This past week we were all learning that the “I voted for this” crew were clearly focused on voting to protect pedophile sex traffickers and their clients.
We also got that edited video …
… and when I say “edited”, I really do mean “edited”, because as revealed by Wired on Jul 11 …
THE UNITED STATES Department of Justice this week released nearly 11 hours of what it described as “full raw” surveillance footage from a camera positioned near Jeffrey Epstein’s prison cell the night before he was found dead. The release was intended to address conspiracy theories about Epstein’s apparent suicide in federal custody. But instead of putting those suspicions to rest, it may fuel them further.
Metadata embedded in the video and analyzed by WIRED and independent video forensics experts shows that rather than being a direct export from the prison’s surveillance system, the footage was modified, likely using the professional editing tool Adobe Premiere Pro. The file appears to have been assembled from at least two source clips, saved multiple times, exported, and then uploaded to the DOJ’s website, where it was presented as “raw” footage.
So yes, this supposedly “Raw Footage” was hacked and spliced.
Is it a conspiracy or is it yet more incompetence?
What do we know?
- Epstein died during Trump’s first term in 2019 – this latest update now all very much plays into a strong conspiracy narrative.
- In a world where there are more videos and photos of Trump with Epstein than there are of Trump and his family, and now the sudden vanishing of the Epstein client list, plus the missing one minute in the video, and the reveal that it was hacked, they have set the stage for even more rampant conspiracy beliefs to gain traction.
- Even before all the latest developments, what is factual is that the unusual circumstances, high-profile connections, and forensic doubts, have led many — including experts — to believe murder is plausible or, at minimum, that the system failed so badly it enabled his death.
- The most charitable and positive spin you can place on this utter farce is that Bondi is utterly incompetent. (Well yes, you and I knew that from day 1 of her appointment. What is new is the very public demonstration of that).
The goal of the video being released was to supposedly “prove” that he killed himself. Investigative journalist @jkbjournalist.bsky.social has been all over the Epstein case for years. She calls the prison video released to *prove* it was a suicide “misleading”, and points to the numerous shady equipment failures surrounding his death …
However, many are not buying the Bondi narrative, and that includes many inside the MAGA cult. As an example, check out the responses to the White House promotion of Trump as Superman Instagram … the comments under it are something …
Rumour has it that Bondi and Bongino (deputy director of the FBI) had a big bust up and that he may quit and go back to shit-posting, and the whisper is that Kash Patel might also consider quitting as well …
- Axios story here
- For the record, both Dan Bongino and Kash Patel are classic shit-posting conspiracy theorist s- what Bondi did is fodder for people like these.
Apparently JD Vance has discovered that he can now also wait …
Trump started getting desperate, and put out a long rant, “These are not the droids you are looking for, move on” …
- In the above … if you actually made it past the first few bits of gibberish … you will discover that he is claiming that Obama, and Hillary Clinton wrote the Epstein files. That’s a wild and truly bizarre admission that Bondi is indeed lying, that they do exist, and that there is stuff in there specifically about him.
Trump has misread his base a few times in the past – for example when he bragged about Warp Speed on vaccines at a couple rallies and got jeered, but then backed off quick and stopped talking about it.
Unfortunately for him the MAGA cult are just not culting this time …
- He’s guilty, he knows he’s guilty, his cult isn’t culting on this, and he’s a cornered rat with no way out other than to plead with people not to care about child sex trafficking.
The crazy thing is that there is no deep dark secret here, his deep involvement in sexual perversion is common knowledge, via Seth Abramson …
The real problem is that MAGA had previously refused to listen, to pause and consider the possibility that their guy was not just a sexual pervert, sexual assaulter, and rapist, but a Pedophilia. That however appears to have changed.
It has all been an inspiration to the political cartoonists.
Clay Jones – “DOJ Barbie can’t make up her mind”
Dennis Goris – “Anymore“
One last question on all this, did Bondi actually cover up and suppress the Epstein client list, or is she guilty of overpromising and utterly incompetent?
