First Draft: Getting Away With Epstein
Why do people only get arrested over the Epstein files outside of the US? Plus, Trump stops trying to prosecute some of his enemies, while Republicans come for one of their own.
On this day in history: In 1868, the US House voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson; in 1920, Adolf Hitler made his first official speech as head of the Nazi party in Munich; and in 2020, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape and a criminal sexual act in a landmark case that set off the #MeToo movement. Nazis, pedophiles, impeachment… no relevance to today whatsoever.
Good morning! Prem here. Before letting those clouds darken your day, I do wish you a lovely day, wherever you are, and wherever you’re going. There’s no paywall on today’s edition of this newsletter, thanks to our friends at Incogni. Cheers!
We’re getting ready for our live coverage of the big State of the Union speech later tonight. And fear not: You don’t need to bear the insanity alone. Join the wonderful Francesca Fiorentini and me on YouTube or on Substack, as we watch the speech live with Mehdi. And then join our incisive Swin Suebsang and astute John Harwood for an unpacking of it all with Mehdi right after.
In today’s ‘First Draft,’ there’s accountability over Jeffrey Epstein, but only OUTSIDE of the United States; an ICE instructor blows the whistle on constitutional abuses; the Trump administration backs off its effort to prosecute elected Democrats for describing the law out loud, and Americans have really soured on our terrible president.
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Justice Served… But Elsewhere
In a growing number of countries, there seems to be severe consequences, or at least genuine scrutiny, for associating with Jeffrey Epstein.
But not in the United States.
Over in the United Kingdom, for example, British police just arrested Peter Mandelson, the veteran Labour politician and former ambassador to the United States, for suspicion of misconduct in public office, related to allegedly passing confidential information to Epstein. They’ve also arrested former Prince Andrew on suspicion of misconduct in office related to Epstein.
In Norway, diplomat Mona Juul was placed on administrative leave, and her security clearance was revoked after her associations with Epstein were revealed. She has been charged on suspicion of aggravated corruption. Former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been charged with aggravated corruption as well, due to his ties to Epstein.
In Slovakia, national security adviser Miroslav Lajčák resigned after the released files showed him discussing women and diplomacy with Epstein.
In France, investigators have opened wide-ranging investigations into human trafficking and financial fraud; one probe has already seen the former culture minister Jack Lang resign from the presidency of the Arab World Institute.
In Dubai, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the chief of global logistics empire DP World, and the chairman of the Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation, resigned from his prominent positions.
And the investigations and inquiries continue around the world.
Yet, here in the US, where there is no shortage of Epstein associates – including in the current government – there is a glaring shortage of any accountability.
The Trump-Vance administration has spent months delaying the release of, muddying the waters around, and covering up the Epstein files. It has smeared victims and aggressively pounced on the few Republican Party elected officials who have supported transparency. And perhaps it is all unsurprising, considering the party is helmed by a man who is mentioned in the files more than almost anyone else, and who was a longtime pal to the world’s most infamous pedophile.
Notably, in the absence of any kind of legal pathway to actual accountability, it is only social pressure that has led to the mildest of consequences for a handful of Epstein-related individuals. We’ve seen a few resignations, but no real investigations.
Brian Karp, chairman of the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, resigned. Former counsel for President Barack Obama, Kathryn Ruemmler – a figure whose name was all over the Epstein files – resigned from her chief legal role at Goldman Sachs. Thomas Pritzker resigned as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Wellness influencer Peter Attia resigned from Bari Weiss’s CBS News.
It’s jarring. Instead of justice, we get the Attorney General Pam Bondi screaming erratically at Congress and spying on them as they look through the Epstein files. We get the FBI director pounding a tall boy in a locker room thousands of miles away.
Rep. Ro Khanna, who has led the charge to release the files, told Zeteo that it’s all “a moral stain” on the nation. “While [the] UK, France, Norway are prosecuting the Epstein class, Pam Bondi and Kash Patel are missing in action with no investigations or prosecutions,” he said.
Members of that Epstein class are walking breezily among us. It cannot be said often enough: the president of the United States was good friends with Jeffrey Epstein for many years. There are all sorts of shocking, though unproven, allegations against Trump in the Epstein files (which he denies).
