Trump’s Press Secretary Lies to Fox News About the Now Nonexistent Epstein Client List

The 2024 presidential campaign of Donald Trump was a cornucopia of conspiracy theories. Prominent among them were the allegations related to convicted sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, and a reputed “client list” containing the names of people who allegedly participated in his criminal pedophilia parties.

Click here to post this article on Twitter or Click here to post on Bluesky

Donald Trump and Karoline Leavitt

The mysterious list was said to include Trump, who was known to have been a longtime friend of Epstein, and had been a passenger on his private jet, the “Lolita Express.” “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years,” Trump told New York Magazine in 2002. “Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” This is consistent with the behavior of Trump, who was found liable in a civil lawsuit for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll.

SEE THIS: Ted Lieu Reads Federal Judge’s Confirmation that Trump is a Rapist Into Congressional Record

The Epstein client list reentered the news cycle on Monday morning when Trump’s Propaganda Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, responded to a question from Fox News White House correspondent, Peter Doocy…

Doocy: The FBI looked at the circumstances surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein. According to the report, ‘this systematic review reveals no incriminating client list.’ So, what happened to the Epstein client list that the Attorney General said she had on her desk?”
Leavitt: I think if you go back and look at what the Attorney General said in that interview, which was on your network — on Fox News…
Doocy: I’ve got the quote. John Roberts said, ‘DOJ may be releasing a list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients. Will that really happen?’ And she said, ‘it’s sitting on my desk right now to review.’ Why?
Leavitt: She was saying the entirety of all of the paperwork — all of the paper in relation to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes – that’s what the Attorney General was referring to, and I will let her speak for that. But when it comes to the FBI and the Department of Justice, they are more than committed to ensuring that bad people are put behind bars.

DOOCY: The report says there's no Epstein client list. So what happened to the Epstein client list that the attorney general said she had on desk?LEAVITT: She was saying the entirety of all the paperwork was on her desk

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-07-07T17:44:09.501Z

The report that Doocy was referring to was from Axios, who published an article revealing that the current heads of Trump’s Justice Department regime – Pam Bondi (Attorney General), Kash Patel (FBI director), and Dan Bongino (FBI deputy director) – are now denying that any Epstein client list ever existed. According to Axios

“Trump’s Justice Department and FBI have concluded they have no evidence that convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein blackmailed powerful figures, kept a ‘client list’ or was murdered, according to a memo detailing the findings obtained by Axios.”

That’s a peculiar conclusion considering that Bondi had explicitly said that she had the actual list on her desk and was reviewing it. Doocy pointed that out to Leavitt, who abruptly switched into reality distortion mode to claim that Bondi was referring to “the entirety of all of the paperwork [on] Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes.” Which was clearly not what she was referring to. For reference, here is the video of Bondi on Fox News in February, and her exchange with Roberts saying…

Roberts: DoJ may be releasing the list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients? Will that really happen?
Bondi: It’s sitting on my desk right now to review. That’s been a directive by president Trump.

Trump's AG, Pam Bondi, needs to explain how the Epstein client list was on her desk in February, and she was reviewing it "at the directive of the president," but now says that it doesn't exist.Where did it go, Pam? Did Trump, for some reason, direct you to make it disappear?

News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-07-07T16:15:36.697Z

The media needs to hold both Leavitt and Bondi accountable for their statements. Leavitt needs to explain why she lied about what Bondi said about having the list on her desk. Bondi needs to explain how the list was on her desk in February, but now says that it doesn’t exist. And Trump needs to explain why his prior promises to release everything about his friend Epstein have gone unfulfilled.

Trump cannot complain that the “Deep State” is suppressing the truth. All of his own appointees are in the positions responsible for releasing all of the information. So who is he trying to protect? You get one guess.

RELATED STORIES:

Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse
on Twitter and Facebook and Bluesky and Threads.

And check out my books on Amazon:

Fox Nation vs. Reality:
The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.

Thanks so much for your support.

Find us on Google+
Advertisement:

Fire Lara Trump! The Fox News Host is Violating Network Policy By Floating a NC Senate Bid

The Era of Donald Trump has introduced America to some profoundly disturbing new concepts in government and politics. They range from his expressing admiration for the nation’s enemies, while insulting and alienating its allies; enriching himself at the expense of his own worshipful cult followers; and pursuing a path to his reigning as an anti-democratic dictator in the mold of his fascist heroes.

Click here to post this article on Twitter or Click here to post on Bluesky

Fox News, Lara Trump, My View

All the while, Trump has greased the skids of this decline in democracy by suppressing and lambasting the free press and replacing it with a propaganda regime based on the sycophantic idolatry practiced in totalitarian societies like Russia and North Korea. His own Cabinet exudes the glassy-eyed adoration of unquestioning disciples.