An interesting twist is this via Trump’s Lawyer Alan Dershowitz (and another buddy of Epstein) …
- Translation of what he is saying: — Yes, there is a client list. — A federal robe turned it into a state secret. — The names are plutonium: touch them and whole careers melt.
- It is worth noting that Dershowitz himself was also Epstein’s lawyer and defended him, so he does have a rather unique insight into all this. I would speculate that he himself is on the client list.
Finally, as a bit of further insight into it all and who was involved with Epstein, here is a 2020 article by a journalist who got his hands on Epstein’s little black book. He called every number in it to see what he could find out.
- I Called Everyone in Jeffrey Epstein’s Little Black Book – What I learned about rich people, conspiracy, “genius,” Ghislaine, stand-up comedy, and evil from 2,000 phone calls.
Interestingly enough, if you are interested in Epstein’s little black book, then un-redacted copies, are available – See via Internet Archive here … names, addresses, phone numbers, all 92 pages. The deep weirdness of this is the the Bondi 2025 dump marked Phase I, released an heavily redacted copy, and yet the full un-redacted copy is public domain. here are a few observations …
- It contains entries that include young women’s names, modeling agencies, and “massage” contacts, with notes like: -“She’s 14” or “Good with massages”
- Yes, Trump is listed — with around 10–16 phone numbers tied to him, including numbers for Melania, Ivana, Ivanka, his security, and staff. Two addresses (likely Palm Beach and New York) are also included … and his name is circled. Not a surprise, Trump and Epstein were best buddies for 15 years, and Epstein’s mansion was just 1 mile from Mar-a-Lago. Also remember, that one source for recruiting young underage girls was Mar-a-lago.
- I will add one note of caution – the entries in the book are just contacts, not evidence of wrongdoing, it’s just an address book.
There was also this excellent rebuttal …
One last one …
- AOC never said the word “Trump” and his dumb cult already knows who she is talking about.
OK, let’s move on now to mock some of the other crass stupidity from the past week.
Multiple layers of Lunacy and utter incompetence
So why did the US stop shipping arms to Ukraine? Apparently it was a decision taken by Hegseth without even telling the White House …
- Link to CNN story – here
- This is WILD. Either Trump is lying (excellent chance,) or he has absolutely no control over his people. (Both might actually be true, it’s not a binary choice).
- This is what happens when you gut diversity, equity, and inclusion— You clear the path for incompetent white men to fail upward and run the country into the ground.
Way too much Epstein news means that it is time for the show trials to distract us all …
- It is basic diplomacy to have a protocol person tell you these things before a meeting with a high level person. But Trump’s administration is so inept and incompetent they don’t do basic things and look like morons.
FBI is checking to ensure new employees are loyal to the utterly inept Trump appointed sycophant …
- By the time they are done, they’ll not have many candidates
- FBI agents should be loyal to the United States of America, not Kash fucking Patel.
NY TIMES: “The Trump Dept of Justice is thumbing its nose at the courts, and putting Justice Dept attorneys in an impossible position where they have to choose between loyalty to the agenda of the president and their duty to the court.” www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/u…
Via Ron Filipkowski … turns out the first official recognition by the US government of the military junta that took over in 2021 by a coup occurred when Trump sent his tariff letter to the dictator. And the dictator is thanking Trump for it …
- Yes, just another data point that verifies the utter stupidity and incompetence of the Trump administration.
- I Guarantee you that he didn’t know, doesn’t care, and doesn’t have anyone left at state to tell him it mattered.
Everything is for sale …
- The degree of corruption is literally off the charts.
Rosie O’Donnell
This happened …
- The article is a big NYT fail. They do not spell out how historically horrifying this declaration by a U.S. president is.
- Like with so many of their headlines and posts about Trump, the framing inevitably works to normalize what is thoroughly not normal, aberrant and unforgivable behavior from a sitting President. While suggesting that things he wants to do like this are somehow debatable or possible.
Meanwhile she has responded by deploying the mockery he deserves (Side note, she has recently relocated to Ireland) …
Tariffs … Again!