Then there’s the disturbing note Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein for his birthday in 2003, in which he wrote of “certain things” they had in common – written on the frame of a sketch of a woman’s body. “Enigmas never age,” the note (written in the form of a script between the two) read, adding the toast: “may every day be another wonderful secret.” (Trump denies writing it.)
There’s also what Trump said just months before that: “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. 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.”
There’s the April 2011 email from Epstein to Ghislaine Maxwell in which the late pedophile says: “I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.”
In nations across the world, prominent figures tied to Epstein are being publicly shamed and criminally investigated.
In the US, they’re in charge.
🗞️ What You Need to Know
GTFO: GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales is facing calls to resign from members of his own party – including from Reps. Lauren Boebert, Anna Paulina Luna, and Nancy Mace – following the release of text records showing Gonzales sent sexual messages to a staffer, who later died by suicide. Speaker Mike Johnson called on Gonzales to address the allegations, but did not weigh in on whether he should quit.
ICE whistleblower speaks: A former ICE instructor blew the whistle on the agency’s scheme to allow agents to break into people’s homes without judicial warrants, in violation of the Fourth Amendment. He told Congress on Monday that the agency’s training for recruits is “deficient” and that “ICE is teaching cadets to violate the Constitution and attempting to cloak it in secrecy by demanding I lie about it.”
Trump better have my money: Following the Supreme Court’s rejection of Trump’s tariffs, Senate Democrats are now demanding the president refund the over $175 billion in tariff revenue to US families and businesses. They join Governors JB Pritzker and Gavin Newsom, demanding immediate refund checks for Americans. FedEx wants its money back, too.
Iran latest: Axios reported Monday that Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Daniel Caine has expressed doubts to Trump about launching another attack on Iran, warning about the risk of US casualties. Trump disputed the report, claiming that Caine is on board: “He has not spoken of not doing Iran, or even the fake limited strikes that I had been reading about.”
Pirro backs off: Former Fox host and Trump US Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropped her failed case against the six Democratic lawmakers who taped a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders. The decision comes two weeks after a grand jury unanimously rejected her office’s attempt to secure an indictment in the case.
🧠 Pop Quiz!
Which president holds the record for the longest joint address to Congress?
Keep your eyes out for the answer below!
🚨 Don’t Miss It!
Zeteo’s State of the Union coverage will kick off at TONIGHT 7pm ET (4pm PT). You’ll hear from Mehdi, Swin, Francesca Fiorentini, John Harwood, and me, Prem, as we live-react to what will certainly be another insane Trump speech.
Join us on YouTube or Substack!
🌏 Anywhere But America
🇵🇸 Don’t forget Gaza: Heavy rainfall over the last 24 hours has flooded tents housing forcibly displaced Palestinians, local media reported, making worse the already dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave, as Israel continues to severely restrict aid.
🇮🇷 Eyes on Iran: Students held anti-government protests at universities across Tehran for the third consecutive day on Monday. These protests come ahead of Thursday’s nuclear deal discussions in Geneva between US and Iranian negotiators.
🇺🇦🇷🇺 Ukraine war anniversary: Today marks four years since Russia illegally invaded Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is hosting foreign dignitaries in Kyiv for ceremonies, but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the “special military operation” – Moscow’s Orwellian term for its invasion – is ongoing and has not yet achieved its aims.
🇲🇽 Deadly operation: More than 70 people, including security officers, cartel members, and others, died in Mexico’s military operation that killed Jalisco cartel leader “El Mencho” and the violence that unfolded after, according to authorities.
📊 Chart of the Day
Womp, womp. Looks like everyone is turning on Trump, even some Republican voters!
Just take a look at CNN’s latest polling numbers here.
🧠 Trivia answer: Donald Trump. His 2025 speech, which technically wasn’t a State of the Union address, clocked in at 1 hour, 39 minutes, and 32 seconds! God help us tonight.
🦊 FOX WATCH
Jesse, if you didn’t want a president who couldn’t read, why did you vote for one?
ICYMI From Zeteo
Zeteo’s Melanie Riehl and Akshay Gokul contributed to this newsletter.
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Excellent article Prem!