out the Epstein talk — got the message. 'Plenty was said this last weekend at our event about Epstein. Honestly, I'm done talking about Epstein for the time being. I'm gonna trust my friends in the administration, I'm gonna trust my friends in the government to do what needs to be done, solve it, ball's in their hands,' Kirk said on his radio show on Monday. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones of Infowars is grappling with Trump's suggestion that the Democrats might have doctored the Epstein files. 'I dropped the ball. I didn't even think about the fact — I'm like, oh yeah, they've had the list, they've had the files for years, the Democrats would take stuff out and destroy it. Well, that's obvious. They would leave and put in and twist what they wanted,' Jones said in a video posted to X on Sunday. But Jones added: 'This has put the Trump administration into a mega, massive crisis. And Trump at press conferences, the rest of it, saying don't ask questions, triggers the ultimate Streisand effect and is insane.' And activist Laura Loomer isn't letting up, either. On Sunday night, long after Trump's post, she called for a special counsel to examine the handling of the Epstein files in an interview with Politico Playbook. Another big question: What does Bongino do? Multiple reports said he was threatening to leave the Trump administration over the Epstein matter if Bondi didn't leave — and if he went back to his national radio show and spilled on his fury over the Epstein decision, that could fan the MAGA flames. It's possible, though, that feud cools off. But as much as national Republicans may dismiss the potential impact on the midterms, it's looking more and more like the Epstein outrage could be an inflection point for MAGA — and the anti-establishment, conspiracy-curious sensibilities in it. We're now more than a week into the Epstein fallout, and it's still getting major attention in both conservative circles and the mainstream media, despite Trump's attempts to shut down the rebellion. 'Trump's persuasive power over his base, especially during his first term, was almost magical. Calling out obvious mistakes he made would get you an ass chewing. 'Trust the plan!' The reaction on Epstein should thus be startling to him. No one is buying it. No one is dropping it,' right-wing activist Mike Cernovich posted on X. , a weekly newsletter about the influences and debates on the right in Washington. I'm Emily Brooks, House leadership reporter at The Hill, with an assist this week from my colleague Mychael Schnell. Tell us what's on your radar: ebrooks@ and mschnell@ Follow us on X: @emilybrooksnews, @mychaelschnell. Not already on the list? THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST JEROME POWELL Trump is still angry with Fed Chair Jerome Powell — and others in his ranks appear to be joining the fight. The president has not let up on his criticism of Powell, calling the Central Bank chief a 'knucklehead,' 'stupid guy' and 'really bad' — all in one breath during a faith luncheon with business leaders and economic officials on Monday, prompting laughs from individuals in the room. Earlier this month, Trump said Powell should 'resign immediately.' Nowadays, it's not just the president — other key administration officials and White House allies are going after Powell as Trump grows increasingly frustrated with the Fed chair's posture on interest rates. White House senior trade adviser Peter Navarro, for example, in a recent interview accused Powell of not understanding 'Trumpnomics,' accusing the Fed chair of styming U.S. economic growth. 'So, here's the deal. It's like in the first term, when President Trump was in, Powell gets up to the chair, and the first thing he starts doing is raising rates, because he doesn't understand how powerful Trumpnomics is and be able to generate strong growth without generating inflation,' Navarro said during an interview on John Catsimatidis radio show 'Cats Roundtable' on WABC 770 AM. Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has also jumped into the fray, slamming Powell for plans to renovate the Central Bank. 'The President is extremely troubled by your management of the Federal Reserve System,' Vought wrote in a letter on Thursday. 'Instwad of attempting to right the Fed's fiscal ship, you have plowed ahead with an ostentatious overhaul of your Washington D.C. headquarters.' And James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff, last week said he expressed his 'grave concern with the public allegations by others that Federal Reserve Chairman Powell was not honest with the Senate Banking Committee in his late June testimony about design features of the Federal Reserve's Headquarters Renovation Project.' 'At a time when the Fed is running an operating deficit, maintains high interest rates, and is receiving significant public scrutiny, one has to wonder whether the so-called 'Taj Mahal near the National Mall' project is in the best interests of the board & the public it serves,' he wrote in a lengthy thread on X. Related: ' TWO HOUSE SPEAKERS, ADMIN OFFICIALS, AND MORE AT HILL NATION SUMMIT The whole team at The Hill is very excited to dig deeper with some of Washington's biggest newsmakers on Wednesday at the Hill Nation Summit, presented with our partners at NewsNation. I'll be sitting down with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — two figures I've closely covered and tried to understand as a House reporter over the last three-and-a-half years. Fellow House reporter Mychael Schnell will sit down with gubernatorial hopeful Rep. John James (R-Mich.) and the ever-bubbly House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.). Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Trade adviser Peter Navarro will join — and on the Democratic side, we'll hear from David Hogg, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and more. The summit comes six months into Trump's second term – and from the future of the GOP to how Democrats are struggling to rebuild after their crushing 2024 loss, there's tons to cover. We hope you'll join us either in person at the Willard (would love to say hi!), or by following along online. Request to attend here. Related: ON MY CALENDAR Tuesday, July 15: Americans for Prosperity hosts a 'One Big Beautiful Bash' at its Capitol Hill 'Freedom Embassy' to celebrate tax cut extensions in the GOP megabill, featuring Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), AFP CEO Emily Seidel, AFP Government Affairs Officer Brent Gardner, Fox News Contributor Guy Benson, and Editor Katie Pavlich. Starts at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 16: The Hill hosts a full-day Hill Nation Summit in Washington, D.C. featuring Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Homeland Security Secretary Krisi Noem, David Hogg, and many more. Request to attend here. Friday, July 18: The American Legislative Affairs Council (ALEC) hosts its annual meeting in Indianapolis, Ind. Mainstage speakers include Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts on 'Where America and the Conservative Movement are Going.' Tuesday, July 22: The Heritage Foundation hosts its 2025 B.C. Lee Lecture featuring Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) on U.S. engagement with China. THREE MORE THINGS Elon Musk unfollowed anti-democracy right-wing thinker Curtis Yarvin on X after the New York Times reported that Musk had consulted Yarvin about his idea for a third party, according to the 'Big Tech Alert' account that tracks public figures' follows and unfollows. According to the piece, the two did not have an expansive relationship; Yarvin said in January that he had not met Musk. The incident reminded me of a tidbit from a lengthy New Yorker profile of Yarvin last month: 'Yarvin is not known for his discretion. He has a habit of sharing private correspondence, as I discovered when he started sending me unsolicited screenshots of text messages and e-mails he'd exchanged with his wife, his friends, a fact checker at the Times Magazine, and someone nominated to the new Administration.' Marc Short, former chief of staff to former Vice President Pence, predicted on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that GOP divisions will be more apparent in the coming months: 'I think the divisions are actually going to become more exacerbated in the second half of this year, Kristen. Because now that you've passed the one Big Beautiful Bill, you're going to see the policy differences between the isolationists and the interventionists come forward. You're going to see him now again pushing forward on more or less the Bernie Sanders trade policy that Donald Trump has embraced that I don't think all Republicans are in support of. And so in the first half of the year, much of that has been muted because everything was sort of put on pause.' Tucker Carlson revealed that after he got fired from Fox News in 2023, he sweet-talked the Daily Mail into not using video of his wife dropping an f-bomb. Sitting down with podcaster Alex Clark, Carlson said his wife's reaction to the firing was 'Thank God' — because she believed the network was anti-Christian. When the Daily Mail caught up with them, Calrson was gracious in describing the situation to the tabloid — but his wife said to the camera, 'F— Fox News.' Calrlson called an editor to ask them not to use that clip. WHAT I'M READING The New York Times's Ken Bensinger and Robert Draper: Laura Loomer, Trump's Blunt Instrument Wall Street Journal's Shalini Ramachandran, Scott Patterson, and Katherine Long: The Fight Between Musk Acolytes and the White House for Control of DOGE Washington Post's Danielle Paquette: How the Trump assasination attempt changed these rallygoers Axios's Marc Caputo: 3 ways Trump might try to defuse the Epstein mess Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump faces MAGA midterm warnings on Epstein
The Movement is a weekly newsletter tracking the influence and debates steering politics on the right. Sign up here or in the box below. Conservative influencers and personalities furious at the Trump administration's announcement that it will not release any more information surrounding disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have repeatedly issued a warning: This will cost Republicans in the midterms. Commentator Liz Wheeler said last week that President Trump, in dismissing anger about the Epstein matter, was misreading his base and it could show at the ballot box. Former Trump adviser and commentator Steve Bannon estimated it would cost Republicans '10 percent of the MAGA movement' and cause the GOP to 'lose 40 seats' in the midterms, and the presidency in 2028. The theory is that disappointment over the Epstein decision will depress voter enthusiasm for Trump, and by extension all Republicans, resulting in some voters who care about the issue staying home or even voting for a Democrat instead. (The Justice Department and FBI last week asserted in a memo last week that Epstein did die by suicide and did not have a client list. Officials declined to release any more details, saying information under seal 'served only to protect victims and did not expose any additional third-parties to allegations of illegal wrongdoing.') The midterms, though, are a long way away — and national Republican strategists are, for now, largely dismissing the prospect of the Epstein files being much of a factor. One national Republican strategist I spoke to stressed that no candidate will be making Epstein a main issue, and predicted that the effect of any disillusionment with Trump on the part of voters would be miniscule. Democrats, the strategist thought, would have little ground to message on Epstein given that major Democratic figures like former President Clinton were friendly with the financier. But while no one expects Epstein to be a top motivating issue in 2026, or the kind of thing you'll see in TV ads, it could play into Democrats' major political theme, a national Democratic strategist told me: The sense that Trump and Republicans have betrayed voters who were counting on the new GOP trifecta ushering in transparency and combating the elites — be it through their extending Trump's tax cuts and threatening Medicaid coverage, or through keeping information about Epstein sealed. Bannon articulated that concern, saying that the handling of the Epstein matter has 'disheartened the hardest core populist' base. And we're already seeing Democrats and those on the left seize on the Epstein messaging in hopes of pulling on that thread — and poking at Trump. