Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
You have Successfully Subscribed!
If Trump gets what he wants, by Labor Day, all of this may be old news. But, stay tuned. Congress's August recess may not be a vacation from the Epstein story for anyone.
Trump is in the Oval Office meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. seated in front of enough gold leaf to line the tombs of Ferdinand’s mother and father both. A reporter throws a question at him about the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell, the woman incarcerated at the Florida federal prison for sex trafficking young girls.
“I don’t know about it, but I think it’s something that would be, sounds appropriate to do,” Trump answers. Asked if he thinks it is appropriate that the meeting with Maxwell be conducted by a man who was “your personal attorney,” Trump says, “No, I have no concern. He’s a very talented person, he’s very smart. I didn’t know they were going to do it. I haven’t followed that too much…it’s a…sort of a witch hunt, just a continuation of the witch hunt.”
Trump is impatient with the questions about Epstein. He wants to change the subject, to…uh…“President Obama…they caught President Obama absolutely cold. What they did to this country, starting in 2016, but going up all the way to 2020 and the election, they tried to rig the election, and they got caught. And there should be very severe consequences. After what they did to me? Whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people. Obama’s been caught directly. People say, oh, you know, it’s a group. It’s not a group. It’s Obama. His orders are on the paper. The papers are signed. What they did in 2016 and 2020, it’s very criminal, very criminal at the highest level. If you look at those papers, they have him stone cold, and it was President Obama. The leader of the gang was President Obama. Barack Hussein Obama. Guilty. He was guilty. This was treason. This was every word you could think of. They tried to steal the election, they tried to obfuscate the election. They did things nobody could ever imagine, even in other countries.”
Over on Capitol Hill, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is shutting down the House of Representatives, putting the place in recess, sending everyone home for the August break more than a week early because Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, is walking around with a discharge petition that could force a vote on the floor on a bipartisan bill that would cause the release of the Epstein files held by the Trump Department of Justice. “The public’s not going to let this die, and rightfully so,” said one of Massie’s Republican allies and a signer of the discharge petition.
Massie himself told reporters, “There are a lot of people here in the swamp who think that, ‘Oh, well, if we spend five weeks on vacation, the pressure for this will dissipate.’ I don’t think it’s going to dissipate. This will be an issue that does follow Republicans through the midterms, and it will follow each individual Republican through the midterms. It will follow people into their primaries. Did you support transparency and justice, or did you come up here, get elected and fall into the swamp? I think it is a watershed moment for the Speaker of the House and the president.”
Nothing to see here, folks. Todd Blanche is the lawyer who defended Trump during his trial in New York on 34 counts of falsifying business records, several of them to cover up the payments he made to shut up Stormy Daniels. Blanche is the lawyer who represented Trump on federal charges that he attempted to overturn the 2020 election. He was on the defense team that took on charges that Trump stole classified documents and illegally stored them in insecure locations within Mar-a-Lago, such as a public restroom and on the stage in the resort’s ballroom.
That man will be winging his way down to Tallahassee to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of child sex trafficking and transporting a minor for the purpose of engaging in a criminal activity, sex with an adult male. “If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,” Blanche said in a statement from the Department of Justice today.
Now, the question is this: Why would Maxwell, who faces 16 more years behind bars on her 20 year sentence in federal prison, be meeting with the former defense attorney for President Donald Trump, with whom she was photographed numerous times in the company of Jeffrey Epstein, for whom she pimped underage girls?
What is Todd Blanche prepared to say to Ghislaine Maxwell? If she refuses to remain silent, she might suffer an accident in federal confinement. She might fall on a stray screwdriver or hand-crafted “shank” that is lying around a prison corridor.
On the other hand, if Maxwell tells Blanche, Trump’s deputy attorney general and former defense lawyer, that she has nothing at all to say about Epstein and sex trafficking of underage girls, because she is innocent of the charges, could she possibly get a deal? Could Blanche himself be prepared to suggest a deal? That if she remains silent about what she knows about Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, many of which she personally arranged, or about the participation of a certain President of the United States in those crimes, said President will issue her a full and unconditional pardon?
Everything seems to be settling down. The Congress will be in recess. Todd Blanche will be on an airplane. Ghislaine Maxwell will be meeting with her lawyer preparing to meet with the President’s former defense attorney.
By Labor Day, all of this may be old news.
On the other hand, somebody leaked the Epstein birthday book to the Wall Street Journal, and Donald Trump has sued Rupert Murdoch for $10 billion, and Murdoch doesn’t like being sued by a person for whom he did enough favors that he was elected twice to the presidency. Murdoch does not publish stories like the one about Trump’s scribbled birthday card to Jeffrey Epstein on his 50th birthday that reads like a confession unless he has enough ammo left to defend himself and his media empire. Murdoch is an impatient man. He does not suffer fools gladly. He is not a nice man.
Donald Trump may be about to find out just how not nice Rupert Murdoch is.
Stay tuned. The August recess may not be a vacation from the Epstein story for anyone.
Lucian K. Truscott IV
Lucian K. Truscott IV, a graduate of West Point, has had a 50-year career as a journalist, novelist and screenwriter. He has covered stories such as Watergate, the Stonewall riots and wars in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is also the author of five bestselling novels and several unsuccessful motion pictures. He has three children, lives in rural Pennsylvania and spends his time Worrying About the State of Our Nation and madly scribbling in a so-far fruitless attempt to Make Things Better.
You can read Lucian Truscott's daily articles at luciantruscott.substack.com. We encourage our readers to get a subscription.
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/factkeepers.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/factkeepers.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":500,"top_media_type":"none","featured_image_url":false,"featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"Factkeepers.com","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"Help Support Factkeepers","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for being a supporter!","payment_confirmation_title":"Factkeepers.com","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like.","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to donate this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to donate this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to donate this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