SEE THIS: Trump Gathers His Cabinet Members to Conduct Another Festival of Feckless Trump-Fluffing

Trump has front-loaded his administration with billionaires and devotees recruited from Fox News (21 so far). They include Pete Hegseth (Secretary of Defense), Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence), and Sean Duffy (Secretary of Transportation). While he has simultaneously dispatched members of the Trump cult to Fox News to spread his manufactured messages and lies.

Chief among those is Trump’s own daughter-in-lawlessness, Lara Trump, who earlier this year debuted her own show on Fox News. Predictably, it has been a circus of Trump-fluffing interviews and disinformation. The absurdity of an alleged “news” network giving a primetime program to a close relative of the sitting occupier of the White House is impossible to overstate. Imagine how the MAGA cult would respond if Hunter Biden were given his own show on MSNBC.

Now a new controversy has enveloped Lara’s program. With the announcement that North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis will not be running for reelection, speculation has emerged that Lara would vie for the seat. While she was born in the state, she has not lived there in ten years. What’s more, she previously considered running for the Senate in Florida, where she currently resides. However, the fact that Lara is using her platform on Fox News to promote her possible candidacy ought to be causing trouble for the right-wing network.

To be clear, this would only cause a problem if Fox News operated with any shred of professional integrity. Which hasn’t been the case since their founding. However, their own employee policies prohibit Lara from remaining on the air. The Fox Political Activities Policy specifically references “running for political office” as an activity that would trigger concerns about ongoing employment. Even if the candidacy is only under consideration. It says that…

“Any employee considering running for elected office is encouraged to consult FOX Government Relations early in the decision-making process to review the relevant laws that could impact the employee’s candidacy.”

Fox News is well aware of this likely breach of their corporate rules and regulations. In 2022, citing the company policy, Fox News pink-slipped Lara as a contributor on Fox when she was mulling her bid for senator in Florida. But now it’s an even more blatant violation as she hosts her own show that features nothing but GOP guests hyping her sugar-daddy-in-law’s agenda.

Nobody should hold their breath waiting for Fox News to do the right thing and cancel Lara’s program. In fact, they are increasing her exposure with guest appearances on other Fox shows, such as Hannity and Fox and Friends. And none of those segments mention that she would be a carpetbagger in North Carolina, where she would have to establish residency by September 20, 2025, in order to run. Will she and Eric vacate their Florida home for this? Stay tuned.

RELATED STORIES:


Pathological Liar! Trump’s 3 Biggest Lies He Told on July 4th – Or Maybe Just the Dumbest

It may not be regarded as news anymore when Donald Trump is caught uttering blatant falsehoods without an iota of shame. He has done it tens of thousands of times since his emergence as a public figure. And sadly, the media has become inured to Trump’s deliberate dishonesty and often neglects to give it the attention it deserves.

Click here to post this article on Twitter or Click here to post on Bluesky

Trump Lies

Trump’s deceptions are still frequent and more dangerous than ever. They distort everything from national security, to the economy, to law and justice, to health matters, and so much more. And despite the transparency of his untruths, his worshipful cult disciples embrace whatever Dear Leader tells them as if it were gospel. Never mind how maniacally insane and hostile his outbursts have become.

SEE THIS: Trump Goes Bonkers Ranting that Democrats Are ‘Evil, Nasty People Who Hate Our Country’

Not surprisingly, Trump spent the July 4th holiday disgorging his daily quota of lies. Most of them were tangentially related to his signing of the “Big Ugly Bill” (BUB) that will terminate the health insurance of millions of Americans, deprive low income families of food, and finance more fascist apprehensions of migrants. All while cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy, and exploding the national debt.

Melded into this monstrosity of malice were some of Trump’s most flagrant lies. What follows are three of the most notable. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list. That would be both prohibitively time consuming given the quantity of his lies, and redundant given his penchant for repeating the same lies incessantly. But it is a representative sample of Trump’s psychotic dysfunction.

Let’s begin with Trump’s assertion that the BUB is “the most popular bill ever signed in history.” Not only is that a lie, but the truth is the the complete opposite. It may be the least popular bill ever signed. Every poll shows that American people are steadfastly opposed to it. Even the Fox News poll has it 21 points underwater.

Not only is the #BigUglyBill not "the most popular bill ever signed in history"…

News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-07-05T10:26:59.919Z

Next we have Trump’s claim that his BUB delivers “no tax on Social Security.” Nope. That is not in the bill. While it does have an increased standard deduction that could reduce the tax owed by some recipients, there is no language that exempts Social Security from taxation. Furthermore, the bill ignores the single most impactful reform for Social Security, which would be raising or eliminating the cap on the income subject to FICA withholding. Also, the provisions related to taxes on tips and overtime are temporary, while the tax cuts for the rich are permanent.

Trump blatantly lies that his #BigUglyBill delivers "no tax on social security." That is not in the bill.What's more, the cuts for taxes on tips and overtime are limited and expire in two years. The cuts for corporations and the wealthy are broad and permanent.