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) leaned in on the matter on Monday, saying Trump administration officials either 'intentionally lied' or that the files contain information 'that could be damaging to the Trump administration.' Rep. Mark Veasey (D-Texas) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) each said they plan to introduce a resolution demanding the release of the Epstein files. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), meanwhile, expressed his Epstein-files-release message in song. House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has called for the Trump administration to release more material, saying panel Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) should subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. My colleague Mychael Schnell caught an anti-Trump 'No Kings' protest over the weekend with a new messaging line: 'Release the files.' We don't have any hard data in terms of polling so far indicating that Trump and Republicans are in trouble due to the Epstein matter — but judging by the messaging from the A-list line up of MAGA influencers at Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit over the weekend, many of whom unloaded over the Epstein matter, the right-wing base is still furious. The biggest question for the midterms, then, will be how much staying power that fury has — and how much the conservative commentators and figures who long riled up their base and pushed for more disclosures will keep bringing it up. Trump gave pretty explicit orders to his ''boys' and, in some cases, 'gals'' in a Truth Social post on Saturday to stop attacking Bondi, expressing exasperation with Epstein still being in the news and discrediting whatever might be in the files by accusing 'crooked' Democrats of 'writing the files' on Epstein. Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk — who, according to CNN, got a call from Trump over the weekend telling him to cut out the Epstein talk — got the message. 'Plenty was said this last weekend at our event about Epstein. Honestly, I'm done talking about Epstein for the time being. I'm gonna trust my friends in the administration, I'm gonna trust my friends in the government to do what needs to be done, solve it, ball's in their hands,' Kirk said on his radio show on Monday. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones of Infowars is grappling with Trump's suggestion that the Democrats might have doctored the Epstein files. 'I dropped the ball. I didn't even think about the fact — I'm like, oh yeah, they've had the list, they've had the files for years, the Democrats would take stuff out and destroy it. Well, that's obvious. They would leave and put in and twist what they wanted,' Jones said in a video posted to X on Sunday. But Jones added: 'This has put the Trump administration into a mega, massive crisis. And Trump at press conferences, the rest of it, saying don't ask questions, triggers the ultimate Streisand effect and is insane.' And activist Laura Loomer isn't letting up, either. On Sunday night, long after Trump's post, she called for a special counsel to examine the handling of the Epstein files in an interview with Politico Playbook. Another big question: What does Bongino do? Multiple reports said he was threatening to leave the Trump administration over the Epstein matter if Bondi didn't leave — and if he went back to his national radio show and spilled on his fury over the Epstein decision, that could fan the MAGA flames. It's possible, though, that feud cools off. But as much as national Republicans may dismiss the potential impact on the midterms, it's looking more and more like the Epstein outrage could be an inflection point for MAGA — and the anti-establishment, conspiracy-curious sensibilities in it. We're now more than a week into the Epstein fallout, and it's still getting major attention in both conservative circles and the mainstream media, despite Trump's attempts to shut down the rebellion. 'Trump's persuasive power over his base, especially during his first term, was almost magical. Calling out obvious mistakes he made would get you an ass chewing. 'Trust the plan!' The reaction on Epstein should thus be startling to him. No one is buying it. No one is dropping it,' right-wing activist Mike Cernovich posted on X. Welcome to The Movement, a weekly newsletter about the influences and debates on the right in Washington. I'm Emily Brooks, House leadership reporter at The Hill, with an assist this week from my colleague Mychael Schnell. Tell us what's on your radar: ebrooks@ and mschnell@ Follow us on X: @emilybrooksnews, @mychaelschnell. THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST JEROME POWELL Trump is still angry with Fed Chair Jerome Powell — and others in his ranks appear to be joining the fight. The president has not let up on his criticism of Powell, calling the Central Bank chief a 'knucklehead,' 'stupid guy' and 'really bad' — all in one breath during a faith luncheon with business leaders and economic officials on Monday, prompting laughs from individuals in the room. Earlier this month, Trump said Powell should 'resign immediately.' Nowadays, it's not just the president — other key administration officials and White House allies are going after Powell as Trump grows increasingly frustrated with the Fed chair's posture on interest rates. White House senior trade adviser Peter Navarro, for example, in a recent interview accused Powell of not understanding 'Trumpnomics,' accusing the Fed chair of styming U.S. economic growth. 