THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS LOST THE TRUST OF AMERICA

Congress We see some evidence of increasing fear as the Trump administration continues to stonewall over the Epstein files. Fear evidenced by the last-minute and reluctant release of education funding approved by Congress but until now being held hostage by the Project 2025 Darth Vader, aka OMB director, Russell Vought. Age-old solution. Throw money at it and maybe it will go away. Currently the administration is still refusing to entertain the idea of releasing the files themselves. Instead making weak pronouncements and feeble attempts to distract with actions designed to go nowhere. And instead sending administration officials to meet twice with Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump’s former attorney Todd Blanche is representing the DOJ in these talks. He wrote: “President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislane [sic] Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say.” Interviewing Maxwell, who is naturally fishing for a reduction in her 20-year prison sentence, will in no way be a convincing substitute for the files themselves. Especially since we now know Trump is mentioned in the files. Then lied that AG Bondi had not given him that information. And now the circumstances around the talks seem even fishier. The NYT has reported that Todd Blanche is a personal friend of Maxwell’s lawyer David O. Markus. The Times also noted that Blanche has taken the lead in the discussions since the DOJ fired Maurene Comey, who prosecuted the cases of both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Surely she left voluminous files on these cases before being booted out the door? Maxwell herself is a proven liar. In 2020, during Trump’s first administration, the DOJ charged her with two counts of perjury. The DOJ said then that her lies “should give the Court serious pause” about trusting her and that her “willingness to brazenly lie under oath about her conduct…strongly suggests her true motive has been and remains to avoid being held accountable for her crimes.” So the assurance from both sides that the truth is being searched for, and that the truth is being told, is and always will be, suspect. Both sides have an agenda. And both sides have shown they are willing to do or say whatever it takes to protect their own interests. True to form, Trump appeared to dangle a pardon over Maxwell when he pointed out to reporters that he’s “allowed” to pardon her. The dealmaker in action. Will he or won’t he? Here’s hoping he does.