Will ‘The Big Beautiful Bill’ crack Donald Trump’s white Christian nationalist monolith?
Charlie Mahtesian writes that the bill fails to advance Trump's political realignment. It's actually more significant even than that.
See updates through October 2, 2025, at end of post.
The consensus now seems to be that, one way or another, Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” a monstrosity that angers some Republicans by adding $3.3 trillion to the federal debt and other Republicans by cutting Medicaid—which it turns out a lot of Republican voters rely on—will somehow pass.[1] As Jack Blanchard noted this morning (July 2, 2025), “Given the way this Congress has behaved since Jan. 20, it seems far-fetched to imagine the Republican Party actually going ahead and blocking [emphasis in original] Trump’s flagship piece of legislation — especially when the president seems relatively uninterested in the actual detailed content of the bill.”[2]
Charlie Mahtesian this evening seems to agree but highlights the discord, writing, “Over the past decade, Trump has unleashed the tectonic forces of political realignment. He has torn his party down to the studs and then remade it in his image. He has splintered the Obama coalition and accelerated a class-based political reordering that stands to upend nearly a century of convention. His most recent win was marked by a more racially and ethnically diverse voter coalition than in his two prior campaigns.”[3]
This parallels my own observation that Trump had united the seven disparate tendencies of conservatism I had identified in my dissertation[4] into white Christian nationalism. As Leigh Ann Caldwell put it, “the takeaway from this legislative saga is that Trump has remade the Republican Party into a monolith.”[5] Trump did this by offering each of those tendencies something.
When Kamala Harris held the lead over Trump in the 2024 campaign, it briefly seemed as if that unity might be fraying. But Trump’s victory restored it.
Now, with “The Big Beautiful Bill,” Trump seems to be antagonizing a lot of Republicans, giving them all something to complain about: “One astute conservative student of the realignment,” Mahtesian writes, “likened the legislation ‘to a death march through a series of choices that nobody really wanted to be making.’”[6] Ouch.
It raises the stakes considerably. Mahtesian concludes that “Trump and his allies in GOP leadership are still working to nail down the final votes, but passage seems likely sooner or later. In the unlikely event that the whole thing collapses and Republicans have to start from scratch, it would obviously be a humiliation for the party. But it would also be an opportunity — a rare second chance for Trump to design legislation in a way that actually moves the realignment forward.”[7]
Perhaps. But monoliths have a way of cracking, especially when they actually are monoliths. We almost saw it when Trump’s 2024 campaign was faltering. We might be seeing it now as Republicans terrified of being ‘primaried’ by Trump-supporting challengers desperately seek to pass a hugely unpopular bill that offers something for everyone to hate.[8]
Even if, indeed, the bill passes—count me as a skeptic—and perhaps especially if the bill passes, watch for the cracks in that monolith to reappear or new fissures to break open.
Update, July 3-4, 2025: Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” has indeed passed.[9] As Jonathan Martin puts it, “[t]he so-called Big Beautiful Bill was always destined to pass, and it’s instructive to realize why: for Republican lawmakers, this was an up-or-down vote on President Donald Trump.”[10]
According to the Washington Post, “[t]o offset some of the cost of the bill, the legislation cuts about $1 trillion from Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for low-income individuals and people with disabilities, and other health care programs. It reduces spending on anti-hunger programs, including SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as food stamps, by $185 billion.”[11] After all, under our governing ideology, the people who rely on such programs must die off.[12]
Update, July 11, 2025: According to the Washington Post, “[Donald] Trump is advocating a new policy that would spare swaths of migrant workers from deportations. Top administration officials, who long promised to expose hidden truths about Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy child sex offender who died in 2019, suddenly conceded this week that they had nothing more to share about the case. And Trump said he would send more weapons to Ukraine, just days after leading MAGA figures cheered the Pentagon’s decision to halt the shipments.” The story goes on to discuss the sense of betrayal some white Christian nationalists feel over these moves and, as well, Trump supporters diminishing that upset.[13]
Only time will tell which narrative—the one of Trump’s betrayal or the one of white Christian nationalist loyalty to him—prevails. It’s not the first time white Christian nationalists have cried foul over Trump’s policies: Remember the H-1B visa argument between broligarchs complaining about U.S. workers alleged lack of technical skills and Trump’s base calling bullshit?[14] That one died down pretty quickly, and to be honest, I’m not sure why. It’s certainly possible the same will happen this time. But maybe not.
