An Epstein Cover-Up & A Woke Superman

When MAGA Heroes Become the Deep State

Amid all the horrible news coming from the Trump administration, version 2.0, the reality remains that using loyalty as the primary criterion for hiring can provide mood-improving entertainment possibilities. It’s a relief from the constant reality TV show drama coming from the White House, and I’ll take any chance I can to smile in between reading horror stories of Gaza and/or America’s concentration camps.

You’d think, what with the Big Bastardly Budget Bill in place and masked ICE dudes desperately trying to meet their quotas, that President Trump’s hardcore supporters would be out in the world cheering from the rafters. But you’d be wrong.

On the things that are really, really important like deep state covert weather operations, the release of a “woke” version of Superman, and the Jeffrey Epstein files, MAGAmen are hoppin’ mad. This shit wasn’t supposed to happen now that they’ve “won.”

In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News about an FBI file on her desk containing an Epstein “client list.” Having to scroll through “tens of thousands” of videos showing potential pornography of minors, was why they hadn’t been made public already.

On Sunday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a memo saying that, after reviewing all the material, they found no evidence that Epstein had kept such a list. The Attorney General went on Fox News and declared that no "further disclosure" of Epstein-related material "would be appropriate or warranted."

Now, the administration’s explanation is that Bondi was referring to the totality of the Epstein investigation and that there were thousands of hours of video that turned out to be child sex abuse material and would not be released.

In late February, Bondi staged a social media event, handing out binders with Epstein case files to pro-Trump social media influencers at the White House. The files ultimately contained little new information. What’s worse is that the distraction caught White House officials off guard and outraged some supporters of the president.

Release of those files was one of the great expectations held by grassroots supporters of the President’s campaign. It’s a “Dog Caught the Car” moment in Trumpworld, shattering a popular belief among adherents to the QAnon conspiracies, Joe Biden’s “deep state” was full of “pedophiles” who “ate babies” and that Trump was the political messiah who would bring them to justice.

Herr Fearless Leader interrupted his own press conference on Tuesday to be critical of a reporter asking about Epstein, calling the questions a "desecration."

• "Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years. Are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable"

• "I can't believe you're asking a question on Epstein at a time like this, when we're having some of the greatest success, and also tragedy with what happened in Texas. It just seems like a desecration.

The MAGA faithful are especially agitated and angry over Attorney General Pam Bondi’s announcement that there is nothing so see in the investigatory files from investigations into the late Jeffrey Epstein's academy for sexual slavery.

The harshest backlash seems to be focused on Attorney General Pam Bondi, with many pro-Trump voices criticizing her over her mixed messaging regarding the Epstein files and multiple supporters calling for her to resign.

“Info Wars” host Alex Jones, led the charge on social media: “Next the DOJ will say “Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed,” Jones tweeted. “This is over the top sickening.”

Far-right activist Laura Loomer and Trump whisperer called for Bondi to resign.

Steve Bannon spoke at length about the memo on his popular "War Room" show on Monday, even questioning if the administration is as transparent as it claims it would be.

Pizzagate conspiracy pusher Mike Cernovich posted that "No one is believing the Epstein coverup, @ realDonaldTrump. This will be part of your legacy. There's still time to change it!"

Given that FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino promoted Epstein conspiracies as right-wing media figures before entering their current roles, it’s not hard to wonder about what’s the truth these days.

Hoping to distract viewers from the issue, the Fox News Channel announced an FBI criminal investigation of former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan and former FBI director James Comey over their investigation of ties between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russian operatives.

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Speaking of distractions, I must call attention to Parker Molloy’s coverage of the “Superman is woke” outrage in MAGA circles. The film, to be released tomorrow, has already been shown in some theaters, including the IMAX facility in Austin, Texas. The advance reviews I’ve seen have been generally positive and noticed the absence of controversy in the story line and script.

Director James Gunn sat down with The Times of London for an interview recently. He described the Man of Steel as “the story of America” and an immigrant story centered on the notion that being kind to people is a virtue:

• “I mean, Superman is the story of America. An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country,” Gunn told the newspaper. “But for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost."

