Donald Trump, basically acknowledging that so far at least he’s losing the fight over Epstein.

Perhaps I can help this research effort. 1. Origins of TDS lie in revulsion at a dangerous bigot coming to power. 2. Manifestations of TDS include joining others to resist Trump’s authoritarian efforts. 3. Effects of TDS are an enlivening of the intellect snd a sharpening of the conscience.

“All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.” founders.archives.gov/documents/Wa...

“Or perhaps, this letter and other suspicious documents like it were released without context to plant seeds of doubt and uncertainty into the validity of all the federal documents involving Epstein.” open.substack.com/pub/jkbjourn...

On the disorganized, confusing and chaotic way that DOJ is dumping Epstein documents: This is not primarily incompetence. It’s intentional. They could have released more or less orderly files. But confusion and delay are a tactic to try to create public exhaustion and resignation—“we’ll never know.”

37 years ago today: Dawn is breaking over a peaceful Nakatomi Plaza, after a rather turbulent Christmas Eve.

When I read the DOJ statement, I just thought, what clowns. But after a moment’s thought I am more incredulous and suspicious. A million documents? When they’ve been on high alert for months? And DOJ and FBI do have filing systems. (That’s why they’re the Epstein FILES.) Something’s rotten in DOJ.

Who among us hasn’t misplaced a million documents around the office?

The government has broad authority to control admission but courts have held *repeatedly*, over more than half a century, that the First Amendment bars the government from denying visas to foreign citizens simply because it dislikes what they have to say. 1/ www.nytimes.com/2025/12/24/b...

JUST IN: CBS’s Kennedy Center Honors just hit an all-time ratings low. Preliminary Nielsen data shows only ~2.65M viewers tuned in to the Trump-hosted show, down from 4.1M in 2024. A stunning 35% year-over-year collapse.

"The awful nature of Epstein’s crimes, Trump’s proximity to them, the fact that victims haven’t gotten justice and co-conspirators haven’t been held to account, promises to bring the truth to light—all of this may have doomed even a well-executed coverup." open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

"As a rule, coverups are difficult in free societies. They are routine for authoritarian governments. The Epstein coverup will be an indicator of how far we are down the road to authoritarianism. The success of a coverup would take us much further down that road." open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

If we want an independent media that isn’t the plaything of oligarchs, we’re going to have to build it together. That's why were offering 30 days free right now for Bulwark+. Get it here: lnk.thebulwark.com/48QbKyS?utm_...

Life is good, yes. But it can also be hard. Whatever you’re dealing with today, I pray your load will be a little lighter tonight. Happy Christmas, my friends. Best, JVL

"Across the Atlantic world, Puritan clergymen and pamphleteers railed against Christmas as another 'popish' and 'pagan' error that true Christians need to do away with." Daniel Gullotta from the archives:

Forest and trees re Epstein documents, as of now. Trees: Controversies about particular documents. Forest: Virtually none of the key documents, ones that we know exist, the ones the victims and knowledgeable observers have been demanding to see, have been released. And so the coverup continues.

Just a few examples of FBI/DOJ documents that haven't been released: The 2019 prosectors' memos on co-conspirators they considered charging. The 2007 60-count draft indictment of Epstein. A raft of victim statements detailing abuse from powerful men. And much more None has been released.

Isn't the cutting edge of the American Right now more extreme, more openly bigoted and antisemitic, than the AfD? And the "Heritage American" / "Don't apologize for being White" stuff --bad as it is-- is it's more respectable face. What's underneath is worse. open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

"Kavanaugh Stop" went from a skeet on here to Bluesky meme to crosspollinating over on X to Brett Kavanaugh's burner account seeing it there to a whiny defensive footnote about it in a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States. Juice.

"Owens weighed in again with a staggeringly antisemitic video where she called Shapiro and his father “belly creatures who slither on” and urged her audience to read The Talmudic Jew...Owens is now, arguably, the most influential online force on the right." open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

Want to fight back against authoritarianism? Support independent media. Get 30 days of Bulwark+ now and ride with us: lnk.thebulwark.com/48QbKyS

If we want an independent media that isn’t the plaything of oligarchs, we’re going to have to build it together. That's why were offering 30 days free right now for Bulwark+. Get it here: lnk.thebulwark.com/48QbKyS

An interesting and moving account of a ‘stammtisch’ in New York. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/20/n...

“It is unlikely that any of these ships will ever be built. This is vaporware. No different than the Foxconn mega-plant in Wisconsin, or all of the iPhones that are just about to be made in America, or the addition of Canada as the 51st state...” open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

Ronald Reagan: “We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people, our strength, from every country and every corner of the world, and we continuously renew and enrich our nation.” Jay Nordlinger: “This ‘Heritage American’ business is a scam.” open.substack.com/pub/thenextm...

