Catching up:
Jesus, what a pathetic toady. “Charlie Kirk After Trump Call: 'Done Talking About Epstein'“
What cover-up? “Republicans move to block Democratic effort to force release of Epstein files | Jeffrey Epstein”| The Guardian
Cautiously skeptical; nauseously hopeful. “Ukraine Is Getting a New Way to Receive U.S. Weapons. Here’s What We Know— NYT" (Gift link); “Ukrainians unimpressed by Trump's 50-day ultimatum to Putin. - BBC”
The Brute Squad cometh. “ICE declares millions of undocumented immigrants ineligible for bond hearings” - The Washington Post
NYC is so screwed. Toxic, disgraced establishmentarian vs. toxic leftist. “Andrew Cuomo announces third-party run for NYC mayor, setting up rematch against Zohran Mamdani.”
Vox populi. “Trump Met With Boos During FIFA Club World Cup Final - Forbes”; “Trump crashes team’s FIFA Club World Cup trophy photo, booed by soccer fans.”
TACO trades and inflation. “Inflation picks up again in June, rising at 2.7% annual rate”
Happy Tuesday.
If you are trying to stay sane through all this madness, you’ve come to the right place.
Please consider joining our band of brothers and sisters standing athwart the insanity, saying “You Can’t be Serious.”
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On today’s ‘To the Contrary” Podcast, I’m joined by former ABC correspondent and anchor Terry Moran for a conversation on Trump’s unraveling Epstein strategy, the deep contradictions within the MAGA worldview, and the terrifying normalization of state-sponsored cruelty.
From “Alligator Alcatraz” to 50% tariffs on Brazil, we dissect how branding, conspiracy, and authoritarian impulses are reshaping American politics. We also also explore how legacy media is collapsing under corporate pressure—while independent platforms like this one become the new frontlines in the battle for truth.
You can read Terry’s latest Substack post here: “Justice for Jeffrey Epstein’s 1,000-plus Victims”.
Trump, in this instance, isn’t the real problem. Impunity is. The abiding impunity of rich men in America, the impunity that has distorted so many of our institutions and demoralized so many of our people. And that is a winning populist issue that just might shift our politics a degree or so, back towards decency. These days, that is an opportunity that should not be squandered.
Subscribers can listen to an ad-free version right here… or you can watch on YouTube / Listen (and subscribe) on Apple/ Spotify / iHeart / RSS Feed.
Some highlights of our conversation
The cruelty and coercion of mass deportation.
The branding of "the “Alligator Alcatraz”.
On being fired by ABC.
Obama tells Dems to ‘Toughen Up’
In private remarks to party donors on Friday night, Mr. Obama scolded Democrats for failing to speak out against President Trump and his policies, suggesting they were shrinking from the challenge out of fear of retribution.
“It’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up,” Mr. Obama said at a fund-raiser for the Democratic National Committee at the home of Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey.
“What I have been surprised by is the degree to which I’ve seen people who, when I was president, or progressives, liberals, stood for all kinds of stuff, who seem like they’re kind of cowed and intimidated and shrinking away from just asserting what they believe, or at least what they said they believe,” he added.
So what would “toughening up” mean? Here’s some useful advice for Democrats from Will Robinson: “Outgunned, Outposted, and Out of Touch.”
The conservative movement has built a sprawling, always-on communications ecosystem. It’s not just Fox News and talk radio anymore - it’s a web of Facebook groups, hyperlocal influencers, YouTube rage-podcasters, TikTok conspiracy loops, Telegram channels, Spanish-language disinformation, and AI-generated propaganda running 24/7. They’ve overtaken not only the mainstream media - but the mental bandwidth of millions.
Their strength isn’t just repetition. It’s immersion.
They've mastered a feedback loop that goes top-down and bottom-up: disinformation is seeded by influencers or bots, echoed by talk radio or fringe outlets, and then laundered through trusted local voices—pastors, sheriffs, coaches, county chairs, Spanish-language radio, even fake hometown newspapers. The result? What starts as a lie on a fringe site becomes gospel truth in your uncle’s WhatsApp group.
“Flood the zone with shit.” - Steve Bannon
By contrast, Democrats still treat communication like a campaign accessory. We rely on mainstream press hits and paid ads. We speak at voters, not with them. And we too often equate communication with branding—when it should be organizing.
As Tony Schwartz taught us:
“Resonance, not reason, is what gets through.”
If you want to change what people think, start with how they feel.
You can read the whole thing here.
Nota Bene
Jeff Maurer: “Why Won't the Teeming Mass of Delusional Morons Trump Cultivated Be Reasonable?”
Still, I’m enjoying the fact that Trump seems annoyed by the MAGA die-hards. The sense of “what the fuck is wrong with you idiots?” is palpable in Trump’s post — it would trigger years of Fox News segments about how the left looks down on Real America if it came from any Democrat. But Trump’s dismay is understandable, or at least would be understandable if he was anyone else in the world. Because he obviously built this monster, and it’s funny that he seems surprised that he can’t fully control it. Apparently, he doesn’t realize that the phrase “I’ve created a monster” implies that the monster is running amok — it doesn’t mean “I’ve created a monster an all is swell, oh how I enjoy the fruits of my relationship with said monster, would you like me to create you a monster, as well?”
**
Nicholas Grossman: “Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy Theories Start Eating Their Own Tail”
To be a Republican in good standing today, you must believe, or at least go along with both:
A lot of powerful people in business, entertainment, and especially politics are involved with underage sex trafficking, using their power to cover it up. The best evidence that there’s at least something to this is Jeffrey Epstein. It must be investigated and exposed.
Known Epstein associate Donald Trump, who has been found liable for sexual abuse in court and bragged about barging into dressing rooms at teen beauty pageants, opposes sex trafficking and related malfeasance, perhaps even conducting a secret crusade against it. Those photos of him partying with Epstein, and his connections to rich Americans’ involvement with sex crimes more generally, do not matter, don’t ask.
This is an egregious instance of what George Orwell called “doublethink”: the ability to hold contradictory ideas at the same time. That propped up Big Brother in 1984, and it’s a core component of Trumpism. For example, he’s an incredibly strong leader no one dares cross and a poor, persecuted victim who needs your sympathy. Also, urban populations are scared weaklings who would quickly fold in a civil war, and cities are terrifyingly violent “no-go zones” where even heavily armed officers face dire threat.
Tuesday dogs
Auggie and Eli take a break to admire the view.
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