News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-07-05T10:23:19.415Z

Finally, Trump unleashed a typically incoherent rant about energy wherein he gushed about what he called “clean, beautiful coal,” while raging over wind, saying that…

“We’re putting up wind, wind. It doesn’t work. I will tell you, aside from ruining our fields and our valleys, killing all the birds, being very weak and very expensive, all made in China. You know, I noticed something, with all of the windmills that China sends us where we waste our money because it’s the most expensive energy – you know they make about 95% of them, wind turbines – I have never seen a wind farm in China. Why is that? Somebody check that out, Tom Emmer will you please check that out.”

So which is it: Is Trump lying, stupid, or both?"China widens wind power lead with new generation record: China's wind farms produced over 100 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in March, the highest monthly total ever by a single country."reuters.com/world/china/…

News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-07-05T17:07:19.346Z

For the record, this is what Trump says that he has never seen, as reported by Reuters, China widens wind power lead with new generation record“…

China’s wind farms produced over 100 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in March, the highest monthly total ever by a single country and as much as all of Europe and North America combined, data from energy think tank Ember shows.

“The production total was 25% more than during the same month in 2023, and helps extend China’s dominant position as by far the world’s largest renewable energy producer [and is] part of Beijing’s ambitious plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2060.”

So while China is taking the lead in the future of clean energy production and technologies, Trump is ensuring that the U.S. races full speed backwards to the early 1900s when fossil fuels sickened millions of workers and poisoned the environment for everybody else.

These are just a handful of Trump’s horrific distortions of reality. In the same speech he dropped a grossly anti-Semitic slur referring to bankers as “shylock.” He declared that he hates all Democrats, who comprise more than half of the country’s population and about half of their representatives in Congress. And he celebrated the passage of the BUB by accepting a gift of the gavel used by GOP House Speaker, MAGA Mike Johnson, at the close of the vote. Which could not have been a more appropriate symbol of how Congress has subjugated itself to their master and messiah, Trump…

The symbolism of this is just too much.GOP Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson hands over control of the House of Representatives to the aspiring authoritarian Donald Trump as he signs the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" that the American people oppose.

News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-07-05T10:04:28.171Z

RELATED STORIES:

Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse
on Twitter and Facebook and Bluesky and Threads.

And check out my books on Amazon:

Fox Nation vs. Reality:
The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.

Thanks so much for your support.


Trump Plans a UFC Fight at the White House to Bring it More of that Trump Class and Dignity

Following his triumphant mission to terminate health insurance for nearly 12 million Americans, while cutting taxes for billionaires and exploding the national debt, Donald Trump has quickly pivoted to a new project that is certain to shower the nation in the stately grandeur that makes so many citizens proud.

Click here to post this article on Twitter or Click here to post on Bluesky

During a campaign style rally in Iowa, Trump announced his intention to stage an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House. This is the sort of august affair that is consistent with Trump’s other recent enhancements to the People’s House, such as two giant flag poles, the paving over of the Rose Garden, the hanging of his mugshot paintings, and refurbishing the Oval Office with faux-gold ornaments and décor. All in an effort to encourage pride and patriotism.

SEE THIS: Trump Goes Bonkers Ranting that Democrats Are ‘Evil, Nasty People Who Hate Our Country’

Where would the nation be without Trump’s lofty facade of MAGA-sterial munificence? The elegance that he exudes with every utterance was evident as he thrilled his cult followers at the State Fair in Des Moines with news of his latest sleazy spectacle…

“We’re going to have a UFC fight. Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re going to have a UFC fight. We’re going to have a UFC fight — think of this on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there. We’re going to build a little — we’re not, Dana is going to do it. Dana is great, one of a kind — going to be a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like 20,000 to 25,000 people, and we’re going to do that as part of ‘250’ also.”

Trump: "We're gonna have a UFC fight on the grounds on the White House … we're gonna do that as part of 250."

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-07-04T01:13:18.000Z

What could be more representative of the Era of Trump than a phony sporting event featuring hulk-like contestants in trunks pretending to battle it out to win a humongous, gaudy belt and a dubious title? Maybe Trump himself will enter the contest and win another participation trophy like the dozens he has awarded himself at his own golf courses.

In addition to boosting the classiness of the White House, Trump is rewarding a longtime political ally and financial backer. UFC boss, Dana White, is an old friend and business associate of Trump’s who donated a million dollars to his “America First Action” super?PAC. That political action committee was chaired by Linda McMahon, the former head of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which is part of the same corporate family as the UFC.

McMahon is also Trump’s current Secretary of Education. Seriously…Education(!?) She recently decreed that, in order for universities to receive federal grants that fund life-saving research on cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other devastating illnesses, they must be “in sync” with the Trump administration. And she is a full fledged member of the Trump cult who giddily participates in his glorification ceremonies…

SUCH AS…Trump Gathers His Cabinet Members to Conduct Another Festival of Feckless Trump-Fluffing

As usual, Trump is bathing America in the sewage of his tacky persona, and exploiting his office to benefit himself and his cronies. He couldn’t care less about the American people or the reputation of the United States as it nears its 250 year anniversary. Count on Trump to make things even worse as the celebration nears and he begins to pitch his 250th birthday bibles, sneakers, and posters of himself as a jacked Uncle Sam.

