240 Comments
User's avatar
Permian Extinction's avatar

Some weeks ago, the Epstein survivors threatened to reveal secrets about their experiences. Crickets. Why? Just blab it all out FHS. Is there a better time than now?

lin•'s avatar

"Some weeks ago, the Epstein survivors threatened to reveal secrets about their experiences. Crickets. Why? Just blab it all out FHS. Is there a better time than now?"

Survivors. They know better than we what it is to be targeted by Trump. Et al. When even those with power and wealth obey in advance and even those who do Trump's bidding get trashed - stepping up that way is a big ask of those who have survived abuse by the Trump-Epstein class and now have vulnerable dear ones they need to protect. Not only from the rich and powerful but from violent Republican state terrorists and their free lancers and trolls.

Susanna J. Sturgis's avatar

Thank you. I suspect "Permian Extinction" is a man, which would help explain why he [sic] doesn't get it.

lin•'s avatar

I would like to step away from binary and, to my mind, sexist explanations. I think the spotlight needs to be on those who exploit power and economic disparities to victimize young people. And the bigotry which makes it difficult for victims to seek protection and justice.

Olivia X. LaRosa's avatar

I have been in the center of hundreds of thousands of online conversations since 2004. I have observed that men or menlike creatures are the VAST majority of trolls and troublemakers. So, you men or men like creatures here need to educate your fellow men or men like creatures, so as to improve your reputation.

Tina Stein's avatar

Hey. Don't do that. I wondered that myself and appreciate lin's answer.

patricia's avatar

epstein is dead

a message to all of them

I'm surprised jiz still lives

let's remember there are many others involved in it, you can be sure trump is a lightweight in this mess

Joan Eisenstodt's avatar

Am I the only one to believe Ivanka was involved in the Epstein mess? I can’t be sure nor do I really think she was sexually abused tho I think she attended at least one party. It’s the lengths to which he’s going to cover it up. The things he’s said about her (would date her if she weren’t his daughter) and photos of her with him. Yes, gut feel.

RRiveter's avatar

And Melania too. There is a reason why his other daughter was not near him during her raising. I know she's done political stuff for "daddy" but her mom appeared to protect her when she was a babe from the predator.

Joan Eisenstodt's avatar

Or do you mean Marla Maples, mother of Tiffany? Don Jr’s oldest daughter from his (first) marriage was on AF1 and praised her grandfather. They all know more and yet they won’t tell the truth.

RRiveter's avatar

Talking about Marla Maples, and Donnie's daughter Tiffany, not his granddaughter. I always wondered why Tiffany didn't have much contact with the old perv while she was growing up, but now we know. Marla appeared to know or suspect more, and also appeared to protect her daughter, at least when she was younger. I know Tiffany is good friends with Ivanka, and who knows what she went through with her old man, but at least Tiffany was kept away from the Trump regime for years by her mom.

patricia's avatar

can we put anything past him ? he is truly well, discusting just doesn't seem like a bad enough word...

Joan Eisenstodt's avatar

Yeah. At this point nothing is lower than the last low.

Susie in OH's avatar

He paid Epstein a truckload of money to be a lightweight.

patricia's avatar

I mean a lightweight in the bad ass scary guy department...also always going bankrupt

Cleetus's avatar

Bondi is an utterly despicable person and worst AG of my lifetime. You have to be pretty bad to make Bill Barr look good.

And make no mistake. Based on history, the next AG will be even WORSE. Trump never fires someone to replace them with a more competent and less corrupt alternative. It just gets worse. And worse. And worse.

Marli's avatar

Yes, it might be worse .... Imagine any of the peeps Joyce mentions, e.g. Alina Habba .... or is Aileen Cannon a candidate?

LaurieOregon's avatar

Judge Judy? Kid Rock? A Kardashian? Elon Musk? Ken Paxton of TX?

Cats 🐈🐈‍⬛'s avatar

paxton would be a nightmare. He would be worse than bondi. He is a hateful, mean and cruel asshole. I live in texas and he is as spiteful as they come.

Cleetus's avatar

My wife and I moved from Texas to the PNW in 2024 prior to the election. Up until that time we have been taking care of an aging parent and raising kids, and didn’t really have much choice. That changed in late 2023, and as soon as we found our ourselves in a position where we no longer bore the responsibility of caring for others, we made the decision to get the hell out of Texas.

My wife is a NICU nurse and the Trifecta of Texas Fascism (Abbot, Patrick, and Paxton) and their draconian laws punishing women was a definitely a factor. So were the MAGA neighbors with their confederate flags and other right wing offensive signs and paraphernalia. There were a lot of reasons to stay — we had a lot of friends and family there after being born and living there 50+ years each. But the reasons to leave and the opportunity to seek greener pastures in a bluer state convinced us that it was time to make our exit. We have zero regrets… just not sure we went far enough north at this point. Next step may well be British Columbia if things continue the way they are here. And it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Trump picked Paxton as his next AG. It definitely fits the algorithm.