Update, July 12, 2025: Donald Trump is trying to silence the white Christian nationalist uprising about Jeffrey Epstein: "They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening.”[15] David McAfee, the Raw Story reporter from whom I draw that quote, interprets this, saying “Trump issued a direct order to his base, and his loyal fans aren't listening.” Indeed, as he documents, they’re pushing back, strongly.[16]
Seeing Trump’s whining as a “direct order” seems to me a bit excessive. But it’s becoming clear that there is anger among his base about Epstein that may not die down so quickly, perhaps not as quickly as that about Trump’s moves on Ukraine where he is not merely sending weapons but is now reportedly considering sending more money.[17]
It’s also apparent that Trump doesn’t feel much need to heed his base. Something to watch will be what happens as more white Christian nationalists realize that Trump doesn’t answer to them.
Update, July 13, 2025: Donald Trump’s “defiance [about Jeffrey Epstein] has only further ignited anger among some of Trump’s most loyal supporters, raising questions about whether the fracture will do lasting damage to Trump’s coalition. . . .
“Across age demographics, some of Trump’s most dedicated supporters are also uneasy about the White House’s decision to keep sending U.S. weapons to Ukraine and disappointed by the prospect that immigration raids might spare some sectors of the economy. At the Turning Point [USA Student Action Summit] gathering, attendees were especially bothered by the Epstein situation.”[18]
There was a lot of talk at the Turning Point summit that these controversies could cost Republicans the 2026 midterm elections.[19] It’s been my observation in the past that such fears are usually overblown. And the belief among many Trump supporters that God intervened to save Trump’s life in an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania,[20] also deserves emphasis. But the folks who believe this was divine intervention were presumably already Trump supporters. Stephen Bannon warned that “[f]or this [the Epstein controversy] to go away, you’re going to lose 10 percent of the MAGA movement. If we lose 10 percent of the MAGA movement right now, we’re going to lose 40 seats in ’26, we’re going to lose the presidency. They [the Democrats] don’t even have to steal it.”[21] But also, as the Washington Post notes, “Trump’s base has proved resilient — handing him the 2024 presidential nomination after a period of political uncertainty in the wake of his 2020 loss and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, even though some formidable Republicans tried to stop him.”[22]
Update, July 14, 2025: More comment is emerging on the controversy among white Christian nationalists over Jeffrey Epstein. Politico identifies five separate factions with varying views[23] and, in a somewhat triumphalist post, Dan Rather writes that “as we begin a new week, something feels different. Some of [Donald] Trump’s key supporters have been downright nasty toward their dear leader, like never before. Their issue is the non-release of files from the Jeffrey Epstein case. And they are some kind of mad.”[24]
Having been wrong to count Trump out a few times before, I’m more than a little hesitant to do so now. This is a situation to watch, not to prognosticate about.
For the record, I have assumed there was a client list and that Trump’s name was on it; if there was and if so, it might now never see the light of day. We will never know.
It’s also possible that the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are telling the truth, that there was nothing there. Proof here would be of a negative, therefore generally impossible. We will never know.
Tara Palmeri, one of a stellar cast of journalists at Puck News, is more certain: She says “anyone who has been covering this case for a substantial period of time knows there’s no list.”[25] But again, proof would be of a negative, and therefore generally impossible. We will never know.
At least until someone speaks up.
