The MAGA Machine Can't Save Trump From Epstein (w/ David Frum) | The Bulwark Podcast
Trump's Shifting Defenses, Political Retribution, and the Roots of Hate
Analyze how Trump’s uncharacteristic guilt over Epstein exposes internal fractures, contrast this with systematic political retribution being deployed by allies, and explore the deep paranoia fueling modern antisemitism debates.
Short Summary
- Trump broke his standard non-apology pattern by obsessing over the Epstein story, signaling genuine vulnerability or crisis mismanagement.
- Allies are engaging in unprecedented government cleanup, using state power (DOJ/Fannie Mae) for personal settlements and political payback.
- Speakers differentiate between contempt-based hate and paranoia-based antisemitism, discussing its corrosive role across the political spectrum.
- The discussion covered the futility of interdicting supply (like drug boats) versus addressing consumer demand, citing the Venezuela refugee crisis as a policy failure example.
This conversation details the political fallout surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, particularly candidate Trump’s reaction. Hosts Tim Miller and David Frum dissect Trump’s unusual behavior—acting shamefaced—which suggests the issue is severe. They pivot to discussing systemic corruption, evidenced by reports of taxpayers potentially settling multi-million dollar lawsuits for Trump appointees like Michael Flynn. Furthermore, Frum offers a deep analysis of antisemitism as a form of paranoia, noting how it contaminates political discourse across the spectrum, especially when tied to foreign policy crises like Venezuela.
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Top Comments (10)
Megyn Kelly is disgusting beyond words.... I was 7 when I was raped. It would not have mattered if I were 17, or 27...I am 71 today. It is still horrific. 🤬
I want Nuremberg trials for this administration.
David Frum is flat-out wrong on his takes re: Zohran and Israel. It is not antisemitic to call a genocide a genocide, and there is no need to "make amends" with Bibi/Israel as a nation state until they too clean house.
First & foremost "Children Can not Give Consent"" let that sink in! That's the bottom line reality!!
I can't see JD Vance without hearing the South Park version.
He is the mayor of NY - not doing international relations for the USA. Could we lay off the anti-Zohran rhetoric? I am exhausted by the useless pearl-clutching.
19:08 So they're just openly stealing from the public coffers? There's NEVER BEEN A MORE CORRUPT POLITICAL PARTY! 💯😡🤬
He looks guilty because he IS guilty
My favourite writers and thinkers are largely Jewish, David Frum being one of them. My whole life I was an ardent supporter of Israel and it's cause. I'm not an anti-Zionist, and I'm definitely not anti-Semitic, but I am anti the way Israel handled their response to Oct 7th. I don't have tiktok, and I don't get my news from social media. I get all my news from the traditional sources. And I watched clips on the evening news of injured and dying children crying out in pain, and I saw mother's crying and pleading for basic necessities like food and shelter and safety for their children. It is damn near impossible not to be affected by those pictures. And yet, the level of empathy--or lack thereof--I saw coming from Israeli government officials, and supporters of Israel in America was unsettling to say the least. That is what troubled me the most. Seeing just how little these people seemed to care, if at all. And I get it, Oct 7th was horrific. But 70,000 dead compared to a little over 1000 felt like...overkill? No pun intended. Witnessing the degree of violence and bloodshed supporters of Israel were willing to accept was just disorienting to me. So, yea, I don't know. That's just my two cents. A little empathy would have gone a long way Lastly, if I may add, that last bit where you guys spoke about Zohran is a perfect encapsulation of the problem. Look at how difficult it was for even you, Tim, to broach this topic, despite how delicately you went about it, and how intransigent and unwavering Frum was in his conviction regarding the danger of Zohran's views in relation to Israel. The guy softens his stance and actively does outreach to the Jewish community, and even that is seen as a cynical ploy on his part, apparently to mislead people about what he truly believes. If he doesn't do that outreach, then it's "look at how dangerous this man is, ignoring a large segment of the Jewish population in NY and refusing to allay whatever fears they may harbor." It's just damn near impossible to have a normal, constructive dialogue about this topic
Thank you Tim for the pushback against the proposition that anti-Israel policies as executed now = antisemitism. There are more than a few people who can separate these.
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Top Comments (10)
Megyn Kelly is disgusting beyond words.... I was 7 when I was raped. It would not have mattered if I were 17, or 27...I am 71 today. It is still horrific. 🤬
I want Nuremberg trials for this administration.
David Frum is flat-out wrong on his takes re: Zohran and Israel. It is not antisemitic to call a genocide a genocide, and there is no need to "make amends" with Bibi/Israel as a nation state until they too clean house.
First & foremost "Children Can not Give Consent"" let that sink in! That's the bottom line reality!!
I can't see JD Vance without hearing the South Park version.
He is the mayor of NY - not doing international relations for the USA. Could we lay off the anti-Zohran rhetoric? I am exhausted by the useless pearl-clutching.
19:08 So they're just openly stealing from the public coffers? There's NEVER BEEN A MORE CORRUPT POLITICAL PARTY! 💯😡🤬
He looks guilty because he IS guilty
My favourite writers and thinkers are largely Jewish, David Frum being one of them. My whole life I was an ardent supporter of Israel and it's cause. I'm not an anti-Zionist, and I'm definitely not anti-Semitic, but I am anti the way Israel handled their response to Oct 7th. I don't have tiktok, and I don't get my news from social media. I get all my news from the traditional sources. And I watched clips on the evening news of injured and dying children crying out in pain, and I saw mother's crying and pleading for basic necessities like food and shelter and safety for their children. It is damn near impossible not to be affected by those pictures. And yet, the level of empathy--or lack thereof--I saw coming from Israeli government officials, and supporters of Israel in America was unsettling to say the least. That is what troubled me the most. Seeing just how little these people seemed to care, if at all. And I get it, Oct 7th was horrific. But 70,000 dead compared to a little over 1000 felt like...overkill? No pun intended. Witnessing the degree of violence and bloodshed supporters of Israel were willing to accept was just disorienting to me. So, yea, I don't know. That's just my two cents. A little empathy would have gone a long way Lastly, if I may add, that last bit where you guys spoke about Zohran is a perfect encapsulation of the problem. Look at how difficult it was for even you, Tim, to broach this topic, despite how delicately you went about it, and how intransigent and unwavering Frum was in his conviction regarding the danger of Zohran's views in relation to Israel. The guy softens his stance and actively does outreach to the Jewish community, and even that is seen as a cynical ploy on his part, apparently to mislead people about what he truly believes. If he doesn't do that outreach, then it's "look at how dangerous this man is, ignoring a large segment of the Jewish population in NY and refusing to allay whatever fears they may harbor." It's just damn near impossible to have a normal, constructive dialogue about this topic
Thank you Tim for the pushback against the proposition that anti-Israel policies as executed now = antisemitism. There are more than a few people who can separate these.