RELATED STORIES:

Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse
on Twitter and Facebook and Bluesky and Threads.

And check out my books on Amazon:

Fox Nation vs. Reality:
The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.

Thanks so much for your support.


Jamie Raskin Responds to Big Baby Trump’s Pitifully Infantile Harangue Calling Him an Ugly Dope

The notoriously childish temper of Donald Trump has once again raised it’s bobblehead to whine petulantly about some perceived slight that bruised his tender sensitivities. Nothing is more predictable that the rattled reaction by Trump if his fee-fees have been hurt by a Democrat having the audacity to criticize His MAGA-STY.

Click here to post this article on Twitter or Click here to post on Bluesky

Donald Trump Pacifier Fox

Whenever Trump is subjected to even the most trivial negative rendering of his severely unstable psychoses, he lashes out with the fearsome ferocity of a terrified gnat caught in a vacated spider web. He is inherently incapable of laughing off a minor affront or tolerating the insolence of someone daring to disagree with him.

SEE THIS: What 1st Amendment? Trump Threatens to Prosecute CNN for Imaginary Crimes Against Dear Leader

Consequently, the stage was set when Democratic Rep. Jaime Raskin had a few unflattering observations about Trump’s “Big Ugly Bill” that he just shoved down the throats of his Republican colleagues in Congress – not to mention the rest of America and the world. Raskin took to the well of the House of Representatives to reveal what he mockingly called the “preamble” to the GOP legislation, saying that…

“We the billionaires and our king, in order to deform and sicken our union, establish injustice, ensure domestic servility, weaken our people’s defenses, undermine the general welfare, and reserve to ourselves and posterity, staggering debt servitude for eternity…

“…due hereby instruct the Republicans in Congress to strip 17 million people of their healthcare, increase copays, premiums and deductibles for everyone else, cut 42 million people off of nutritional assistance, increase the national debt by $4 trillion, trash renewable energy systems, increase our electric bills for the carbon kings, all to weaken and destroy the Constitution of the people of these United States of America.”

The GOP's Medicaid-busting tax scheme is filled with poison pills antithetical to the values of our people. So I wrote a proper preamble for their big, ugly bill.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (@raskin.house.gov) 2025-07-02T16:57:10.540Z

Well, that was enough for Trump to go off halfcocked with a tantrum on his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social. He unleashed a load bile that a seven year old would have been embarrassed to say aloud. Trump raged that…

“Rep. Jamie Raskin, a third rate Democrat politician, has no idea what is in our fantastic Tax Cut Bill, nor would he understand it if he did. This DOPE has been consistently losing to me for YEARS, and I love watching his ugly face as he is forced to consistently concede DEFEAT TO TRUMP — And tonight should be another of those nights. Raskin is a bad politician, and a TOTAL LOSER!”

First of all, Rep. Raskin has a far better idea of what’s in the bill than Trump. And not just because he read it, while Trump probably used it as coaster for his Diet Coke. As for understanding it, Raskin graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He was a constitutional professor prior to being elected to Congress. He is currently the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.

However, something that surely sticks in Trump’s wrinkled craw is that Raskin was the lead impeachment manager for Trump’s second impeachment that addressed the violent insurrection that he incited on January 6, 2021.

There is really no need to delve into Trump’s infantile insults of Raskin as a “dope” or as “ugly” or as a “loser.” Those are just more examples of Trump seeing himself in the people that he despises. It’s called projection. And along with his malignant narcissism, is one of the more obvious psychological maladies that he appears to suffer from.

Following Trump’s online outburst, Raskin offered up his own replies. In one he responded to Trump’s tweet directly referencing Trump’s stunted emotional growth, or lack thereof…

Raskin also addressed the Crybaby-in-Chief during an interview on Lawrence O’Donnell’s MSNBC program, where he demonstrated how an adult behaves when confronted by cranky 79 year old toddler…

Raskin: "I suppose I don't mind being called a loser several times by Trump, given that he's our only president who has lost the popular vote in two different elections and the last time, when he lost by more than 7 million votes to Biden, it upset him so much that he incited an insurrection"

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-07-03T02:41:47.529Z

There is a lot to be worried about with Trump having resumed his occupation of the White House. He is obliterating the economy. He is goading other nations into war. He is orchestrating a fascist reshaping of American law and order. And he is clamping down on the free press that is guaranteed in the Constitution’s First Amendment. On the plus side, he is motivating the progressive resistance.

With all of that going down, it may seem frivolous to focus on this sort attack by Trump on a member of Congress. But it is all connected. The same mental dysfunction that drives Trump to bully his political foes, is what produces his dangerously ignorant and self-serving policies. And the only solution is for him to be removed from office as quickly as possible. Or at least neutered. Y’all up for a third Impeachment? 25th Amendment? LFG!