Update, July 16, 2025: As the controversy over the Jeffrey Epstein files rumbles on,[26] Donald Trump has declared that he no longer wants the support of those who focus on it.[27] This would be the purported ten percent of Trump’s white Christian nationalist base that Stephen Bannon declared that Republicans cannot afford to lose,[28] warning that “we’re going to lose 40 seats in ’26, we’re going to lose the presidency.”[29] Leigh Ann Caldwell cites a number of campaign professionals who doubt this will still be an issue in 16 months, but allows as how it might diminish enthusiasm, especially among low-propensity voters more focused on the economy and on social issues.[30] Assuming there’s a free and fair election, I guess we’ll find out.
Update, July 17, 2025: A Wall Street Journal article is definitely not helping Donald Trump’s case. Apparently he was one of a number of contributors of bawdy letters to Jeffrey Epstein compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s 50thbirthday.[31] The two men had a falling out but if Trump is indeed innocent of Epstein’s pedophilia, one has to wonder why he would contribute such a letter.
The Journal quotes “an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person.
“‘Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything,’ the note began.
“Donald: Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is.
“Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is.
“Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.
“Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it.
“Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?
“Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.
“Donald: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”[32]
To belabor the obvious, I’m now pretty sure that if Epstein had a client list, Trump would be on it.
Update, July 18, 2025: Margaret Sullivan writes of the Wall Street Journal that their “conservative opinion side has often backed [Donald Trump] and [their] news side has a reputation for ensuring that explosive stories are bulletproof: accurate in their facts and fully prepared to stand up under legal scrutiny.”[33] And when the Journal published a story about a book of tawdry letters given to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday that Trump had contributed to,[34] I figured that the white Christian nationalists who have been howling over the attorney general’s decision to withhold further information about the Epstein case would see the fairly obvious implication I laid out above that any such information—if it in fact exists—implicates Trump as one of Epstein’s fellow pedophiles.
Silly me. I didn’t foresee the next step. Perhaps because of that revelation and because white Christian nationalists distrust journalists, “[i]t wasn’t long before his allies — many of whom stayed conspicuously silent or had directly attacked Trump recently for not releasing government files connected to the controversy — rallied to smear the Journal’s reporting on the Trump-Epstein relationship. . . . It was as if MAGA had finally found their villain in the Epstein saga — the media. On cue, Trump stated that he will sue the Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch and said this morning on Truth Social, ‘I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ.’”[35]
I’ll be a while picking my jaw up off the floor where it dropped. In the meantime, I’ll be watching for what happens to the earlier controversy over withholding the files.
Update, July 19, 2025: Donald Trump has indeed sued the Wall Street Journal over its story on his birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein.[36]
This is yet one more of Trump’s frivolous suits against the mainstream media, but Trump has scored some multimillion-dollar settlements nonetheless,[37] perhaps most notably and outrageously for $16 million from Paramount over a CBS News 60 Minutes story in a case,[38] where had it gone to trial, Paramount would surely have prevailed. Paramount owner Shari Redstone desperately needs a merger with Skydance to be approved by the Trump administration[39] and some see this settlement as a bribe toward that end.[40]
The suit against the Journal also plays into extreme white Christian nationalist disdain for mainstream journalism that may be helping Trump to diffuse his base’s anger about Epstein.[41]
Update, July 20, 2025: Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girl friend has described Donald Trump as Epstein’s “wingman,” his “bro,” and said they were “very close and up to no good.” She claims to have numerous anecdotes relayed to her by Epstein about Trump.[42]
Much as I am inclined to believe the worst about Trump, it seems to me that Stacey Williams is far from being an unimpeachable witness. First, even as Epstein allegedly relayed these sordid details, she remained in a relationship with him “about four or five months” And second, she has “alleged that Trump groped her in 1993,” which suggests she might be holding a grudge.[43] Still, it’s one more bit of evidence.