From one of the Trump tariff letters that went out last Monday …
- Does he not have anybody competent to check any of this?
- She should reply to Madame President Trump.
- So yes, we went from 90 trade deals in 90 days to 90 sophomoric form letters.
He is going to end up running the economy into the ground …
- If copper is so essential you don’t artificially increase the price by 50% to US customers. Anyone in any of those industries who shifts their manufacturing to outside the USA won’t have to pay that tariff.
- So if you’re looking to build a new house, Canadian lumber and Mexican hardware is 25% more and all wiring and plumbing will be 50% more. That is if there’s even workers to build it, as migrant laborers have stopped showing up for work as they fear being kidnapped by the Gestapo.
So what happens now?
Well, here is a worst case scenario …
- When the tariffs actually kick in, and remember TACO, so he may actually back out again, but if he sticks with it and they do kick in, then money in the US will head for the exit – that’s called capital flight.
- Markets may then collapse and confidence in the dollar will fracture.
- Interest rates will then rapidly rise and of course US inflation will also rapidly rise.
- Governments, central banks, markets, pension funds and all of us might be facing the biggest test since 1929.
In other words, the risk of complete collapse is vast, and the supposed reward he is reaching for is a complete fantasy. As for my scenario above, the capital flight has already started and 11 Brics countries have created their own monetary unit to bypass the $. Shipping tracker shows all US ports are virtually empty. The knock-on effect for most Americans is truly horrifying. Farmers/Construction are f’cked.
Lots of Trade “Deals” – Clay Bennett …
So why are tariffs back?
OK, let’s get into that.
Some very blatant insider trading and market manipulation is going on
Spencer Hakimian has a series of posts that reveal it …
Very clear illegal insider trading and blatant market manipulation is going on. It’s almost as if POTUS, a convicted felon guilt of fraud, is giving tips to buddies, or has somebody trading on his behalf.
Flood Disaster Response is a disaster
FEMA response delayed by utter incompetence…
- This is just the start of FEMA massive failures under Noem – a lot more people will die when hurricanes hit.
- Reminder: Trump literally campaigned on destroying FEMA, this is what MAGA voted for
A bit more detail …
- Communities hit by natural disasters, like the tragic Texas floods, don’t have the resources to rebuild on their own. That’s where FEMA comes in – providing billions of dollars to help with search & rescue, survivors’ needs, and debris removal. Trump wants the agency gone.
The many kids who died were just unworthy apparently …
- “Grateful for God’s hand”? Seriously? Sometimes I feel like I’m born into the middle ages while knowledge, reasoning and science were being suppressed.
- Barbie Noem is back with her pageant smile and empty platitudes, crediting divine intervention while ignoring the policies and infrastructure failures that put people at risk in the first place. “Hundreds were saved” — yeah, thanks to first responders and locals, not magical thinking. Maybe instead of playing spokesmodel for God, she could try leading like a grown-up.
According to Trump, the parents of kids who died and then ask questions about the lack of warnings going out … “are evil” …
- Trump & Abbott are small men. They told Repubs not to trust the fed govt, who wanted to help them w/ disaster mitigation resources. Kerr County listened to Trump & Abbott. They REJECTED the money for disaster mitigation because it came from the Biden Admin. Now they mourn because of the Trump Admin.
- Just like Uvalde. Only a bad person would question … Texas suffers tragedy and their politicians deflect. At some point Texans need to elect people that will stop killing them.
Rob Rogers (Musk’s own AI robot “Grok” blames Trump and Musk for flooding deaths in Texas (before it went into full Nazi mode). You can’t make this stuff up)
Chris Britt – FEMA, NOAA, and NWS defunding …
Nick Anderson also points out the double standards in play …
ICE Gestapo updates
This is what fascism looks like …
- NYT article – here
- Quote: “What I saw in the park today looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a news conference on Monday afternoon, adding that she had traveled regularly into conflict zones as a member of Congress. “It’s the way a city looks before a coup.”
