"Maria Farmer is another hero." Amanda Roberts, sister-in-law of Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre salutes Maria Farmer, whose 1996 FBI complaint against Epstein, which was never publicly acknowledged, appeared in the DOJ's release of Epstein files. "She got this day of vindication."

@weissmann.substack.com ticks through the tools at Congress' disposal to compel the Department of Justice release all of the remaining Epstein files documents as the law requires.

Psaki on networks having regrets about airing Trump in prime time: "I assume there is going to be a lot of meetings in these networks tomorrow morning about whether or not to do that again."

Full video: @crampell.bsky.social and MS NOW Senior White House correspondent Vaughn Hillyard join Jen for further fact-checking and analysis. Watch: youtu.be/8IRgcAkqMgI

"A bad, fast-talking infomercial." Jen Psaki reacts to Donald Trump's address to the nation, "It was extremely loose on facts and he basically tried to shout his alleged accomplishments at the American people as if that was going to convince them that they were all true."

Senator Mark Kelly shares his initial reaction to Donald Trump's address: "Why is he, like, so angry and desperate and defensive? Somebody must have showed him some abysmal poll numbers..."

LIVE NOW: Instant analysis and fact-check of Trump's White House address with @velshi.com and @mollyjongfast.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSw1...

Tonight on The Briefing! @captmarkkelly.bsky.social @whipplc.bsky.social

The backdrop of speech tonight is Trump’s top advisor just eviscerated him and his agenda on the record, lowest approval ratings on the economy of his presidency, jack smith is destroying him today, House Rs just signed a discharge petition on healthcare and the epstein files are due tomorrow

Rep. Brendan Boyle on motivating the GOP: "What I would hope would happen, and certainly we're pushing to happen is that enough House Republicans and enough Senate Republicans would be more afraid of their angry voters and facing them next fall than they are afraid of crossing Donald Trump."

"A blockade is literally, by definition, an act of war." Rep. Adam Smith sounds the alarm that Donald Trump is inching the U.S. closer to war with Venezuela.

Rep. Robert Garcia isn't sure what to expect from this Friday's release of Epstein documents, but Republicans can probably be expected to try to hide the truth, and Donald Trump can be expected to create a distraction.

"Absolute, rank incompetence and hubris from Susie Wiles" Dan Pfeiffer shares his reaction to today's Vanity Fair piece based on a year-long series of interviews with Donald Trump's chief of staff.

Programming note! Jonathan Capehart gets to speak with former First Lady Michelle Obama this Thursday! Jen will be debriefing Jonathan directly afterward. 12/18 at 8pmET on MS NOW

Here is the full video of Senator Warnock's speech today. If the link doesn't take you to the right spot, he comes in at 7:57. www.youtube.com/live/4F3Qm-M...

'Already crossed the line': A.G. James' lawyer gives fair warning to Trump prosecutors that there are protections when officials abuse their power. "There are ways to seek redress. I can't really tip off what we're going to do, but the people on the other side should be fairly warned."

"It feels a little bit tone deaf." Jen Psaki reacts to TIME choosing AI tech billionaires as their 'Person of the Year.' "It almost felt AI generated."

Tonight on The Briefing! @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social Abbe Lowell @schiff.senate.gov @warnock.senate.gov

Tonight on The Briefing! @maddow.bsky.social @ossoff.senate.gov @gallego.senate.gov

"I'm a veteran of the war in Iraq. My generation were in 20 years of forever war in the Middle East. I heard Donald Trump as a candidate talk a lot about never doing that again, and yet here we are." -Rep. Chris Deluzio talks with Jen about Donald Trump's threat to go to war with Venezuela.

Ben Smith concedes some vindication for Bernie Sanders as we’re seeing now how the government can manipulate giant corporate conglomerates that also own news organizations.

"We need transparency." KY Gov. Andy Beshear remarks on the Trump administration's approach to the airstrikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. "If you believe that the law allows you to conduct these strikes, why don't you show us why and how."

KY Gov. Andy Beshear: Trump's policies may have dried up the American soybean market "forever."