Update, July 23, 2025: Donald Trump has been pretty desperate to put the Jeffrey Epstein controversy behind him. “Trump has tried everything in an attempt to distract attention from the matter — calling the entire affair a ‘hoax,’ releasing thousands of files related to Martin Luther King Jr., even diving back into the settled issue of the name of Washington’s NFL team.”[44] He even went back to his first term obsession with Barack Obama, accusing Obama of treason.[45] It’s not going well.
Of course, his lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal[46] and his now failed attempt to release grand jury testimony, which the court could not legally authorize,[47] which makes up only a portion of the material the Federal Bureau of Investigation has assembled,[48] and which Epstein’s former lawyer said was unlikely to yield the salacious sort of information Trump’s base is demanding[49] are unlikely to help towards that end, but especially when dealing with Trump, consistency is an expectation for small minds.
The House of Representatives is going away for its summer recess a day early to avoid an awkward vote to compel the Justice Department to release all its files on Epstein:[50] To the delight of Democrats, Republicans here are caught between Trump’s ire and the demands of their base and are desperate not to vote either way.[51]
The obvious solution here—if Trump is in fact innocent of sex with underage girls on Epstein’s island—is to release the files. There will, in this case, be nothing there to implicate him. The trouble is, it turns out, that Trump’s name is in the Epstein files and the Justice Department told him so in May. That doesn’t necessarily mean Trump is guilty of wrongdoing,[52] but it appears the Trump administration is taking guilt by association, particularly in light of the Wall Street Journal’s earlier article[53] and a separate claim by Epstein’s ex-girl friend that Trump was Epstein’s “wingman” and “bro,”[54] awfully seriously.
Update, July 27, 2025: It’s just not working. Donald Trump’s administration is failing to put out the fire over Jeffrey Epstein and Trump is reportedly “increasingly frustrated.”[55] Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House of Representatives home early in hopes that the issue would die down and to spare Republicans from having to either vote against Trump or further anger the white Christian nationalist base, but the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform took a vote nonetheless to subpoena the Epstein files as even a Trump loyalist, Brian Jack, voted in favor—for fear of voters back home.[56]
According to the Washington Post, “[Attorney General Pam] Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche also told Trump they did not want to release the files to protect the privacy of the victims in the files and because of the sexually explicit content in them,” but the names could be redacted (redacting the explicit content might obscure so much as to exacerbate suspicions) and the question of what the administration is hiding seems only to be getting louder.
August 5, 2025: It would seem that politicians’ fear of Donald Trump does not outweigh their fear of their own voters: “The Republican-led House [of Representatives] issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, potentially setting up a contentious standoff between Congress and the Trump administration over an issue that has sparked major headaches for President Donald Trump.
“House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Kentucky) formally issued the subpoena Tuesday, nearly two weeks after one of the panel’s subcommittees — with some GOP support — voted to compel the Justice Department to release the files. Under House rules, Comer was obligated to issue the subpoenas and no full House vote was required. Along with a demand for the Epstein documents, the chairman also issued subpoenas for several high-profile figures, including Bill and Hillary Clinton and former FBI director and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.
“In all, Comer issued 11 subpoenas for documents and testimony spanning over two decades and including a slew of former attorneys general under Democratic and Republican administrations.”[57]
Update, August 6, 2025: A Wired article, seemingly starting from the presumption that there is indeed no ‘there’ there in the Jeffrey Epstein files, captures a conundrum for the White House, where Donald Trump, having risen to power on conspiracy theories ad nauseum, now cannot fulfill the expectations he has raised and has, indeed, drawn suspicion upon himself.[58] That presumption may be tested when and if the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform obtains the files and testimony it has subpoenaed.[59]
Update, September 9, 2025: The House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has released a tranche of materials received from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, including the ‘birthday book’[60] referenced in Wall Street Journal coverage.[61] It is clear that contributors to the book knew what Epstein was up to and were in many, many cases, full participants.[62] The White House denies that Donald Trump’s letter is from him and promises to pursue its pending litigation and Republicans are implausibly feigning ignorance or sticking to the White House line,[63] but for the rest of us, this all but confirms that Trump participated in Epstein’s pedophilia.