- It’s only a matter of time until one or more of Noem’s gnomes or J6 thugs totally loses control and opens fire on protesters and kills them. Her Gestapo is not trained in crowd control de-escalation and will panic or fire in cold blood because they have no accountability. It is not If, it’s when.
The first victims have arrive at the concentration camp …
- Three words … human rights violations.
Guilty of being Hispanic – “individuals with brown skin are approached… agents typically have no warrants of any kind…“
- Read the lawsuit: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us…
ICE Tear gassing kids …
MAHA – Alternative “Science”
Ann Telnaes – “The Republican idea of a heathcare system.“
- Reminder: The last time he was POTUS, his botched handling of COVID killed over 1 million people : The Lancet Commission on U.S. COVID-19 Response (2022) – Estimated that at least 40% of U.S. COVID-19 deaths were avoidable with better policies. “The U.S. response to COVID-19 was among the worst of any high-income country.” – full study here.
Gaza Update
They’re calling it a “humanitarian city”, but this sure is sounding pretty concentration camp-y, or to use another term from the Nazi era, a ghetto.
- Link to AP News article – here
- Of all the countries in the world, you’d think Israel would know better, but apparently not
- Meanwhile in the West Bank Israeli settlers terrorize Palestinian villagers while bulldozing their homes to make firing ranges.
- To be wholly clear here – Criticising the Netanyahu regime and Israel’s actions isn’t antisemitic, but instead is the only moral stance.
This also happened (Via Washington Post) … “Israeli settlers just beat a citizen to death in the West Bank and blocked an ambulance from helping him, according to his family” …
- Will the Trump regime do anything about it? I doubt it.
Elon Update
Elon has been trying to alter Grok to stop being so factual, and managed to end up turning on Full-Nazi mode …
- Grok is now just Elon frantically typing replies.
- It is worth remembering that Elon is no friend of the democrats, no matter how much he pushes against Trump. He’s a nazi racist white supremacist.
Christian Nationalists
The nuttier right-wing religious fanatics within the MAGA cult are as always doing their thing, and so here are a few samples from the past week.
What is deeply weird is that these are all “Christians” who reject literally every single teaching of Christ, and instead appear to love advertising how much they enjoy being hateful delusional fuckwits …
- Pastor Ralph Drollinger insists that nowhere in the Bible “is there mention of the institution of the state [being expected] to take care of the needs of the poor.” —(Least you wonder, yes he is indeed anti-LGBTQ, anti-women’s rights, anti-immigration, anti-science … just like Jesus)
- David Barton’s latest manufactured myth is one in which he claims that the Scopes Monkey Trial was really a dispute over “a law trying to preserve the original intent of the Founding Fathers and teaching that government is not God.” — (FFS, as usual he is lying, no, it wasn’t)
- Oh and speaking of Barton, it was deeply ironic to hear an episode his “The WallBuilders Show” in which George Barna decries lying to advance an agenda — (That is pretty much what WallBuilders does professionally, demonstrably false claims is most of their Christian Nationalist fiction that they promote )
- Lorenzo Sewell, the right-wing pastor who delivered the benediction at Trump’s inauguration, says a “demonic spirit” is behind Zohran Mamdani’s campaign: “In the spiritual, we need to bomb the spirit of Islam that’s trying to take over our country.“ — (FYI … Zohran’s supposedly Islamic agenda: Affordable housing; Subway fare freeze; free public college; Raise NYC minimum wage to $30 per hour; 2% tax of incomes over $1 million to fund all this; also increase corporate tax 7.25 → 11.5%; Full sanctuary protections, expanded legal aid … and much much more. If this is “Islamic” (which it is not), then I’m in. It’s weird how the “demonic spirit” is always doing stuff that is designed to help people and not the 0.1%)
- After insisting that the Trump administration would never gaslight MAGA on the Epstein files, cultist pastor Todd Coconato declares that “even if they did gaslight us on this, this is still far better than it would have ever been with a Kamala Harris administration.“ — (Those goal posts get really heavy when you have to continuously move them so much)
- Trump cultists are struggling to figure out how to react to the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. In MAGA pastor Shane Vaught’s case, he tells MAGA to “trust Trump” and “Let. It. Go! Get over it. Move on.” — (But of course, it is only natural for convicted felon Shane, who went to jail for fraud while he was a pastor, would also support another convicted felon and sexual abuser)
- Christian nationalist Rick Green says the ICE detention camps are “a beautiful thing to see,” demanding to know where human rights activists were when Jan. 6 insurrectionists were being beaten “in the gulag.” — (The Jan 6 thugs went to jail, not to a concentration camp. Most of those now being detained without due process and guilty of no crimes at all … but hey, you get it even if these lunatics don’t)
- Douglas Wilson asserts that adultery, sodomy, and blasphemy are all crimes that should be punished by the government — (Trump will of course get right on with enacting all that, especially the “adultery” one).