RELATED STORIES:

Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse
on Twitter and Facebook and Bluesky and Threads.

And check out my books on Amazon:

Fox Nation vs. Reality:
The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.

Thanks so much for your support.


Paramount Caves to Trump’s Extortion, Disgraces CBS, Pays a $16M Bribe to Settle a Bogus Lawsuit

In yet another capitulation by Big Media to the ravenous whims of aspiring authoritarian Donald Trump, Paramount Global has succumbed to the insidious intimidation of a tyrannical threat intended to quash the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution’s First Amendment. It’s just the latest assault on the media that Trump frequently refers to in Stalinist terms as “the enemy of the people.”

Click here to post this article on Twitter or Click here to post on Bluesky

Donald Trump and Media - ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, FOX

On Wednesday morning it was announced that Paramount had agreed to a settlement of the lawsuit that Trump had brought against CBS News, alleging that the network had defamed him by editing part of an interview with Kamala Harris. Never mind that the the editing (which was nominated for an Emmy) was proper and routine and done only for time and clarity. To Trump it was an assault on his tender sensitivities…

SEE THIS: Snowflake Trump Whines He Suffered ‘Mental Anguish’ From the 60 Minutes Interview of Kamala Harris

The settlement was nothing more than Paramount bowing to the extortion of a mob boss president who was only interested in exacting revenge on a news organization that had the audacity to present a fair and balanced interview of a political opponent and to report the truth about him. As reported by CNN

“CBS News parent Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to resolve a legally dubious lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over a ’60 Minutes’ news report last fall.” […]

“Legal experts maintained that Trump’s suit was frivolous and that CBS was on solid ground to fight and win the case in court. But corporate priorities trumped journalistic principles. Paramount has been trying for months to complete a lucrative merger with Skydance Media, and the deal requires approval from the Trump administration, in part because CBS owns local stations that are licensed by the government. This gave Trump a form of leverage over Paramount.” […]

In short, Paramount paid a bribe to Trump in order to get him to allow their multibillion merger with Skydance Media (owned by Trump associates Larry and David Ellison) to proceed with approval from Trump’s FCC. The fate of the merger was of – shall we say paramount – concern to the chairwoman of the corporation, Shari Redstone, who stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars when the merger is completed.

The settlement that Paramount agreed to was for $16 million that would cover Trump’s legal expenses, with the remainder going to his eventual presidential library. But far worse than that, it establishes a precedent for bullying news enterprises in order to shape their reporting or to make them pay for being honest and independent. And despite the fact that there was no apology or other statement of wrongdoing or regret, Trump still claimed that he scored a total victory. His legal team said that…

“[The settlement] holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit. CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle.”

None of that statement is remotely related to reality. It’s hard to sue for $20 billion in damages – which was the original amount sought by Trump – and settle for 0.08% of that, and spin it as a strong case that Paramount “had no choice but to settle.” Particularly when Trump couldn’t even get any kind of an apology, and the funds would not be going directly to him, but to his library, if there ever is one.

Nevertheless, the damage done to the reputation of CBS News is significant and enduring. It was a decision by their corporate parent to sacrifice the network’s credibility in order to enrich their owners. And their weakness makes it harder for other news organizations to stand up to the kind of criminal protection racket tactics that Trump is so notorious for engaging in. Hopefully any other media outfit facing this in the future will have more courage than than the cowards at Paramount.

RELATED STORIES:

Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse
on Twitter and Facebook and Bluesky and Threads.

And check out my books on Amazon:

Fox Nation vs. Reality:
The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.

Thanks so much for your support.

Find us on Google+
Advertisement:

What 1st Amendment? Trump Threatens to Prosecute CNN for Imaginary Crimes Against Dear Leader

The determination of Donald Trump to exert tyrannical control over the media that he despises has taken another turn for the worse. He is now not only insulting them as “fake” news, or demeaning them as “the enemy of the people,” or suing them on preposterous charges of defamation. He has escalated his wrath to outright threats of prosecution.

Click here to post this article on Twitter or Click here to post on Bluesky

Donald Trump, CNN

Bear in mind that Trump has not identified any actual crime that anyone in the press has committed. He has never needed any such trivialities as prosecutable offenses to backup his wild accusations. Trump merely babbles maniacally about some imagined illegality and expects his cult devotees to follow blindly.

SEE THIS: Trump Cult Priestess, Karoline Leavitt, Preaches the Divine Infallibility of Dear Leader

Trump participated in a staged photo-op in Florida to visit a new migrant detention facility that features alligator infested surrounding waters. Of course, the alligators have no impact whatsoever on the security of the facility. But the gruesome cruelty of the notion of migrants – including children – being ripped to shreds delights the sickly morbidity of the MAGA crowd.