Meanwhile, “[a] federal appeals court on Monday rejected President Donald Trump's appeal of writer E. Jean Carroll's defamation verdict against the president, leaving him on the hook for the $83 million judgment.”[64] “Carroll alleged Trump raped her in the Bergdorf Goodman department store and then defamed her when he denied her claim, said she wasn’t his type and suggested she made up the story to boost sales of her book.”[65]
So as if we needed further evidence, we know what kind of man Trump is.
Update, September 26, 2025: So y’all remember when Donald Trump and Elon Musk had their nasty breakup? Musk had implied that Trump’s name was in the Jeffrey Epstein files—which, quite clearly, it was. It turns out Musk’s name is also in those files and after it was already known that Epstein was a pedophile.[66]
Update, October 2, 2025: It seems the Anti-Defamation League, which equates anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, listed Charlie Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, as having “had a history of ‘bigoted statements.’” So yesterday (October 1), Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel cut off ties between his agency and the ADL.[67]
This won’t just disturb relations between the white Christian nationalist regime and most Jews, but as well with neoconservatives, who fully embrace the conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.[68] The latter won’t matter much in practice as neoconservative influence in principally inside the Washington, D.C., beltway and, apart from political elites, nearly non-existent outside of it.
But it’s yet another strand that is fraying in the white Christian nationalist coalition.[69]
[1] Jack Blanchard, “Riders on the storm,” Politico, July 2, 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2025/07/02/riders-on-the-storm-00436906; Leigh Ann Caldwell, “BBB’s Path of Least Resistance,” Puck, July 2, 2025, https://puck.news/how-the-big-beautiful-bill-made-it-out-of-the-senate/; Charlie Mahtesian, “Trump’s political realignment is missing in the megabill,” Politico, July 2, 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2025/07/02/trumps-political-realignment-is-missing-in-the-megabill-00434342
[2] Jack Blanchard, “Riders on the storm,” Politico, July 2, 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2025/07/02/riders-on-the-storm-00436906
[3] Charlie Mahtesian, “Trump’s political realignment is missing in the megabill,” Politico, July 2, 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2025/07/02/trumps-political-realignment-is-missing-in-the-megabill-00434342
[4] David Benfell, “Conservative Views on Undocumented Migration” (doctoral dissertation, Saybrook, 2016). ProQuest (1765416126).
[5] Leigh Ann Caldwell, “BBB’s Path of Least Resistance,” Puck, July 2, 2025, https://puck.news/how-the-big-beautiful-bill-made-it-out-of-the-senate/
[6] Charlie Mahtesian, “Trump’s political realignment is missing in the megabill,” Politico, July 2, 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2025/07/02/trumps-political-realignment-is-missing-in-the-megabill-00434342
[7] Charlie Mahtesian, “Trump’s political realignment is missing in the megabill,” Politico, July 2, 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2025/07/02/trumps-political-realignment-is-missing-in-the-megabill-00434342
[8] Charlie Mahtesian, “Trump’s political realignment is missing in the megabill,” Politico, July 2, 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2025/07/02/trumps-political-realignment-is-missing-in-the-megabill-00434342
[9] Jacob Bogage and Marianna Sotomayor, “House passes tax and immigration bill, sending it to Trump’s desk,” Washington Post, July 3, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/03/trump-tax-bill-house/; Jonathan Martin, “In Today’s GOP, There Is No Choice at All,” Politico, July 4, 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/04/republicans-megabill-vote-jonathan-martin-column-00439333
[10] Jonathan Martin, “In Today’s GOP, There Is No Choice at All,” Politico, July 4, 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/04/republicans-megabill-vote-jonathan-martin-column-00439333
