Sunday, August 10, 2025
Politics is not unlike a card game. Each move has a countermove. And then there are consequences if you make the wrong move. There is a strategy to it all, and a lot of guesswork, too! Right now, all the players are weighing the next moves in the Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell controversy, the looming race for mayor in New York City, and Campaign 2026. Let’s “brunch” on all of that this week.
“White House Epstein Strategy” – After weeks of seeming disarray, the White House is said to be preparing a more unified front on the controversies surrounding sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein, of course, is dead, but a lot of questions still swirl about his case, his friends, their possible activities, and more. Maxwell, his one-time girlfriend, is serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison. Two weeks ago, she held a two-day interview with Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, who was one of President Donald Trump’s criminal defense lawyers. The White House may release the entire transcript of those interviews, perhaps with names or information redacted. Maxwell is hoping for Congressional immunity to testify and perhaps a White House pardon, but both are doubtful for now.
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“House Subpoenas Everyone” — The House Oversight Committee is determined to get to the bottom of the whole seedy affair, including who did what, and when. Epstein’s friend list is a who’s who of American politics, business, entertainment, and more. To that end, the list of people the committee is seeking to testify includes former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The list potentially includes current Attorney General Pam Bondi and all other attorneys general dating back to Alberto Gonzales, who served President George W. Bush. Epstein has been on the U.S. government’s radar for that long. Rep. James Comer (R), Kentucky, chairs the House Oversight Committee and said, “Republicans on the Oversight Committee were going to move to be more aggressive in trying to get transparency with the Epstein files. So, we did that, and I think that’s what the American people want.”
“Will Maxwell Testify before Congress? – That question is still debatable since her attorney is asking for full immunity against any further prosecution. While there is bipartisan support for releasing a lot of documents and securing testimony, some Democrats are highly skeptical of Maxwell’s credibility. Rep. Robert Garcia (D), California, is the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee and said, “We should understand that this is a very complex witness and someone that has caused great harm and (was) not a good person to a lot of people.”
“So, What Does Trump Do?” – The president is in a tough spot. There is no easy choice here. If you don’t release the Maxwell transcript or other files in the Epstein case, you look like you’re hiding something or creating a cover-up. On the other hand, if you release a whole slew of files and documents, you will likely create a media and political firestorm that will bring the nation’s capital to a grinding halt. I was a reporter in DC for the entirety of the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal, and that’s precisely what happened. Congress and the White House were locked in a stalemate, and very little got done that year other than a budget. And I remember Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin trying to hold a state news conference, and just about all the questions were about Lewinsky. This could be a repeat of that.
“Tit-For-Tat” – The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a grand jury investigation of New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleging the possibility James violated President Trump’s rights. James won a multi-million-dollar judgment against Trump’s family and companies for overvaluing their real estate properties. At the time, Trump said the Biden Justice Department was being “weaponized” against him. So how did James respond to the investigation against her? A spokesperson for James suggested the investigation by the DOJ was a “weaponization” of its authority. Sound familiar?
“Texas Redistricting” – The controversy continues in the State of Texas over the Republican plan to redraw the Congressional districts. The plan potentially gives Republicans a shot at capturing five seats now held by Democrats. Right now, Republicans hold 219 seats in the U.S. House, to 212 Democrats, and four vacancies. Adding a pad of five seats would help the GOP with its razor-thin majority. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) of Texas said Democrat lawmakers who fled the state to avoid a vote could be arrested. Sen. John Cornyn (R), Texas, said FBI Director Kash Patel, “Approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats.” Texas Democrats wrote on X, saying, “This morning, a threat was made against the safety of the members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus.” They added, “We are safe, we are secure, and we are undeterred.” Democrat controlled legislatures in other states, such as California and Illinois, are suggesting they may redistrict in their own favor, too. I see the whole mess ending up in court!
“Trump and the New York City Mayor’s Race” – For weeks, I have speculated about whether President Trump would get involved and endorse a candidate in the New York City mayor’s race. State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D), New York, an avowed socialist who won the Democratic primary, said on X, “Today we learned Andrew Cuomo is directly coordinating with Donald Trump, even as this President sends masked agents to rip our neighbors off the streets and guts the social services so many New Yorkers rely on.” He added, “It’s disqualifying and a betrayal of our city.” Cuomo lost the primary, but is now running as an independent, as is current Mayor Eric Adams. Curtis Sliwa is the Republican nominee in the four-way race. For now, a Trump endorsement of Cuomo is only speculation. Cuomo said at a news conference, “I can’t remember the last time I spoke to President Trump.” Cuomo added that he has “never spoken to him (Trump) about the mayor’s race.”
“Alligator Alcatraz ‘Bitten’ in Court – A U.S. District Court judge has halted construction on an immigrant detention facility in South Florida known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” The jail facility is on an old air base island in the Everglades. Detainees who are already housed there will stay, but Judge Kathleen Williams said no more construction or paving can take place for at least two weeks. The reason has nothing to do with how the prisoners are being cared for, but rather it is over environmental concerns. A Native American tribe and environmental groups had raised concerns about potential water pollution and threats to native plants and animals. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is a strong supporter of the project, which is not meant to be for permanent detainment. He said, “This was never intended to be something where people are just held.” DeSantis added, “The whole purpose is to be a place that can facilitate increased frequency and numbers of deportations.” That’s because the air strip is being reactivated so detainees can be flown back to their home country. I expect the judge’s order to be appealed to a higher court and likely on to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Put Me in Coach!” – Have you noticed an increasing presence of sports figures in the world of politics? This week, former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley announced he was running as a Republican in the race to be Georgia’s next governor. Dooley is the son of the late Vince Dooley, who was a legendary coach at the University of Georgia. Meanwhile, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R), Alabama, who coached football at Auburn, has announced he is running for Governor of Alabama next year. It was just a few years ago that former football star and Trump-endorsed Herschel Walker ran and lost a Senate race in Georgia. I think we will see more of this. Sports figures have high name and face recognition, which is gold to voters. They can also raise a lot of money. And if they were successful as a coach or as a player, there is a gratitude factor from fans. So, yes, I think we will see more of this.
“Thank You, Hero, James Lovell.” – Apollo 13 Commander James Lovell died on Friday, at the age of 97. We both grew up in Milwaukee, and as a kid we admired our hometown hero for his Gemini and Apollo missions. I was in the fourth grade and I can vividly recall with perfect clarity the day he brought a heavily damaged Apollo 13 and its crew safely back to Earth. I consider it our greatest accomplishment in space, yes, even more than the moon landings!
Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a South Florida-based political writer and analyst who has covered news and politics all across the nation, including New England, for the past 48 years. Most recently, he was the Chief Political Reporter for the seven Nexstar Media TV stations covering West Virginia, its five neighboring states, and the entire Washington, DC media market. He remains a MINDSETTER™ Contributing Political Writer and Analyst for www.GoLocalProv.com and its affiliates.