During the press conference Trump was asked questions about some of his other inhumane and unconstitutional mass deportation initiatives. One in particular addressed a news report by CNN about a publicly available app that advised people of where ICE agents were conducting operations. Which led to the following exchange…

Question: CNN yesterday pushed an app that lets you track where ICE agents are. [Border czar] Tom Homan said that perhaps CNN should be prosecuted for that. Your Thoughts?
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem: We’re working with the Department of Justice to see if we can prosecute them for that. Because what they’re doing is actively encouraging people to avoid law enforcement activities, operations, and we’re going to actually go after them and prosecute with the partnership of [Attorney General] Pam [Bondi] if we can, because what they are doing we believe is illegal.
Trump: And they may very well be prosecuted also for having given false reports on the attack in Iran. They were given totally false reports.

Trump on CNN: "They may be prosecuted also for having given false reports on the attack in Iran."

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-07-01T15:26:14.748Z

DHS Secretary Noem’s assertion that CNN engaged in some illegal activity has no basis in reality. They are entirely within their rights to report on the existence of an app that is available for anyone to download. That is journalism, not promotion. They never “encouraged” anyone to use the app. And it’s purpose is merely to notify the public about activities that ICE agents are openly engaging in. Which is also legal.

Trump went further – and wildly off-topic – to threaten CNN with prosecution for “having given false reports on the attack in Iran.” Once again, it is only Trump’s opinion that the reports were false. CNN derived the information from Trump’s own intelligence team. As previously reported, Trump’s Propaganda Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, complained about CNN for…

“…accurately reporting what Trump’s own intel professionals said about the results of the air strikes. They revealed that, according to the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm, Iran’s nuclear capabilities had only been damaged partially, and that they could be rebuilt within months.”

So CNN’s reporting was correct. However, even if it were not, that isn’t illegal either. News organizations are allowed to make make mistakes, and corrections when necessary. In this case it wasn’t necessary. But if Trump still wasn’t satisfied, he could file another wholly unwarranted lawsuit for defamation. But he cannot issue criminal indictments. CNN replied to these anti-constitutional threats saying that…

“There is nothing illegal about reporting the existence of this or any other app, nor does such reporting constitute promotion or other endorsement of the app by CNN.”

Trump’s use of intimidation against the media is more proof of his penchant for fascism. He would love to throw journalists in jail for reporting the truth about him. He has also been threatening political foes with arrest. Just in the past 48 hours he has mused about arresting Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, and Alejandro Mayorkas, the former Secretary of Homeland Security, and he indicated his openness to deporting Elon Musk, his former BFF and DOGE chief.

Trump’s threats of prosecuting journalists, along with his civil litigation, are long standing obsessions that reveal his hatred of the Constitution and its First Amendment protections. And it is a troubling signal of his intentions to control the media and form a fascist regime that won’t tolerate a free press or free thought. At this point in the process, he isn’t even trying to hide it. Which means that it is more imperative than ever to resist him and his authoritarian aspirations. The welfare of the country is at stake.

RELATED STORIES:

Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse
on Twitter and Facebook and Bluesky and Threads.

And check out my books on Amazon:

Fox Nation vs. Reality:
The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.

Thanks so much for your support.


Trump’s Press Secretary Obediently Parrots Dear Leader’s Lie that Zohran Mamdani is a Communist

The role of the White House press secretary used to be to inform the public about the president’s policies, initiatives, schedule, and opinions. It was a position that respected the critical part that journalists play in sustaining democracy, and cherished the Constitution’s First Amendment protection of the free press.

Click here to post this article on Twitter or Click here to post on Bluesky

Donald Trump Yelling at Karoline Leavitt

Sadly, in the Era of Trump, the press secretary has become just another functionary mouthpiece for the Kremlin-like Politburo that Trump has formed in the West Wing of the White House. Trump’s current Propaganda Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has distinguished herself as a reliable purveyor of partisan bullpucky as she transforms the irregular press briefings into a platform for the ultra-rightist MAGA ministry and shameless Trump-fluffing Internet trolls.

SEE THIS: Trump’s Press Secretary Pledges to Plant Pro-Trump Crackpots in the White House Press Room

On Monday morning Leavitt was asked about the recently elected Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani. Her response was typically littered with lies. But she went even farther down the rabid hole to smear Mamdani as a communist who condemns American values, saying that he is…

“Someone who is quite literally a communist and condemns every value that makes this country great, common sense, law and order, low taxes, working hard, earning your keep in this country, he is against all of that, and I think the president would find it difficult to work with someone like that if he is elected.”

Leavitt’s rant is spectacularly absurd and dishonest. First of all, Mamdani is not a communist. But you have to forgive Leavitt because she surely couldn’t define the word if her life depended on it. She is simply regurgitating the words of her master, Donald the Demented, who has called Mamdani “a 100% Communist Lunatic.” Trump has even blatant lied that Mamdani admitted to being a communist, which he never did. However, Trump virtually admitted to his own intention to act like a communist dictator by promising that, if Mamdani is elected, “he’s gonna have to do the right thing or they’re not getting any money.”