[11] Jacob Bogage and Marianna Sotomayor, “House passes tax and immigration bill, sending it to Trump’s desk,” Washington Post, July 3, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/03/trump-tax-bill-house/
[12] David Benfell, “Eugenics again,” Not Housebroken, April 29, 2025, https://www.disunitedstates.org/p/eugenics-again
[13] Natalie Allison, “Immigration, Epstein, Ukraine: Trump’s moves roil MAGA base,” Washington Post, July 10, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/09/trump-immigration-epstein-ukraine-maga/
[14] David Benfell, “Donald Trump repeats the Democrats' error,” Not Housebroken, January 5, 2025, https://www.disunitedstates.org/p/donald-trump-repeats-the-democrats
[15] Donald Trump, quoted in David McAfee, “MAGA bites back after Trump issues fans stern order: ‘This is going to cost you,’” Raw Story, July 12, 2025, https://www.rawstory.com/maga-bites-trump-back-epstein/
[16] David McAfee, “MAGA bites back after Trump issues fans stern order: ‘This is going to cost you,’” Raw Story, July 12, 2025, https://www.rawstory.com/maga-bites-trump-back-epstein/
[17] Margaret Brennan, “Trump considers greenlighting new funding for Ukraine, sources say,” CBS News, July 12, 2025, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-considers-greenlighting-new-ukraine-funding/; Paul McLeary, Jack Detsch, and Eli Stokols, “Trump weighs new Ukraine aid package,” Politico, July 11, 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/11/trump-new-ukraine-aid-package-00448547
[18] Natalie Allison, “Epstein outcry prompts warning to Trump from MAGA leaders: ‘A huge risk,’” Washington Post, July 13, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/12/turning-point-usa-conference-concerns-trump/
[19] Natalie Allison, “Epstein outcry prompts warning to Trump from MAGA leaders: ‘A huge risk,’” Washington Post, July 13, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/12/turning-point-usa-conference-concerns-trump/
[20] Isaac Arnsdorf, “How the Trump shooting supercharged beliefs in a divine right of MAGA,” Washington Post, July 13, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/13/trump-butler-shooting-religion/
[21] Stephen K. Bannon, quoted in Natalie Allison, “Epstein outcry prompts warning to Trump from MAGA leaders: ‘A huge risk,’” Washington Post, July 13, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/12/turning-point-usa-conference-concerns-trump/
[22] Natalie Allison, “Epstein outcry prompts warning to Trump from MAGA leaders: ‘A huge risk,’” Washington Post, July 13, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/12/turning-point-usa-conference-concerns-trump/
[23] Ian Ward, “The MAGA factions fighting about Epstein,” Politico, July 14, 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2025/07/14/the-maga-factions-fighting-about-epstein-00434342
[24] Steady, “MAGA Turns on Trump,” July 14, 2025, https://steady.substack.com/p/maga-turns-on-trump
[25] Tara Palmeri, quoted in Zachary Leeman, “Tara Palmeri Rips Pam Bondi for ‘Covering Up’ That She’s ‘Out of Her Depth’ On Epstein Files: ‘Zero Credibility!’” Mediaite, July 12, 2025, https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/tara-palmeri-rips-pam-bondi-for-covering-up-that-shes-out-of-her-depth-on-epstein-files-zero-credibility/
[26] Leigh Ann Caldwell, “Trump’s Epstein Curse,” Puck, July 16, 2025, https://puck.news/why-trumps-base-isnt-buying-the-jeffrey-epstein-excuses/
[27] Jake Traylor, “Trump tells those focused on Epstein he doesn't want their support,” Politico, July 16, 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/16/trump-renounces-support-from-those-who-want-more-transparency-in-epstein-case-00455914
[28] Natalie Allison, “Epstein outcry prompts warning to Trump from MAGA leaders: ‘A huge risk,’” Washington Post, July 13, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/12/turning-point-usa-conference-concerns-trump/
[29] Stephen K. Bannon, quoted in Natalie Allison, “Epstein outcry prompts warning to Trump from MAGA leaders: ‘A huge risk,’” Washington Post, July 13, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/12/turning-point-usa-conference-concerns-trump/
