Good evening, everyone. It’s been a very busy day, but before we get to the news, I want to pause for a moment. Tonight is the first time I’ve really realized it’s been one week since the Epstein files were released. It feels like a year. I’ve gone through thousands of documents, with many more still to come. I’ve received threats. Some demanded that I stop.
I didn’t. And that’s because you were with me the entire time. Your support, encouragement, and motivation carried me through moments when I truly needed it. That’s why I’m still going—caffeinated, focused, and reviewing every page.
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This week, we also saw major institutions quietly move on from the Epstein files. I won’t. Ever. Thank you to everyone who has already supported this work.
Tonight, I also spoke with Jessica Tarlov, a regular on The Five on Fox News. It was a longer conversation than usual, but one I wanted to share. So sit back, grab some popcorn, and join me as we break down what was arguably the worst week of the second Trump presidency.
Let’s get into it.
- The White House deleted Donald Trump’s Truth Social repost of a racist video depicting Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes after bipartisan backlash, saying a staffer “erroneously” shared it, despite earlier public defenses from press secretary Karoline Leavitt before GOP lawmakers urged its removal.
- A newly unsurfaced video from 2024 shows the President claiming that only he and one other staffer had access to his Truth Social account:
- Hakeem Jeffries did not hold back in his remarks about Trump:
- The Department of Justice will allow members of United States Congress to review un-redacted files related to Jeffrey Epstein starting next week, requiring in-person viewing at DOJ offices with 24 hours’ notice, no staff access or electronic devices, note-taking permitted, and review limited to roughly 3 million documents already released publicly—not the full 6+ million-file trove held by DOJ.
- Bill Clinton released the following statement today:
- Newly released Department of Justice files reveal that Jeffrey Epstein maintained a years-long, behind-the-scenes relationship with Sergei Belyakov, an FSB-trained Russian official who helped him secure visas, gather intelligence, and pursue contacts with senior Russian figures—highlighting Epstein’s deep and previously hidden ties to Russian state-linked actors.
- U.K. police searched two properties linked to Peter Mandelson as part of an Jeffrey Epstein–related probe into alleged misconduct in public office, after newly released files suggested Mandelson may have shared sensitive government information, intensifying political fallout for Prime Minister Keir Starmer over Mandelson’s past appointment.
- Newly released records show John Phelan was listed as a passenger on Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane during a 2006 London–New York flight, though Phelan says he had no prior relationship with Epstein, was invited by a third party, and had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, which became public later that year.
- New Department of Justice releases show Jeffrey Epstein actively advising and coordinating with prominent figures accused of misconduct during the rise of #MeToo—fielding requests for strategy, funding lawsuits, and disparaging accusers—revealing efforts by Epstein and a circle of elites to blunt the movement’s impact as allegations mounted.
- The International Olympic Committee urged spectators not to boo the U.S. delegation led by JD Vance and Marco Rubio at the Milano Cortina Winter Games opening ceremony, amid backlash over the Department of Homeland Security confirming Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will assist with Olympic security.
- It did not work. Vance and his wife were significantly booed during the Olympics. I would show you, but NBC News is censoring anyone who posts it:
- Children detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas describe severe physical and psychological harm—including nightmares, hunger from inedible food, lack of schooling, inadequate medical care, and disease exposure—as advocates accuse Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security of operating a prison-like family detention system that pressures parents to abandon immigration claims, in possible violation of long-standing child-protection standards.
- A federal judge ordered the release of text messages and other evidence from a United States Border Patrol agent who shot Marimar Martinez five times, ruling the records are in the public interest after prosecutors dropped charges against her while Department of Homeland Security officials continued to label her a “domestic terrorist,” raising questions about agent conduct, credibility, and use of force.
- Donald Trump privately told Chuck Schumer he would restore billions in frozen New York City infrastructure funding only if Schumer backs renaming Dulles International Airport and Penn Station after Trump, part of a broader push to brand public institutions with his name despite legal and political questions.
- The Guardian has confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security inspector general has launched an investigation into immigration authorities’ use of surveillance tools—including facial recognition and biometric data—after concerns raised by Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine that Immigration and Customs Enforcement may be violating privacy and constitutional protections through contracts with firms like Palantir and Clearview AI, as Democrats push legislation to ban such technologies altogether.
- Gavin Newsom rejected a Department of Homeland Security claim that California will release 33,000 undocumented criminals, saying the figure falsely conflates jails with state prisons and ignores data showing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation cooperates with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in most eligible cases, while accusing the Donald Trump administration of spreading misinformation to distract from controversy over a racist post targeting Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.
- The Nebraska Legislature voted 33–16 to roll back a voter-approved minimum wage increase by allowing employers to pay most teen workers $13.50 an hour and capping future raises, a move sponsored by Jane Raybould that supporters say will boost youth hiring but critics argue undercuts the will of voters and worsens affordability for young workers.
- Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order quadrupling U.S. beef imports from Argentina following a new tariff-slashing trade deal, a move pitched as lowering consumer prices but criticized by Republican lawmakers and farm groups who warn it could hurt struggling American ranchers.
- Senator Ron Wyden plans to introduce a bill that would block Donald Trump from profiting off his $10 billion Internal Revenue Service lawsuit by imposing a 100% tax on any payout or settlement, amid concerns the administration could enable Trump to personally benefit from a case against the government he leads.
See you soon.
— Aaron
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