I’ve never really cared all that much about what’s in Jeffrey Epstein’s file or lists.  That doesn’t mean I don’t think they shouldn’t be investigated or that nothing should be released – just that I don’t care one way or the other what happens, and so I haven’t followed the story much.  Honestly, though it's clear there is a file, I don't even know for sure if there is "a list."

I have no idea if there are any prominent Democrats on it.  I suspect there are (whether politicians or private citizens), and I’m sorry about that.  And if there are, and they did anything illegal – or reprehensible – then I suspect, too, that they deserve to be charged.  And I know this is what is driving the MAGOPs to a red-hot fury to get the names released.

I also have no idea if there are any prominent Republicans on it either, and I suspect they are, as well.  And the same standards hold. Mind you, I get the sense that MAGOPs haven’t considered this as strongly, given how aggressive they are to see the file released.

And of course, that brings up the elephant in the room.  I have no idea if Trump is in the file.  And I am near certain that he is.  Because there are things about Trump that we do know.  We know that he was adjudicated in court as being the equivalent of a rapist.  We know, too, that he himself has said what a "terrific  guy “Jeff” Epstein was, and that they partied together – since it’s on video.  And that he’s said Jeff likes beautiful women "as much as I do -- and that many of them are on the younger side.”  And we know that Trump has said that when he owned the Miss Teen America pageant, he would go into the girls’ locker room, because when you own the pageant, you can do that.  And we know too that he’s said if his daughter wasn’t his daughter, he’d want to date her.  And we know he said to a microphone that you can grab women by the p*ssy because when you’re a star they let you.

So, with Trump, we know all that.  Much by his own admission.  So, yes, I feel near certain that he is on the “Jeff” tapes or file in some regard as to their partying together in ways that might be illegal – or reprehensible.

And if so, he should be investigated to find out if he did anything illegal – or reprehensible – and if so, then he deserves to be charged.  (I’m assuming, of course, that the far-right members of the Supreme Court wouldn’t consider this a presidential duty.  Especially since it occurred long before he was in politics…)

But I don’t care either way.  Not because he shouldn’t be charged, if true – he should be.  But I don’t care if it’s public because…it wouldn’t change what I think about who Trump is at all.

If it turns out that file gets released and Trump is on it – I already know he’s a convicted rapist who went into the locker room of teenage girls and said you can grab women by the p*ssy and would date his daughter if she wasn’t his daughter.  So, finding out that Trump is in the file wouldn’t shock me or change my opinion of Trump.  And if it turns out that the file doesn’t get released – we know that he’s a convicted rapist who went into the locker room of teenage girls and said you can grab women by the p*ssy and would date his daughter if she wasn’t his daughter.

So, I don’t care what happens with the file and lists.

That said –

I am thrilled that this is a huge scandal in the MAGA world and that it’s tearing loyalties apart.  And is the top news story.  So divisive that you even have Trump calling the Epstein conspiratorialists in his base "bad people", "weaklings" and "PAST supporters" who are following a "hoax."  (Which, as we know, is what conspiratorialists and your most loyal supporters loooove to hear...)  But it's worse, because he's also written that he doesn't even want their support anymore!  (Which is what your most loyal "PAST" supporters -- and MAGOP candidates in the Mid-Terms -- really love to hear.)  To be clear, I think it’s ludicrous that this is what’s getting the top headlines, not the flood, tariffs, measles outbreak, FEMA, ICE and more.  Though, at least it hasn’t knocked them off the front pages.  They may not be the “top” headlines, but they’re all big headlines.  But, yes, as idiotic as I think this story is – since, among many other things, it won’t change my opinion of Trump one way or the other – the fact that this idiotic story may be what tears the MAGOP apart and helps get them crushed in the Midterms is profoundly important.  Not for the immediacy of these other hellish disasters, but for the long run.

A friend asked me about the two imponderables.  The first of which is – Why on earth is his own base the ones pushing this and crying out for release of the file and list???  I have a theory.  I don’t know if it’s right, but it’s the only one that, to me, I can figure:

The Trump base has two views of the list.  First, they are convinced that high Democrats are on it, like Bill Clinton.  And also Bill Gates, who they hate because…whatever.  And maybe they are or aren’t.  But that’s driving their fury for seeing the list.  And second, being the cult, they have long been convinced that Trump has never done anything wrong and can never do anything wrong.  They believe his court trials were political, convinced that there was no evidence, and despite convictions in three trials, they have zero doubt he’s innocent in them and did nothing wrong.  He’s Trump, as pure as mountain snow.  Similarly, here, with the file, they are certain to their core that Trump of course did nothing wrong, because he can’t do anything wrong, so he’s not in the file or one any list.  Never mind that he’s said what a "terrific" guy and friend "Jeff" was, and how he likes beautiful woman as much as Trump does and some of them are on the younger side, and there’s all that video of them partying together.  And all the rest.  To the MAGA base, Trump can do no wrong, isn’t in the file – so release the file!!!!!!!  Totally oblivious and delusional to reality.

That’s the best I can figure.  Maybe there’s another explanation, I can’t even guess it.

The problem for Trump is that he’s already convinced them all that the file and list exist – his Attorney General said on camera that they’re on her desk – and that he’d release them if elected.  Hell hath no fury like a conspiratorial theorist scorned.  And Trump did that all by himself.

And then related to this was my friend asking, “But why in the world would Trump have ever said he would release the file, if he knew he was in it???”  To me, that’s an easier answer.  His base had been crying for the file, and he always gives his base what it wants to hear.  So, sure, “I’ll release the file if elected.”  Knowing that he never will.  The alternative would have been to say, “No, I won’t release them if elected” – which would have infuriated his base.  And it also would have convinced them he must be in the file.  The problem for Trump that he didn’t figure is – whenever his opponents want something made public, he always says, “I’ll do this in two weeks”, assuming he can keep putting it off until everyone forgets about it.  But…with the Epstein file (sorry, the “Jeff” file…), it’s not his opponents who want them released, but HIS supporters.  And they believe him, when he says he’ll release the file.  And being conspiracy theorists, they are not put off by “in two weeks” until it’s forgotten about.  Conspiracy theorists don’t forget about their conspiracies.  They carry their conspiracy theories to the grave and are never, ever convinced otherwise.  So, that’s why Trump said he’d release the file – it’s what his base wanted to hear, and saying he “wouldn’t” would have infuriated them, and he was sure he could just bury it when in office.  He just didn’t realize they’re conspiracy theorists and wouldn’t let it die.

He's also buried himself in two other holes.  First, for all his MAGA cult base crying for Attorney General Pam Bondi to be fired for saying she had the file on her desk, and soon after saying they didn’t exist, so there’s nothing to release – Trump can’t fire her.  As an analyst noted on the news, any new Attorney General he appointed would have to release the file and lists.  Because otherwise, what was the point in firing Pam Bondi?!  Which is why we are now hearing Trump praise how great she is.  But this only infuriates his base, causing a greater schism.

And second, even if the file and list do get released and there's nothing damning in it, his base won't likely believe that since the whole reason for this scandal is because they are red-hot 100% sure there is something damning in it.  It will be seen as a cover-up.  And this isn't mere speculation -- that exact thing has already happened!  A few months back, an FBI file was released, there was nothing in it, and the MAGOP base didn't believe it and was outraged.  Which is what helped fuel the current situation.  Compounding the problem is that, unless voted by Congress, there are limitations to what the DOJ is allowed on its own to voluntarily release.  And will only infuriate his base, causing a greater schism.  Because that's what conspiratorialists do.

But, well, you know the old saying -- “Live by conspiracy theorists, die by conspiracy theorists.”