"It’s remarkable that Vance seems incapable of taking a swing at Fuentes, who regularly calls him a “race traitor” and refers to his wife with ethnic slurs, without adding a spoonful of sugar for his MAGA-addled listeners in the form of a bonus crack at Jen Psaki." open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

"A cover-up that highlights how much important material is still being covered up isn’t an effective coverup at all. Which is a good thing. And if that’s making Trump unhappy? I kind of think that’s a good thing, too. Happy holidays!" open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

"Trump expressed not a word of sympathy for Epstein’s victims. Trump can’t bring himself to pretend, even for a minute, to empathize with those who were victimized by this monster. So I make no apologies for taking some pleasure in Trump’s discomfort." open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

"I think this is a cover-up. We have to treat Trump's Justice Dept. the way we spoke about Soviet era quote 'Justice departments,'" @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social says. "This is not a Justice Dept. that's a little tilted... a little pro-Trump, a little thumb in the scale. There is no scale."

DOJ is simply Trump’s defense team. Vance is fine with neo-Nazis as allies. Bari Weiss is running CBS on behalf of Team Trump. Trump’s renewing his attack on our NATO ally Denmark. Witkoff basically works for Putin. But at least Elise Stefanik has failed—for now. youtu.be/fjkeecLFQyE?...

"So Bill, I want your take on this, but first I have to fact-check the vice president about his supposed friend, Charlie Kirk..." @timmiller.bsky.social and @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social torch JD Vance's revisionism and set the record straight as to how Kirk actually handled Nick Fuentes.

DOJ is simply Trump’s defense team. Vance is fine with neo-Nazis as allies. Bari Weiss is running CBS on behalf of Team Trump. Trump’s renewing his attack on our NATO ally Denmark. Witkoff basically works for Putin. But at least Elise Stefanik has failed—for now. youtu.be/fjkeecLFQyE?...

On Epstein, the DOJ is not just putting its thumb on the scale for Trump. It's his defense team. The top officials at the Justice Department are executing Trump's wishes. It's Trump’s cover-up. But it’s not going well for him. www.thebulwark.com/p/bill-krist...

“The problem isn’t some mistaken redactions and non-redactions. The problem is the administration has decided simply not to release key documents, like the original victim statements and the 60-count draft indictment of Epstein. We’re in the midst of a coverup.” www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-and-...

“But politics is full of surprises. One heartening surprise of this past year is that the Epstein victims have finally been accorded the standing and respect they deserve. Their ongoing effect on unraveling this coverup shouldn’t be underestimated.” www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-and-...

"Why the decision to cover-up? It certainly seems that there are things that Trump and his lieutenants don’t want Congress and the public to know. Presumably these are things that, to put it gently, don’t reflect well on Trump." open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

"We’re in the midst of a coverup...Trump’s Department of Justice is Trump’s defense team. There should be no presumption they’re acting in good faith. One has to think of them as a Soviet bloc “Department of Justice”—dedicated to propaganda, not justice or truth." open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

“The reason why we are still reviewing documents and still continuing our process is simply…to protect victims,” Blanche told Welker. That claim does not survive even minimal scrutiny." open.substack.com/pub/saltypol...

Rep. Ro Khanna, lead sponsor of the bill that required the release of the Epstein files, discusses where we are 48 hours in, whether the continuing coverup can be stopped, and what he and Rep. Tom Massie plan to do to try to ensure it won't succeed. www.youtube.com/live/mnDEIxS...

Occam's razor. DOJ hasn't released key documents, including the original 60-count draft indictment of Epstein and the victim statements. Why? DOJ really doesn't want us to read them. Why does DOJ care so much about these? Because they directly or indirectly implicate Trump.

Rep. Ro Khanna, lead sponsor of the bill that required the release of the Epstein files, discusses where we are 48 hours in, whether the continuing coverup can be stopped, and what he and Rep. Tom Massie plan to do to try to ensure it won't succeed. www.youtube.com/live/mnDEIxS...

"Where are the countless hours of footage that Jeffrey Epstein secretly recorded of people in his various homes?! We know Trump’s DOJ possesses numerous hard drives which contain footage taken from Epstein’s homes." open.substack.com/pub/deanobei...

Vance comes down against “purity tests”—i.e., against criticizing the neo-Nazis. He’s happy to have them as part of his coalition.

A very fine piece by Jon Rauch. open.substack.com/pub/theunpop...

Todd Blanche’s appearance on Meet the Press was disgraceful but clarifying. The “Department of Justice” is Donald Trump’s defense team. There can be no presumption they’re acting in good faith. One has to approach them as one approached a Soviet “Department of Justice”—as propaganda, not justice.

The DOJ is continuing to redact more mentions of Donald Trump found in the Epstein files. On the left the original version, on the right today’s version. Source: justice.gov/multimedia/C... #OpDeathEaters

Stonewalling can work. But partial coverups are difficult to manage successfully, as the Trump administration is finding out. They tend to unravel. But it’s important to yank on every loose thread to keep it unraveling. www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-fume...

“Coverups are difficult in free societies. They are routine for authoritarian governments. The Epstein coverup will be an indicator of how far we are down the road to authoritarianism. The success of such a coverup would take us much further down that road.” www.thebulwark.com/p/why-the-ep...

I trust major news organizations, members of Congress, and public interest groups are publicizing their secure tip lines so DOJ and FBI employees with knowledge of political interference in the Epstein files review process, can explain safely and confidentially what they saw.

“The tens of thousands of pages made public omitt[ed] some of the most closely watched materials, including FBI interviews with victims and internal Justice Department memos on charging decisions.” apnews.com/article/epst...