Speaker A
For all the things that aren't working,
DOJ releases new Epstein files linking Trump, Bannon, Lutnick, and others; Murdoch's media empire's role in politics is also examined.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.
Key Takeaways
- Epstein files expose connections between high-profile individuals and contradict public denials.
- No direct criminal charges arise from new disclosures, but ethical and reputational questions remain.
- Media and political influence, especially by Murdoch's empire, played a significant role in shaping public narratives.
- Investigations into Epstein's associates remain limited, prompting calls for broader scrutiny.
- The complexity of power dynamics between media moguls, politicians, and legal systems is underscored.
What the video covers
- DOJ released millions of Epstein files revealing connections to powerful figures including Donald Trump and Steve Bannon.
- New footage shows Bannon interviewing Epstein in 2019, attempting to rehabilitate Epstein's reputation.
- Emails reveal Trump cabinet member Howard Lutnick discussing a trip to Epstein's island despite public denials of ties.
- Other notable figures linked to Epstein include Brett Ratner and law firm Paul Weiss, which regrets past interactions.
- No criminal wrongdoing is alleged in the new disclosures, but they contradict public statements about cutting ties.
- Republican lawmakers focus on the Clintons with a deposition deal; Maxwell is set for deposition after DOJ meetings.
- Trump DOJ official Todd Blanche states partying or emailing Epstein is not a crime, raising concerns about investigation avoidance.
- Journalists continue to analyze millions of documents, photos, and videos related to Epstein's network.
- Rupert Murdoch's media empire is critiqued for political influence, spreading conspiracy theories, and enabling Trump's presidency.
- Murdoch's failure to control Trump and succession issues within his empire highlight limits of media power.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
the DOJ has been forced to release far more Epstein files than they ever planned to. We got millions on Friday that shed light
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on Epstein's powerful circle, including individuals with close ties to both parties and the current President Donald Trump.
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Thousands of messages with Steve Bannon.
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Two hours of new footage, never before seen, although we'd reported on its existence.
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Bannon interviewing Epstein.
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They had become allies of sorts.
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Bannon trying to help rehab Epstein's reputation.
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This was shot in 2019.
Speaker B
Do you think you're the devil himself?
Speaker C
No, but I I do have a good mirror.
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It's a serious question.
Speaker B
Do you think you're the devil himself?
Speaker C
I don't know. Why would you say that?
Speaker B
Because you have all the attributes. You're incredibly smart. You remember
Speaker C
What?
Speaker B
The devil is brilliant. You read, you read Milton's Paradise Lost.
Speaker C
No, the devil scares me.
Speaker A
The video goes on like that.
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Bannon never actually put out what he said was going to be that project.
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Maybe obvious reasons why.
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A current Trump cabinet member, Howard Lutnick,
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appears in email exchanges that discuss a potential trip to Epstein's Island.
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This was in 2012.
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Along with his family on a vacation.
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But it was years after Lutnick has publicly claimed that he had cut all ties with Epstein.
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These files, which otherwise would never have come out, appearing to undercut what was a Lutnick strategy.
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Why?
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One would think he would remember this effort to be in contact with him.
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There are other names like Brett Ratner, who directed the Melania documentary
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that Amazon paid so much for and just came out.
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He's in a photograph with Epstein and an unidentified woman.
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Or a big, powerful law firm, Paul Weiss,
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has its chair, Brad Karp.
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They recently struck one of those big deals, giving millions to Trump last year
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through pro bono work.
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And he had what seemed to be friendly interactions with Epstein.
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Paul Weiss now says he regrets them.
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Trump also, of course, is in the files.
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The New York Times says over 5,000 times with references to Trump and Mar-a-Lago and there were other related words about their family.
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As for Trump, Bannon, Lutnick, and Ratner, we should note,
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these new disclosures don't involve any criminal wrongdoing.
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Uh, more just violations of their own statements or claims to have cut ties with Epstein.
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Republican lawmakers are also focused on the Clintons.
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There is now a deal afoot to have them give a deposition about all this.
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All eyes also on Maxwell,
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Epstein's convicted associate.
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She will be deposed on Monday.
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That comes after the DOJ held a very unusual and suspicious meeting
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between the Deputy Attorney General and her.
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Uh, the Trump DOJ also, under the same individual,
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Todd Blanche, had this to say.
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We will always investigate any evidence of misconduct.
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But as you know, it is not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.
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And and so as horrible as it, it's not a crime to email with Mr. Epstein.
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The American people need to understand that it it isn't a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.
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It isn't a crime to have
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Didn't look like that's all that was going on in some of those photos.
Speaker A
You could hear a little Fox News pushback on Todd Blanche's talking point.
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It's true, there shouldn't be guilt by association.
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Being in the emails or at a quote party is not itself a crime.
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But the problem is how this Trump DOJ seems to have avoided pursuing any leads.
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We now have a chart that we reported on Friday showing all the potential associates of Mr. Epstein.
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Only one, Maxwell, actually prosecuted.
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Here's Congressman Khanna.
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At the very least, every single person who went to Epstein's Island
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should have an investigation.
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Just to say, oh, these were just rich people who were playboys.
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That's just disrespectful to these survivors.
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We are still in the journalistic community going through what are millions of documents, files,
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photos, videos, and we will continue reporting out what we know in context.
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Anyone who believes that I'm getting out, please shove the bunting up your ass.
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This is not the end.
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I'm going to build something better.
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Something faster, lighter, meaner, wilder.
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Conservative mogul Rupert Murdoch has been memorably captured by HBO's hit Succession.
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A show that satirizes politics,
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media, billionaire excess with characters clearly based on the Murdochs.
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And a cable news channel drawing on aspects of Fox News,
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including how even the so-called owners can sometimes lose control of the very passions they unleash in their audience.
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Murdoch built a media empire originally on newspapers and TV,
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then bought up some prestige outlets like the Wall Street Journal, fusing a business style with his own right-wing agenda.
Speaker H
You had the will to crush the unions.
Speaker I
No, I didn't have the will to crush the unions.
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I might have had the desire.
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Um, but that took several years.
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I didn't, I did, it just took a while.
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Murdoch, of course, wrote the global business playbook, which many copy now.
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Trotting into different countries, deploying media assets quite blatantly as political leverage, not independent journalism.
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He oversaw companies that break all kinds of rules.
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Media outlets caught for illegally hacking into a child's phone.
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That proved too much even in the rough British tabloid world.
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Fox News has paid out for sexual harassment at the very top.
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And then the record $780 million punishment for lies about Trump's 2020 loss.
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Critics say those are terrible acts by powerful companies.
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Some capitalists say Fox paid a lot more for those lies than it ever made on them.
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At least in the short term.
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And Politico's marvel at how Murdoch built an empire that doesn't just cover governments,
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but quite literally helps pick some of them.
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Beyond a conservative news empire, he erected a fourth branch of government.
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His propaganda machine monetized outrage, spread conspiracy theories, and shaped the minds of millions across three continents.
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More than anyone, Murdoch's media created the presidency of Donald J. Trump.
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Writes Gabe Sherman, the author of a new book about the mogul,
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which explores something else that we're about to get into.
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How all that power didn't enable Murdoch to really pump the brakes on Trump.
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When Murdoch finally concluded that maybe things had gone too far,
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nor could he even maintain an orderly succession for his replacement in the empire,
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let alone family peace.
Topics:Epstein filesDonald TrumpSteve BannonHoward LutnickBrett RatnerPaul WeissRupert MurdochFox NewsEpstein investigationmedia influence