'So, here's the deal. It's like in the first term, when President Trump was in, Powell gets up to the chair, and the first thing he starts doing is raising rates, because he doesn't understand how powerful Trumpnomics is and be able to generate strong growth without generating inflation,' Navarro said during an interview on John Catsimatidis radio show 'Cats Roundtable' on WABC 770 AM. Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has also jumped into the fray, slamming Powell for plans to renovate the Central Bank. 'The President is extremely troubled by your management of the Federal Reserve System,' Vought wrote in a letter on Thursday. 'Instwad of attempting to right the Fed's fiscal ship, you have plowed ahead with an ostentatious overhaul of your Washington D.C. headquarters.' And James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff, last week said he expressed his 'grave concern with the public allegations by others that Federal Reserve Chairman Powell was not honest with the Senate Banking Committee in his late June testimony about design features of the Federal Reserve's Headquarters Renovation Project.' 'At a time when the Fed is running an operating deficit, maintains high interest rates, and is receiving significant public scrutiny, one has to wonder whether the so-called 'Taj Mahal near the National Mall' project is in the best interests of the board & the public it serves,' he wrote in a lengthy thread on X. TWO HOUSE SPEAKERS, ADMIN OFFICIALS, AND MORE AT HILL NATION SUMMIT The whole team at The Hill is very excited to dig deeper with some of Washington's biggest newsmakers on Wednesday at the Hill Nation Summit, presented with our partners at NewsNation. I'll be sitting down with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — two figures I've closely covered and tried to understand as a House reporter over the last three-and-a-half years. Fellow House reporter Mychael Schnell will sit down with gubernatorial hopeful Rep. John James (R-Mich.) and the ever-bubbly House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.). Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Trade adviser Peter Navarro will join — and on the Democratic side, we'll hear from David Hogg, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and more. The summit comes six months into Trump's second term – and from the future of the GOP to how Democrats are struggling to rebuild after their crushing 2024 loss, there's tons to cover. We hope you'll join us either in person at the Willard (would love to say hi!), or by following along online. Request to attend here. ON MY CALENDAR Tuesday, July 15: Americans for Prosperity hosts a 'One Big Beautiful Bash' at its Capitol Hill 'Freedom Embassy' to celebrate tax cut extensions in the GOP megabill, featuring Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), AFP CEO Emily Seidel, AFP Government Affairs Officer Brent Gardner, Fox News Contributor Guy Benson, and Editor Katie Pavlich. Starts at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 16: The Hill hosts a full-day Hill Nation Summit in Washington, D.C. featuring Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Homeland Security Secretary Krisi Noem, David Hogg, and many more. Request to attend here. Friday, July 18: The American Legislative Affairs Council (ALEC) hosts its annual meeting in Indianapolis, Ind. Mainstage speakers include Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts on 'Where America and the Conservative Movement are Going.' Tuesday, July 22: The Heritage Foundation hosts its 2025 B.C. Lee Lecture featuring Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) on U.S. engagement with China. THREE MORE THINGS Elon Musk unfollowed anti-democracy right-wing thinker Curtis Yarvin on X after the New York Times reported that Musk had consulted Yarvin about his idea for a third party, according to the 'Big Tech Alert' account that tracks public figures' follows and unfollows. According to the piece, the two did not have an expansive relationship; Yarvin said in January that he had not met Musk. The incident reminded me of a tidbit from a lengthy New Yorker profile of Yarvin last month: 'Yarvin is not known for his discretion. He has a habit of sharing private correspondence, as I discovered when he started sending me unsolicited screenshots of text messages and e-mails he'd exchanged with his wife, his friends, a fact checker at the Times Magazine, and someone nominated to the new Administration.' Marc Short, former chief of staff to former Vice President Pence, predicted on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that GOP divisions will be more apparent in the coming months: 'I think the divisions are actually going to become more exacerbated in the second half of this year, Kristen. Because now that you've passed the one Big Beautiful Bill, you're going to see the policy differences between the isolationists and the interventionists come forward. You're going to see him now again pushing forward on more or less the Bernie Sanders trade policy that Donald Trump has embraced that I don't think all Republicans are in support of. And so in the first half of the year, much of that has been muted because everything was sort of put on pause.' Tucker Carlson revealed that after he got fired from Fox News in 2023, he sweet-talked the Daily Mail into not using video of his wife dropping an f-bomb. Sitting down with podcaster Alex Clark, Carlson said his wife's reaction to the firing was 'Thank God' — because she believed the network was anti-Christian. When the Daily Mail caught up with them, Calrson was gracious in describing the situation to the tabloid — but his wife said to the camera, 'F— Fox News.' Calrlson called an editor to ask them not to use that clip. WHAT I'M READING