[30] Leigh Ann Caldwell, “Trump’s Epstein Curse,” Puck, July 16, 2025, https://puck.news/why-trumps-base-isnt-buying-the-jeffrey-epstein-excuses/
[31] Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, “Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump,” Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2025, https://apple.news/Af64Qq86oTKay1ddcScbdnQ
[32] Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, “Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump,” Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2025, https://apple.news/Af64Qq86oTKay1ddcScbdnQ
[33] Margaret Sullivan, “Trump worked to kill a story about his friendship with Epstein. Now we know why,” Guardian, July 18, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/18/wall-street-journal-trump-epstein
[34] Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, “Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump,” Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2025, https://apple.news/Af64Qq86oTKay1ddcScbdnQ
[35] Calder McHugh, “Trump finds a lifeline in new Epstein revelations,” Politico, July 18, 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2025/07/18/trump-finds-a-lifeline-in-new-epstein-revelations-00434342
[36] David Smith, “Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein report,” Guardian, July 18, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/18/trump-libel-lawsuit-wsj-dow-jones-rupert-murdoch
[37] David Smith, “Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein report,” Guardian, July 18, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/18/trump-libel-lawsuit-wsj-dow-jones-rupert-murdoch
[38] Jeremy Barr, “CBS owner Paramount settles Trump lawsuit over Harris interview for $16M,” Washington Post, July 2, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2025/07/02/paramount-cbs-settlement-trump-harris-interview/
[39] Dylan Byers, “Passing Redstones,” Puck, May 2, 2025, https://puck.news/paramount-could-pay-up-to-75-million-in-trump-suit/
[40] Guardian, “Stephen Colbert on Paramount’s $16m settlement with Trump: ‘Big fat bribe,’” July 15, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/jul/15/late-night-roundup-colbert-stewart-meyers-trump-paramount-epstein
[41] Calder McHugh, “Trump finds a lifeline in new Epstein revelations,” Politico, July 18, 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2025/07/18/trump-finds-a-lifeline-in-new-epstein-revelations-00434342
[42] Emell Derra Adolphus, “Epstein’s Ex Reveals What Pedo Said About His ‘Bro’ Trump,” Daily Beast, July 19, 2025, https://apple.news/ABTVYnRlXQQ6RanFgnKTG_w
[43] Emell Derra Adolphus, “Epstein’s Ex Reveals What Pedo Said About His ‘Bro’ Trump,” Daily Beast, July 19, 2025, https://apple.news/ABTVYnRlXQQ6RanFgnKTG_w
[44] Calder McHugh, “Tucker Carlson’s view of the Epstein saga,” Politico, July 23, 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2025/07/23/tucker-carlsons-view-of-the-epstein-saga-00434342
[45] Eli Stokols, “Deflecting Epstein questions, Trump urges DOJ to ‘go after’ Obama,” Politico, July 22, 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/22/trump-epstein-urges-doj-obama-00467514
[46] David Smith, “Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein report,” Guardian, July 18, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/18/trump-libel-lawsuit-wsj-dow-jones-rupert-murdoch
[47] Jeremy Roebuck, “Judge in Florida denies Justice Dept. request to release Epstein transcripts,” Washington Post, July 23, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/07/23/epstein-transcripts-florida-judge-justice-department/
[48] Sadie Gurman et al., “Justice Department Told Trump in May That His Name Is Among Many in the Epstein Files,” Wall Street Journal, July 23, 2025, https://apple.news/A3o_MLmPfST6rFJW_KVeJRQ
[49] Gregory Svirnovskiy, “Dershowitz casts doubt that grand jury testimony will yield answers on Epstein,” Politico, July 20, 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/20/dershowitz-grand-jury-testimony-epstein-answers-00464976
[50] Kate Santaliz and Andrew Solender, “House bails early for its August recess amid Epstein files uproar,” Axios, July 22, 2025, https://www.axios.com/2025/07/22/house-bails-early-amid-epstein-file-uproar
