The Epstein Scandal Explodes, Trump Melts Down, Little Cracks Are Becoming Very Big Ones
Republicans are growing weary of defending the indefensible
Morning all. Here is what our ailing, addled leader posted last night. He is so obviously insane it is hard to believe we are talking about anything else.
He is also clearly scared:
A group of Epstein survivors released this extraordinary video last night. It is a powerful reminder of what is at stake:
“There are about a thousand of us.”
The House is expected to vote on forcing Trump to release the Epstein files tomorrow. At least 100 Republicans are expected to join the Democrats in what will be the most significant rebuke of Trump this year. The bill then goes to the Senate, where I am hoping Democrats will be able to force an extended debate about Trump and Bondi’s historic, corrupt cover up of this extraordinary scandal.
Of course Trump, if he wanted the Epstein files released, could just release them himself at any point. But he doesn’t want them released, does he?
Listen again to Jamie Raskin explaining to us why the release of those emails last Wednesday exposed that Trump and Bondi were illicitly holding back and covering up evidence implicating Trump directly in Epstein’s activities:
As I wrote on Saturday I think Trump’s Presidency is in serious trouble. He is weakened, a deeply unpopular lame duck, his terrible government an albatross on the ambitions of every Republican in a competitive race across the country next year. There just are limits to how far Republicans will go to “defend the indefensible.” Then those emails were released last week, and now those candidates, already saddled with an aging unpopular leader and an even more unpopular agenda, are going to be running with Epstein too.
Listen to Marjorie Taylor Greene on CNN yesterday. She is talking here about putting this entire, ugly Trump era behind us. It’s jaw dropping stuff. The stench of Trumpian failure is everywhere now:
In recent weeks Trump’s tariffs were repealed in the Senate. He got beat badly in the elections. He lost the shutdown fight. And now this - another rebuke, a huge loss - almost certain to drive his already cratering poll numbers down even further. For Trump, in particular, the loss of STRENGTH, POWER, MANLINESS matters. For without it, what’s left is a failed government that has done incredible harm to the American people; a corrupt, venal and painted clown man; and a star wars bar collection of pathetic quisling advisors.
Without STRENGTH there is profound ugliness, historic betrayal, unprecedented corruption, a desecration of the White House, and unfathomable sabotage of the American project.
Here is what I wrote to you yesterday:
As I survey the national political landscape what I see more than anything else this morning is opportunity. As he declines and grows weaker, we have even greater opportunity now to mitigate the damage he is doing, advance our agenda, and win back power. It is why our movement must grow more ambitious - for more is possible for us now.
I’ll be live with Jen Rubin and the Contrarian this morning at 915 ET to talk about all this. Join us, and remember 2026 can be a year of opportunity for us - if we keep working hard all…..
Now, Let’s Get To Work People!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winning The Midterms - Support Our 2026 Candidates
Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $51k raised- Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interviews with Gov. Cooper
Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $94k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my inspiring interview with Senator Ossoff
Hopium House 7 (2026) - $250,000 goal, $241k raised - Donate | Learn More, Volunteer | Watch My Interviews With Our Intrepid Incumbents
Expanding The Senate and Electoral College Maps (2026-2032)
Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $250,000 goal, $193,000 raised - Join our new campaign to expand our map by investing in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas | Donate to all five state parties in a single contribution | Watch my interviews with Alaska Chair Eric Croft, Florida Chair Nikki Fried, Iowa Chair Rita Hart and Texas Chair Kendall Scudder | Many thanks to two generous Hopium community members who have audaciously donated $10,000 to each of our five state parties!
North Carolina and Ohio - Learn more about our 2026 opportunities in Ohio in this conversation with David Pepper, and in North Carolina in this new interview Anderson Clayton.
Defending America, Winning The Big Arguments With Trump - We have two recommended actions today:
1 - Call Your Senators and Member Of The House And Demand They Act Upon Our Four-Part Agenda - We need to be loud people, very, very loud and make the case for our emerging four part agenda and for releasing the Epstein files:
Roll back Trump’s terrible, illegal tariffs that are re-igniting inflation, driving up prices, shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to working people, hurting small businesses and farmers, reviving tyrannical “taxation without representation,” and alienating governments and people throughout the world
Defend our democracy, rule of law, and our liberties by blocking the expansion of ICE, restoring due process for immigrants across the country, vigorously defending the 1st Amendment, warring against his outrageous targeting of his domestic political opponents, and ending the use of the military on our streets and the unlawful occupation of our cities
Fight Trump’s war on science, higher education and our public health; reverse - not delay - the cuts to the ACA and Medicaid; support and co-sponsor Rep. Haley Stevens’ effort to Impeach and remove Robert Kennedy
Stand with Ukraine and our European allies, and far more forcefully challenge Trump’s traitorous efforts to sell out the US and the West to Russia and China
Release the Epstein files
2 - Bring “Resolutions Of Condemnation” To Your Community - Inspired by the tactics of our Founders learn about how Hopium members are advancing “Resolutions of Condemnation” in their communities across the country and consider bringing this initiative to your state, country or city/town. Be sure to check out our new discussion with Deborah Potter and Rachel Poliner who have passed resolutions in New Mexico and Boston. They offer practical advice on how to get a resolution passed in your own community.
Remarkably, members of this community have passed or are advancing 85 (!!!!) resolution projects in 23 states + DC. Can we get to all 50 states by the end of the year?
Finally, please self-report your activities to our daily paid subscriber chat. These reports help inspire all of us to do more and fight harder!
Keep working hard all, and remember Hopium is hope with a plan. We don’t just hope tomorrow will be better than today.
We do the work to make it so.
- Simon
SPECIAL ELECTION IN TENNESSEE
If Democrat Aftyn Behn pulls off a miracle and actually beats Republican candidate Matt Van Epps in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional district, it will be yet another political earthquake – and very high on the Richter Scale! After our Blue Wave on 4 November, there are clear signs Republicans are in a panic!
https://www.axios.com/2025/11/14/tennessee-special-election-epstein-files
I’ll make sure to have plenty of nachos on hand on 2 December, which is Election Night for this special election.
The Ken Burns American Revolution series is absolutely revelatory, as we knew it would be. It was spellbinding - it does what great storytelling does - it makes you think that maybe things are going to turn out differently than you know they will. It shows events from various points of view, and it uses heretofore marginalized voices to paint a more complete picture. The inclusion of women as a primary driving force was absolutely mind blowing -- the assertion that it was women who drove the "liberty" message. And the maps and how they use them to contextualize events - they must have spent years just locating them. Just wow! And you can watch it on streaming and re-watch to your heart's content! Looking forward to hearing what others think.
Just listened to Heather Cox Richardson on Nicolle Wallace's podcast. She says we are at an inflection point similar to the beginning of the FDR era, and now we just need to find our FDR! She says we also need to, of course, prevent authoritarian centralization of power - which we can get great insight into by studying history. As I mentioned a couple days ago, I did see the film on Nuremberg over the weekend, and it was informative - if flawed - on the mentality of why people are drawn to perceived strength. Well, the mask is off. There is no strength, only weakness.
Keep going!