This week, Lisa and David talk about "QAnon Shaman" has turned on Trump; conservative voices recasting Ghislaine Maxwell as a victim; Spill the tea app, what could possibly go wrong?; South Park / Paramount saga; Happy Gilmore 2; Oklahoma’s bible-thumping Ryan Walters faces porn probe; players face suspension over Super Bowl ticket scalping; George Santos heads to prison; Tesla diner; ICE atrocities; Trump signs order to force institutionalization of homeless people; and more.
More Context on Trump lawyer, Todd Blanche, meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell
The Overton window has shifted, with Trump-friendly media reframing Maxwell as a “victim” and entertaining the notion of a pardon.
This trend aligns with broader efforts, particularly among certain segments of the MAGA base, to use Maxwell’s cooperation as political leverage, redirecting focus from the victims to supposed cover-ups by political opponents.
There is deep concern from Epstein’s victims and bipartisan lawmakers that these developments sidestep accountability and are driven by political, not justice-oriented, motives.
Some Trump-supporting and conservative-leaning news outlets have indeed begun shifting their portrayal of Ghislaine Maxwell from that of a notorious accomplice in Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes to a more sympathetic “victim” narrative. This reframing coincides with discussions—previously off-limits—about the legitimacy of a potential pardon, which some of these outlets now suggest could be reasonable or even warranted.
Recent reports from major publications note that where these outlets once portrayed Maxwell harshly, they are now softening their tone following her meetings with Trump ally Todd Blanche and public comments from Trump. Trump and his advisers repeatedly state that while he has the power to pardon Maxwell, “nobody’s approached [him] with it” and that such a conversation would be “inappropriate to talk about right now.” However, neither has he ruled it out.
Links:
I Knew the Viral 'Tea' App Was Trouble, but I Didn't Expect a Data Breach (Life Hacker)
Board members say naked women on TV in Ryan Walters' office during closed session (The Oklahoman)
At least 100 NFL players face penalty over Super Bowl 59 tix scandal (ESPN)
Billionaire Peter Thiel backing first privately developed US uranium enrichment facility in Paducah (NPR / WEKU)
Immigration agents told a teenage US citizen: ‘You’ve got no rights.’ (The Guardian)