• Pretty anodyne stuff, right? The most famously wholesome superhero represents wholesome values. An alien refugee who becomes Earth's greatest champion might have something to do with immigration. Real “water is wet” territory here.

• But in the right-wing media ecosystem, Gunn's comments were treated like he'd just announced Superman would be spending the entire movie reading The Communist Manifesto while wearing a pussy hat. Fox News immediately branded the film "Superwoke." Jesse Watters suggested Superman's cape should read "MS13." Breitbart called it “terrible,” “superficial,” and “overstuffed” — which is impressive considering they hadn't seen it yet. One OutKick writer declared that Gunn was “obviously upset that President Donald Trump is deporting illegal immigrants by the millions.”

MAGA-thought’s cruelty is the point is not new to me, but I never fully realized just how deep this sadism and rejection of basic human values goes.

Molloy goes on to tell the real stories associated with the mid-twentieth century tale, along with biographical information about its creators.

• Maybe the real revelation here is that we've reached a point where Superman's core values — helping others, welcoming strangers, standing up to bullies, believing in hope — are considered controversial. The character created by kids of refugees as a love letter to their new country now sets off people who claim to be defending America.

For the Gazans, a concentration camp, then forced emigration. For Trump, a beach resort? By Mark Sumner at The Journal of Uncharted Blue Places

• Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a statement on Xitter, "As President Trump and members of Congress roll out the red carpet for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, let's remember that Netanyahu has been indicted as a war criminal by the International Criminal Court for overseeing the systematic killing and starvation of civilians in Gaza."

• He went on to say, "At this moment, hundreds of thousands of people are starving after Israel prevented any aid from entering Gaza for nearly three months. In the last six weeks, Israel has allowed a trickle of aid to get in, but has tried to replace the established United Nations distribution system with a private foundation backed by security contractors. This has been a catastrophe, with near-daily massacres at the new aid distribution sites. In its first five weeks in operation, 640 people have been killed and at least 4,488 injured while trying to access food through this mechanism."

• Atop all this death and destruction now comes plans for Palestinian expulsion with the imprimatur of Donald J. Trump. Straight up ethnic cleansing as happened to Jews in Muslim countries soon after Israel was founded. Netanyahu has long made clear that he believes in an Israel “from the river to the sea.” Not as many Americans flinch when he says it as when a Palestinian student does. But it seems impossible that he and Israel’s other current leaders actually believe implementing this crime against humanity will deliver peace. The plan is hideous and the outcome can be expected to be worse.

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US agriculture secretary says Medicaid recipients can replace deported farm workers by Joseph Gedeon at The Guardian

• The US agriculture secretary has suggested that increased automation and forcing Medicaid recipients to work could replace the migrant farm workers being swept up in Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, despite years of evidence and policy failures that those kinds of measures are not substitutes for the immigrant labor force underpinning American agriculture.

• Speaking at a news conference with Republican governors on Tuesday, Brooke Rollins said the administration would rely on “automation, also some reform within the current governing structure”, and pointed to “34 million able-bodied adults in our Medicaid program” as potential workers.

• “There’s been a lot of noise in the last few days and a lot of questions about where the president stands and his vision for farm labor,” Rollins said. “There are plenty of workers in America”.

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American Teachers in Red States Are Walking Away for Good by Kenneal Patterson at The New Republic

• Gone are the days of eager new recruits, ready to leap into the classroom. Nationwide, 79 percent of public schools reported difficulty hiring teachers last year.

• Texas has also borne the brunt of this trend. Between fall 2021 and fall 2022, the state saw a record 13.4 percent attrition rate, and the proportion of newly hired teachers without a state-sanctioned certification or permit in the following school year rose to nearly 30 percent. In May, Governor Greg Abbott signed a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in all classrooms.

• And while low pay and job burnout remain key factors in their decision to quit the profession, teachers say they’re also simply afraid. Since President Donald Trump’s return to office, the Department of Education has launched an aggressive campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, including targeted attacks on queer teachers. One executive order, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” urges law enforcement to investigate anyone promoting “radical gender ideology.”