Slate Daily Feed What Next | Have the Epstein Files Broken MAGA?
Nov 18, 2025
Will Sommer, a senior reporter at The Bulwark specializing in right-wing politics, dives into the unsettling implications of the newly released Epstein files on the MAGA coalition. He discusses how these emails disrupt the usual alignment between Trump and his base, revealing deep fractures within the GOP. Sommer also analyzes Marjorie Taylor Greene's pivot from Trump ally to critic, the influence of Epstein's network on elite connections, and the electoral risks for Republicans embracing extremism, questioning how all this might reshape future elections.
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Epstein Emails Haunt Trump Politically
- The released Epstein emails create real political headaches for Trump by implying knowledge or leverage over him.
- Will Sommer says the Republican floodgate on emails has backfired and is haunting the Trump administration.
Emails Suggest Epstein Saw Leverage Over Trump
- Epstein's messages suggest he believed Trump knew about or was implicated in his abuse network.
- Sommer highlights emails where Epstein discusses using knowledge of Trump as leverage or pressure.
Elites Maintained Contact With Epstein
- New York Magazine showed elites kept cozy contact with Epstein even after his incarceration.
- Will Sommer notes Epstein acted as a connector who trafficked women to powerful friends and made them feel 'smooth.'