- Hank Kunneman says that under Trump, “the prophets and the president are speaking the same thing,” which will lead to a “golden age” in America where the economy will boom and sickness will be eliminated: “It’s going to be greater than anything we’ve ever seen.” — (When Trump talks about the “Golden Age”, what he actually means is that he, and the grifters like Hank, along with the rest of the 1% get to steal all the gold)
The phrase that best applies to these people is “Moral inversion”.
Weirdest of the Weird
QAnon conspiracy theorist Liz Crokin claims that Trump shutting down questions about the Epstein files was “5D chess” to trick the media into covering the issue: “What a brilliant way to get the mainstream media to cover Jeffrey Epstein.“
- Yes some of the core Q people are still doin their Q thing – they live in a world where everything means something else
- One of the big mysteries of life is the observation that people who don’t actually think are also at the same time rather good at mental gymnastics.
- FYI … back in the day she was a big proponent of pizza gate, then went all in on QAnon. If there is a crazy whacky claim doing the rounds then you can be sure that she is out there pushing it. In other words, for her, reality truly is a completely undiscovered country.
History museum event featuring cartoonist Adam Zyglis postponed following criticism, death threats
Buffalo News cartoonist Adam Zyglis is being threatened for a cartoon to put out on July 8. Pulitzer Prize-winning Zyglis and his family have been receiving death threats following a recent cartoon published that depicts a man with a Make America Great Again hat being swept away in Texas flood waters, with a sign saying “HELP.” …
It is a very effective commentary on Texas flood victims whose preference for smaller government clashed with their need for federal aid after the flash flooding disaster.
The cartoon ignited fierce criticism from conservative voices—including the Erie County GOP, “Libs of TikTok,” Fox News, and other commentators—who called it “vile,” “shameful,” and accused Zyglis and The Buffalo News of politicizing a tragedy.
I call BS on that criticism. The politicizing commenced with the decimation of the NWS, NOAA, and FEMA. Adam is calling it out.
Even More Political Cartoons from the past week
The utter incompetence and raw stupidity of everything being churned out by the administration on a daily basis really has given a huge career boost to many political cartoonists. Mainstream media may indulge in sane-washing much of the lunacy because the oligarch owners demand it be so, but quietly slipping under their radar are some excellent drawings that don’t pull any punches.
Kevin KAL Kallaugher (He was fired from The Baltimore Sun on July 1 for drawing cartoons that criticised Trump, so he is now regularly drawing cartoons for his new cartoon newsletter (His substack link here, if you enjoy his cartoons, then do subscribe). This is his first cartoon that was penned last week.
- Side Note: Kallaugher plans to continue producing cartoons for The Economist (where he’s drawn since 1978), expand his online presence via Substack, and develop new projects including animation and a newsletter.
Media Sane-washing of Tyranny
Finally
Here is an 80 years old cartoon that is still relevant …
Need some help?
Gulf of ?
Sex with Trump …
Invisible …
Pam Bondi’s desk …
The truth about MAGA …
OK, one last meme …
- There is an entire Wikipedia page listing it all in great detail and contains links to all the detailed evidence.
- Its a very very long page and contains over 240 references at the end.
- Hey MAGA, this is whom you elected, this is your guy – own it.