Gov. Andy Beshear hopes Trump brings his big tariff board with him on the campaign trail next year: "If he wants to get out there and be that out of touch with reality, I hope he'll do it."

Democrat Eileen Higgins was projected to win the race for Miami mayor over her Trump-endorsed Republican opponent. Higgins will be the first woman to hold the seat.

Tonight on The Briefing! @govandybeshear.bsky.social @deluzio.house.gov @semaforben.bsky.social

Rep. Adelita Grijalva shares her point of view from an ICE raid in her district where she and her staff were pepper sprayed and shot at with pepper balls.

Rep. Grijalva says she was pepper-sprayed by ICE

Tonight on The Briefing! @milestaylor.bsky.social Jeh Johnson Michael Feinberg IN State Sen. Shelli Yoder

"There's just no way to get away from the fact that the United States killed two individuals who were shipwrecked and in massive distress." Rep. Jim Himes cuts through the excuses about the second strike on the survivors of a boat blown up by the U.S.

Watch Jen Psaki's full interview with Rep. Himes here: youtu.be/F0zNWjpsI1c

You would be right to be skeptical of the Pentagon's new pocket press corps' characterization of the DOD IG's report on Pete Hegseth's Signalgate scandal. You can also read the report yourself at the DOD site here: media.defense.gov/2025/Dec/04/...

"There was no radio." Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee disputes a key detail in the justification for killing the survivors of a U.S. strike on a boat in the Caribbean.

"What Pete Hegseth said with respect to the fog of war is simply inaccurate." Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee sets the record straight on U.S. awareness of the survivors of an initial strike on a boat in the Caribbean.

Tonight on The Briefing! Rep. Jim Himes @jahimes.bsky.social Marty Baron @postbaron.bsky.social Lisa Rubin @lawofruby.bsky.social Rep. Dan Goldman @repdangoldman.bsky.social

Yesterday’s Pentagon “press” briefing was obviously absurd, but it was emblematic of a larger truth: For Team Trump, this was the platonic ideal of how journalism should work: conservative ideologues asking conservative questions to a conservative spokesperson. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Rep. Jamie Raskin reacts to a breaking news report from MS NOW that the federal prosecutors are expected to seek to re-indict New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday.

"It is a creepy obsession." Rep. Ilhan Omar responds to Trump's personal attacks. "It's actually very frightening to have that level of attention from somebody who should be focused on doing the business of the American people and not just creepily watching what one member of Congress is doing."

It turns out, when you mix the 2016 video of Pete Hegseth talking about troops not following unlawful orders with the recent Democratic PSA on the same subject, their message flows together pretty seamlessly.

Psaki: Pete Hegseth is "having the worst week of his career."

Here is that breaking report: Prosecutors expected to seek re-indictment of Letitia James this week www.ms.now/news/prosecu...

Tonight on The Briefing! Jake Sullivan Jon Finer @raskin.house.gov @faiz.bsky.social Brendan Buck @ilhanmn.bsky.social

"Trump has lost his populism." Rep. Ro Khanna correlates tonight's Tennessee special election results to President Trump's loss of touch with the campaign messaging that put him back in the White House.

Aftyn Behn, Democratic nominee in the special election in Tennessee's 7th congressional district remains excited as votes are still being counted in a close election against Republican Matt Van Epps.

Tonight on The Briefing! @markwarner.bsky.social @kenmartin.bsky.social @khanna.house.gov @abdulelsayed.bsky.social

Don't worry, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has an idea to fix American air travel once and for all.

Psaki: "I know from experience that when the White House statement is any version of 'the president has confidence in,' or 'this cabinet member is a part of a great overall team,' ... it isn't typically a very good sign."

@neguse.house.gov predicts there will likely be more retirements in the House before the 2026 midterm elections.

Tonight on The Briefing! @preetbharara.bsky.social @glennkirschner.bsky.social @neguse.house.gov @jahimes.bsky.social

EXCLUSIVE first look to MaddowBlog: In a FOIA request filed with the DOJ’s criminal division, Senators Whitehouse, Blumenthal and Schiff, each of whom serve on the Judiciary Committee, are demanding a variety of details related to the Tom Homas case. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...