Charlie Sykes: Trump Caves on Epstein Files – But the Real Bombshell Is the MAGA Civil War

Nov 18, 2025

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

In case you missed this morning’s LIVE conversation, Charlie Sykes and I overcame internet obstacles and outages to bring you another terrific conversation. Today’s chat included the following topics:

— Trump’s cave on the Epstein files: The House votes today, but there’s zero trust Trump’s DoJ won’t redact everything incriminating to him.

— Marjorie Taylor Greene’s surprise face-turn: from MAGA firebrand to the one Republican actually forcing Trump to back down on Epstein — is it wrong for Matt to be cheering for MTG?

— The coming MAGA civil war: post-Trump-era succession fights are already exploding — the Groyper wing vs. old-school populists, Heritage Foundation meltdown, Tucker vs. Cruz/Shapiro, and everyone jockeying for 2028.

— Trump 2.0’s loyalty-over-competence disaster: surrounding himself with sycophants and ideologues (Stephen Miller, Russ Vought, stunningly incompetent appointees) guarantees policy train wrecks — and no one to tell the emperor he has no clothes.

— “Bad optics” and the Mar-a-Lago bubble: from gaudy White House ballroom renovations to tone-deaf tariff flip-flops and 50-year mortgages — Trump’s inner circle is completely detached from normal voters.

— Foreign policy amorality on steroids: red-carpet treatment for MBS the “bone-saw murderer,” praise for Putin, and reckless Venezuela/Cuba adventurism that looks more like Marco Rubio’s neocon wish list than “America First.”

— D.C. gossip interlude: What everyone in Washington is actually whispering about this week (plus the lingering “Who is Bubba?” Epstein mystery).

— And MUCH more!

Support "Matt Lewis & The News" at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewisFollow Matt Lewis & Cut Through the Noise:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattklewis/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's book: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416