The Briefing with Jen Psaki 'TACO' Trump appears to surrender to Putin in advance; replaces ultimatum with concession meeting
Aug 9, 2025
Mike McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, shares insights on the Trump administration's controversial approach to diplomacy with Putin amidst ongoing concerns over Ukraine. He discusses Trump's shift from a hardline stance to proposing concessions, raising alarms about U.S.-Ukraine relations. The conversation also touches on the continuing push for transparency surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files and the rise of youth activism against immigration policies, illustrating the intersection of political maneuvering and grassroots efforts for social justice.
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Why The Epstein Files Are Withheld
- The administration has repeatedly stonewalled multiple efforts to release the Epstein files, raising broader transparency concerns.
- Democracy Forward sued to force disclosure of internal DOJ and FBI communications that could explain the withholding.
Redactions Mask Potential Connections
- The administration asked courts to release grand jury transcripts but with broad redactions to third-party names, which survivors call a cover-up.
- Pam Bondi's prior public stance against protecting such names now contradicts the DOJ's redaction request.
White House-FBI Contact Raises Red Flag
- Democracy Forward specifically sought communications between DOJ/FBI officials and White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt, which is unusual and alarming.
- Any White House-FBI/DOJ coordination on law enforcement matters creates a major appearance-of-politicization problem.
