Twice the Trump DOJ has asked the courts to permit the release of names associated with the case against Jeffrey Epstein and the victims of sex trafficking therein.  Twice the courts have denied the Trump administration the ability to release the sealed Grand Jury records.  [August 20th] and [July 23rd]

Most of the various victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation have previously been paid victim compensation amid various lawsuits including a substantial $290 million financial settlement from JPMorgan Bank in 2023, one of the financial institutions used by Epstein. These lawsuits resulted in what has been reported as ‘various non-disclosure agreements’ (NDAs), which the victims signed.

After the DOJ and congress has released all of the available files, and with various courts refusing to break the seals on names and files within grand jury records, and against the background of multiple victims receiving considerable previous compensation, a group of Epstein victims held a press conference in Washington, DC today demanding the sealed names and NDA covered names be released.

The victims would not, most likely because they legally cannot, discuss the names; but they did say they would compile another private list of names of the people to whom they were trafficked.  What the purpose of that private list would be is unknown.  The entire thing now seems really weird.  WATCH:

Some have claimed a comprehensive list of the names in grand jury files or prior lawsuits would include Donald Trump.  However, it seems ridiculous to make that assertion given the profile of President Trump in 2016 and 2024.

If there was any risk to President Trump, the Clinton campaign would have exploited that vulnerability during the height of the MeToo movement in 2016.  Assuredly, even without Clinton, the Kamala Harris campaign would have used that narrative in 2024. Neither political opposition effort ever engaged in such a claim.

(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

(more…)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

.

(more…)

According to John Solomon speaking with Devin Nunes recently, there is likely nothing much left from the files of Kash Patel at the FBI to disclose to the public, perhaps moving to the Mueller information will be the next steps.

For most of us, bringing this storyline to the point of accountability is fraught with frustration.  Here are some of the issues as they present.

♦ The Big Problem Within Russiagate – Special Counsel John Durham previously indicted Hillary Clinton lawyer Michael Sussmann.  Durham said Sussmann misled FBI investigators.  The case against Sussmann resulted in an acquittal.

During the trial of the Perkins Coie lawyer, depositions and testimony were given by the Clinton campaign.  Campaign Manager Robby Mook admitted the Trump-Russia storyline was a false political hit constructed by the Clinton campaign and launched with the full knowledge of Hillary Clinton.

Durham’s case against Sussmann was predicated on a baseline that the Clinton campaign duped the FBI into opening an investigation. This was the core of the Sussmann trial; that Michael Sussmann lied to and misled the FBI.

Anyone who researched the issues already knew the FBI was not “duped” or “misled” by the information; instead, the FBI were active participants. However, to make a case against Perkins Coie, Sussmann and Clinton, the Durham prosecution needed to pretend they didn’t know.  The jury saw through the pretense and Sussmann was acquitted.

At the time of the trial a few of us noted the motive presented by Durham (ie. FBI duped) had ramifications. This predicate claim essentially quashed any later criminal conspiracy as the court records highlighting how the FBI were duped would preclude any reversal of motive toward any other participant.  If the FBI were duped, how could the FBI participants be criminally negligent?

The Clinton team were direct. Yes, they manufactured a political smear about Trump/Russia, and yes it was all political.  The people who manufactured the false claim admitted Trump-Russia was optics and false narratives. So, what?  That’s politics.

(more…)

President Trump has scheduled a 2:00pm ET announcement from the White House.  The president has not been seen in several days as he took a Labor Day weekend holiday.

While the topic of the announcement has not been made in advance, the greatest likelihood surrounds the removal of Space Force from Colorado (Peterson Space Force Base) and relocation to Alabama (Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal – home of Airforce Command).  The move away from Colorado is also interesting as the secondary Cyber Command data center is in Colorado (CTH is interested in this data center).  The Livestream Links are below:

(more…)

New York Representative Jerry “The Penguin” Nadler has announced he is not going to seek reelection in 2026.

78-year-old Nadler was going to face a significant primary threat from the far-left.

NEW YORK – “Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that,” Mr. Nadler said, adding that a younger successor “can maybe do better, can maybe help us more.”

Rep. Jerry Nadler, was the former chair of the House Judiciary Committee who joined forces with Adam Schiff and spearheaded President Donald Trump’s impeachment effort.

Nadler and Schiff formed a joint House impeachment committee and then hired Mary McCord as the lead staff for the effort.

Mary McCord previously worked as DOJ-National Security Division head with Michael Atkinson as her office lawyer.

When McCord quit the DOJ and went to work for Schiff and Nadler, Atkinson was ¹moved to Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG).

As the ICIG, Michael Atkinson then changed the rules for whistleblowers within the CIA permitting a false assertion by Eric Ciaramella, who subsequently told a fictional story presented by Alexander Vindman.  The fake “Ukraine Impeachment” effort stemmed from this political scheme.

Vindman lied, Eric Ciaramella advanced the lie to ICIG Michael Atkinson who then spun the ²false allegation back to his colleague Mary McCord.  That’s the origin of the fraud behind the first impeachment effort.

(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

(more…)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

.

(more…)

Peter Navarro, President Trump’s top trade and manufacturing policy advisor, speaks to pool reporters outside the White House.

Within his remarks about the economy overall, Navarro then breaks down the issues soon to come before the Supreme Court surrounding the use of the IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) to enact defensive trade tariffs.

Navarro also addresses the false premise that tariffs create imported inflation.  As reflected in the 2018 tariff outcome, the exporting country absorbs the majority of the tariff impact.  Additionally, the tariff rate is applied to the wholesale price as contracted by the importing company in the USA.   WATCH:

.

(more…)

The background issues highlight the inevitability of the latest developments.  Before talking specifically about Ukraine, let’s first consider the individual parties within the so-called “coalition of the willing,” Great Britain, France and Germany.

All three major European economies are in trouble, along with the aggregate economy in Brussels which is heavily influenced by Germany, France and Italy.

Within Great Britain, Prime Minister Kier Starmer is in a hot mess. “Starmer faces populists both left and right, with Brexit veteran Nigel Farage’s Reform UK consistently ahead in the polls. Inflation has ticked up. Unpopular tax rises loom. Starmer’s backbenchers are nervous about planned welfare cuts and reforms for children with special needs. And migrants keep arriving on small boats across the English Channel.” {link}

In France, Emmanuel Macron is in the worst political shape of his tenuous career.  Another no confidence manuever has backfired against the current French government. “In an Ifop poll conducted after [Prime Minister] Bayrou’s address, 63 percent of respondents said they were in favor of going back to the ballot box, with that figure getting to 86 percent among National Rally voters.” {link} The issues around French politics are now too vast for the Ukraine effort to hide them.

Within Germany things are not much better.  The economy is contracting, and Chancellor Merz is in the dubious position of cutting subsidy benefits in order to address the problem. “During Sunday’s interview Merz defended his coalition’s historic decision to loosen the debt brake on defense spending — made possible by an unexpected U-turn by Merz’s conservatives right after the election — and even went so far as to link it to NATO’s survival. “We were essentially able to preserve NATO with our decision,” he said.” {link}

(more…)