Trump actually believes that the federal treasury is his personal piggy bank, and he can disburse funds as he sees fit to his friends, or withhold them from his foes. For him to malign anyone else as communist is pure projection. He is accusing others of what he himself is doing.

Throughout the few short months of his second occupation of the White House, Trump has patterned himself after his heroes, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un. His immigration thugs capturing migrants and sending them to foreign gulags; his Justice Department indicting Democrats and firing attorneys who prosecuted Trump or his allies; his hostility toward the media that he regards as “the enemy of the people;” these are all behaviors of a wannabe tyrant.

In addition to Leavitt’s ignorant name-calling, she is also open to the bizarre and racist idea of denaturalizing Mamdani so that they can deport him. Once again, that’s the way that dictators solve political problems. So naturally the Trump administration is exploring it. And it may be what we should expect in the upcoming elections in 2026 and 2028.

What’s more, Trump is not only interested in deporting his opponents, he also believes that he could run for a third term, despite the Constitution prohibiting it. And yet, he is accusing Mamdani of being a communist? All of this would make for a terrible movie plot, because no one would consider it believable. But somehow, Republicans still don’t think that Trump is unfit for office. What would he have to do to convince them? Screw a porn star? Get a jet from Qatar? Shoot somebody on 5th Avenue?

RELATED STORIES:

Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse
on Twitter and Facebook and Bluesky and Threads.

And check out my books on Amazon:

Fox Nation vs. Reality:
The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.

Thanks so much for your support.


Trump Goes Bonkers Ranting that Democrats Are ‘Evil, Nasty People Who Hate Our Country’

The deteriorating mental state of Donald Trump is becoming impossible to ignore, even for some of his most ardent sycophants. Not that they will muster the courage to challenge him. But there is clearly a widening gap between the explosive dia-rhetoric that Trump is disgorging, and what passes for reality amongst the rest of his party, and more broadly, the rest of America.

Click here to post this article on Twitter or Click here to post on Bluesky

Donald Trump

The unmooring of what remains of Trump’s sanity has been evident in his raving and deranged outbursts regarding the promotion of his wildly unpopular, so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB), that adds billions to the deficit and removes millions from their health insurance. It’s evident in the delusional math that he applies to his tariffs, that will be paid by American companies and consumers. It’s evident in his hype following the bombing of Iran, that he says “completely obliterated” their nuclear facilities, in contradiction of independent analysis and even his own intelligence staff.

Trump is so far removed from the real world that only his most devoted cult followers can accept his ludicrous lapses of cognition.

SEE THIS: Trump Cult Priestess, Karoline Leavitt, Preaches the Divine Infallibility of Dear Leader

In a late night bout of hysterics on Saturday, Trump unleashed a rambling, incoherent eruption of animus toward his perceived enemies, who always seem to be fellow Americans. On this occasion it was Democrats who oppose his “Big Ugly Bullsh*t” that were on the receiving end of his unhinged wrath. He posted a comment on his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social, that was typical of his fevered hate-speech, saying that

“Republicans must remember that they are fighting against a very evil, corrupt and, in many ways, incompetent (Policywise!) group of people.”

It’s notable that Trump only speaks this way about Americans. He would never say such things about Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping. He went on lie that…

“The Democrats would LOVE to see the Biggest Tax Hike in History (68%!), No Border Spending (Open Borders!), and a weak, underfunded Military.”

Of course, none of that remotely resembles anything that Democrats have advocated. It’s all inventions of Trump’s diseased mind. And he wasn’t finished. He added a bizarre complaint that Democrats “have House and Senate Rules that give Great Power to their Leaders – Committee Chairmanships.” But as Democrats are currently in the minority in Congress, they aren’t making the rules and they have no committee chairmanships at all.

Trump then segued to bragging about his fellow MAGA Republicans that he said are “wonderful people and phenomenal Policy, and that should win Elections every single time!” That came as he was simultaneously trashing GOP senators Thom Tillis and Rand Paul for not voting for his BBB. Then Trump posted another comment railing against Democrats “because they’re nasty people who actually hate our Country.”

Trump’s demeaning of Democrats as hating the country is another example of his psychotic projection, wherein he accuses others of having his own emotional maladies. Trump has demonstrated repeatedly that he has a propensity for hatred. He hates the Constitution that he regularly dismisses and defiles. He hates America’s allies, but loves its enemies. But most of all, he hates his fellow Americans. Whether they be Democrats, Republicans, or independents. Why else would push legislation down our throats that majorities of the people don’t want?

This is what the America people think of the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" that Trump and the GOP are shoving down the nation's throat. Note that even the Fox News poll has it underwater by 21 points.

News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-06-29T10:46:24.678Z

RELATED STORIES:

Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse
on Twitter and Facebook and Bluesky and Threads.

And check out my books on Amazon:

Fox Nation vs. Reality:
The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.