[51] Aaron Blake, “Why Republicans can’t hide from their Epstein problem,” Cable News Network, July 23, 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/23/politics/house-recess-epstein-files-trump
[52] Sadie Gurman et al., “Justice Department Told Trump in May That His Name Is Among Many in the Epstein Files,” Wall Street Journal, July 23, 2025, https://apple.news/A3o_MLmPfST6rFJW_KVeJRQ
[53] Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, “Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump,” Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2025, https://apple.news/Af64Qq86oTKay1ddcScbdnQ
[54] Emell Derra Adolphus, “Epstein’s Ex Reveals What Pedo Said About His ‘Bro’ Trump,” Daily Beast, July 19, 2025, https://apple.news/ABTVYnRlXQQ6RanFgnKTG_w
[55] Emily Davies et al., “Trump fumes as Epstein scandal dominates headlines, overshadows agenda,” Washington Post, July 27, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/07/27/justice-epstein-memo-bondi-blanche-patel-trump/
[56] Leigh Ann Caldwell, “Johnson Loses the Epstein Caucus,” Puck, July 27, 2025, https://puck.news/gop-house-members-defect-over-epstein-files/
[57] Kadia Goba, “House Republicans issue subpoena for Jeffrey Epstein files,” Washington Post, August 5, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/05/epstein-files-house-subpoena/
[58] Jake Lahut, “Trumpworld Knows Epstein Is a Problem. But They Can’t Solve It,” Wired, August 6, 2025, https://apple.news/AUrY5sShHTzy9Y44XO88xpw
[59] Kadia Goba, “House Republicans issue subpoena for Jeffrey Epstein files,” Washington Post, August 5, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/05/epstein-files-house-subpoena/
[60] Kadia Goba and Katie Tarrant, “House committee releases more Epstein documents, including ‘birthday book,’” Washington Post, September 8, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/08/epstein-estate-documents-congress/
[61] Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, “Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump,” Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2025, https://apple.news/Af64Qq86oTKay1ddcScbdnQ
[62] Tara Palmeri and MChartouni, “Epstein’s Birthday Book Is the Proof They Knew,” Red Letter, September 9, 2025; https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/epsteins-birthday-book-is-the-proof; Amber Phillips to 5-Minute Fix list, “What we know about the Epstein birthday book,” Washington Post, September 9, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/the-5-minute-fix/
[63] Kadia Goba and Katie Tarrant, “House committee releases more Epstein documents, including ‘birthday book,’” Washington Post, September 8, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/08/epstein-estate-documents-congress/
[64] Dareh Gregorian and Adam Reiss, “Appeals court upholds E. Jean Carroll's $83 million judgment against Trump,” NBC News, September 8, 2025, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/appeals-court-upholds-e-jean-carrolls-83-million-judgment-trump-rcna212907
[65] Kara Scannell, “Federal appeals court upholds sexual abuse verdict against Trump,” Cable News Network, December 30, 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/30/politics/federal-appeals-court-upholds-sexual-abuse-case-against-trump
[66] Hailey Fuchs, “Musk, Bannon and Thiel named in new Epstein estate documents,” Politico, September 26, 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/26/musk-bannon-thiel-epstein-documents-00582627
[67] Kanishka Singh, “FBI cuts ties with ADL after row over extremist label for Charlie Kirk’s advocacy group,” Times of Israel, October 2, 2025, https://www.timesofisrael.com/fbi-cuts-ties-with-adl-after-row-over-extremist-label-for-charlie-kirks-advocacy-group/
[68] David Benfell, “Conservative Views on Undocumented Migration” (doctoral dissertation, Saybrook, 2016). ProQuest (1765416126).
[69] David Benfell, “Will ‘The Big Beautiful Bill’ crack Donald Trump’s white Christian nationalist monolith?” Not Housebroken, September 26, 2025, https://nothousebroken.substack.com/p/will-the-big-beautiful-bill-crack