Thanks so much for your support.


10 New Republican Precedents for Presidential Power that Trump and Co. May Come to Regret: Axios

The reign of wannabe dictator Donald Trump has produced some of the most repugnant policies ever to be foisted on the American people. They are replete with racist, misogynist, and xenophobic bigotry. They have the stench of corruption and flagrant self-enrichment. They serve to embrace our enemies and alienate our allies. And they are brazen assaults on the Constitution, particularly the promise of due process and protections of the free press.

Click here to post this article on Twitter or Click here to post on Bluesky

Donald Trump, Constitution

In five short months, Trump’s second occupation of the White House has proven to be far more destructive of the principles that shaped the nation. Trump has surrounded himself with suck-ups who will never challenge his anti-American proposals. And he has set a determined course to cleanse the government of knowledgeable, non-partisan administrators and legal counsel. That leaves him with a worshipful cult of sycophants who are devoted to Dear Leader…

SEE THIS: Trump Cult Priestess, Karoline Leavitt, Preaches the Divine Infallibility of Dear Leader

Unfortunately, Trump has succeeded in some measure to construct a cabal of loyalists in his administration. And with the help of the radical right-leaning Supreme Court, he has managed to secure a number of policy and process victories that he is giddily celebrating. However, Trump may not have as much to celebrate as he thinks. As reported by Axios, Trump and his minions in Congress are setting some new precedents that could come back to bite him in his asinine and arrogant rear flank.

“Through silence or vocal support, House and Senate Republicans are backing an extraordinary set of new precedents for presidential power they may come to regret if and when Democrats seize those same powers…New precedents are exhilarating when you’re in power — and excruciating when you’re not.”

Here are 10 new precedents, all set with minimal GOP dissent:

  1. Presidents can limit the classified information they share with lawmakers after bombing a foreign country without the approval of Congress.
    Trump is already refusing to brief Democrats in Congress on his adventurism in Iran, and who knows what else.
  2. Presidents can usurp Congress’s power to levy tariffs, provided they declare a national emergency.
    The constitution gives Congress the authority to levy taxes and tariffs, not the president.
  3. Presidents can unilaterally freeze spending approved by Congress, and dismantle or fire the heads of independent agencies established by law.
    Trump has unlawfully impounded funds allocated by law and terminated thousands of agency staff over which he has no authority.
  4. Presidents can take control of a state’s National Guard, even if the governor opposes it, and occupy the state for as long as said president wants.
    This is the fascist overreach that Trump has taken in Los Angeles, despite having no legal basis or justification.
  5. Presidents can accept gifts from foreign nations, as large as a $200 million plane, even if it’s unclear whether said president gets to keep the plane at the end of the term.
    The plane that Trump is getting from Qatar will cost taxpayers another billion dollars to retrofit to standards that comply with Air Force One. And then it will be gifted to his library.
  6. Presidents can actively profit from their time in office, including creating new currencies structured to allow foreign nationals to invest anonymously, benefiting said president.
    Trump is raking in millions (billions?) of dollars from his personal businesses and crypto scams.
  7. Presidents can try to browbeat the Federal Reserve into cutting interest rates, including by floating replacements for the Fed chair before their term is up.
    Trump has been lying that there is no inflation and, therefore, Fed Chair Jerome Powell is stupid for not cutting interest rates.
  8. Presidents can direct the Justice Department to prosecute their political opponents and punish critics. These punishments can include stripping Secret Service protections, suing them and threatening imprisonment.
    Trump has already pardoned 1,500 insurrectionists, and then fired the attorneys in the Justice Department who prosecuted them. And his Attorney Genuflect, Pam Bondi has indicted several Democrats on trumped up charges.
  9. Presidents can punish media companies, law firms and universities that don’t share their viewpoints or values.
    Trump is suing several ABC News, CBS News, the New York Times, and others, for having the audacity to report the truth about him. And he is threatening and defunding universities who refuse to kowtow to his fascist demands.
  10. Presidents can aggressively pardon supporters, including those who made large political donations as part of their bid for freedom. The strength of the case in said pardons is irrelevant.
    Not only is the strength of the case irrelevant, but so is the crime. Trump has pardoned deep-pocketed supporters who were convicted of drug trafficking, sex crimes, and more.

This is not a comprehensive list. The dangerous precedents being set by Trump extend to many other matters, including immigration, foreign aid, civil liberties, voting rights, state sovereignty, and so much more.

The one thing that Trump and the MAGA GOP have going for them is that Democrats are far more personally moral and legally ethical. While these precedents may apply to them as well when they are in power, they are less likely to avail themselves of them, or to abuse them the way that Trump and Republicans do. And at this stage in Trump’s dissolution of American democracy, it’s hard to say whether that’s a good thing or bad thing.

RELATED STORIES:

Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse
on Twitter and Facebook and Bluesky and Threads.

And check out my books on Amazon:

Fox Nation vs. Reality:
The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.

Thanks so much for your support.