Kate's avatar

I'm in Texas and I apologize to all Americans for this, but I would be happy if Trump nominated Ken Paxton - because it would get him out of Texas! I felt the same way about former governor Rick "Oops!" Maybe if Paxton was confirmed he would face the same fate as Bondi, and be relegated to political Siberia. One can hope.

Susan Stone's avatar

I'm in Texas, too, Cats. Don't forget that Paxton is also avoiding criminal charges.

Laura McElroy's avatar

They finally settled those criminal cases (no jail time, of course).

Susan Stone's avatar

Thanks for updating me. Of course there was no jail time. And I will still think of him in terms of his criminality - settling doesn't mean no crime was committed.

Margaret's avatar

I don't live in Texas, but I have family that agree with you. As outsider what I read is never anything good about him. How do these scum bags continue to keep their jobs?

Cleetus's avatar

Money and corruption.

Joan Eisenstodt's avatar

Isn’t he backing Paxton for Senate? Would he pull him out of that race?

Mary DeRobertis's avatar

Judge Judy would be acceptable.

BJones's avatar

Probably not Cannon- she's too useful where she is.

T Kashi's avatar

Cannon will be shot out of her own cannon.

Laura McElroy's avatar

Oh no, AG would be a step down for Aileen Cannon. She is aiming for a SCOTUS seat.

Cissna, Ken's avatar

She has a lifetime job. Wouldn’t trade that for a political appointment that expires for certain in less than three year ACV

JennSH from NC's avatar

I hope that someday Aileen Cannon will be impeached and removed from the bench.

Cleetus's avatar

She ought to be arrested for breaking the law and committing treason.

ELIZABETH Craze's avatar

They are " Mean Girls" with both lips and enhanced books. Someone needs to enhanced their brains so they will be capable of any cabinet position.

Margaret's avatar

She has earned it! How much deeper can she dig herself without being buried, with all the help she has given the Rat__________.

Walter's avatar

Canon is waiting to take Alito's seat.

Marli's avatar

That would be worse than worse

Maui Wahine's avatar

If he didnʻt need her in Palm Beach county to protect him, Iʻd say Cannon has a shot at it. Can you imagine Alina Habba as AG? What a shit show that would be. At least Bondi had experience from FL as being an AG even though sheʻs corrupt as hell.

T Kashi's avatar

It only gets worse until backbones show up (NO SPURS)

RRiveter's avatar

Yeah, Habba?????? The woman who has NO criminal experience whatsoever, but yeah, let's put her in the AG position. What a great idea.

Jeri B's avatar

Cannon may be too valuable where she is. And when he kicks the next AG to the curb, where would he then send her?? Might be a stretch to get her old job back.

LiverpoolFCfan's avatar

What could provide some restitution would be if multiple crooked lawyers like Bondi, Halligan, Blanche, Pirro, et al. were disbarred by their state courts and disciplinary boards.

That would send a harsh, public message that there ARE consequences for violating the rules of your profession.

Sharon C Storm's avatar

The lawyers who supported the felon in his first administration have all been disbarred or sanctioned. Those in the running for AG should be aware of the likelihood of losing their license.

Susanna J. Sturgis's avatar

Nixon's legal hirelings didn't fare so well either.

Kevin Dale Green's avatar

Bondi is a former Florida AG. That means she wasn't completely unqualified. She knew how the law said she should do her job and how Trump said she should do her job. As bad a job as she did, it's hard to imagine that anyone else appointed by Trump would have done anything different.

ELIZABETH Craze's avatar

I don't understand why these educated folks don't have the good sense to realize a relationship with Trump ends up being thrown under the bus. Look at Cohen, Gillian, etc. Cohen ended up in prison.

Why would anyone take a job with him? It ends their professional future. Especially the young ones.

bitchybitchybitchy's avatar

Money, but probably more important is thr connection to very wealthy donors.

Pamela Bondi will probably move to a rightwing corporate law firm or rightwing think tank

Jon Rosen's avatar

Trump didn't throw her "under the bus". If you really believe that, you aren't watching very closely. Bondi was "fired" solely for the purpose of getting her "off the hook" with pleading the 5th to Congress. If she still was AG when she had to testify (and she WILL have to testify), she would have a difficult time pleading the 5th, as she would be employed by the US. Now that she isn't employed anymore by the US, she can take the 5th just like any other citizen can. And I am pretty certain she will.

JBR's avatar

Her job prr djt was to ignore law and prosecute enemies.

JBR's avatar

She was doing what she was told. Blame her boss. She just wasn't crooked enough

Jon Rosen's avatar

She was PLENTY crooked enough. She will be just fine and now she doesn't have to answer Congressional questions. She just takes the 5th. Same old Trump."strategy". Delay delay delay.

Patricia Dempsey's avatar

I believe she still needs to answer to the deposition on April 14th. The subpoena was specifically for Pam Bondi, not for the Attorney General...

Jon Rosen's avatar

They will enforce the subpoena, absolutely, but she will simply state "I can not answer that question because it might tend to incriminate me." I.e, she will "take the 5th" which is her right. She could do that as AG but it would be a VERY serious problem politically for a person holding a job in the US government to take the 5th when asked questions about their work for the US government.

This is why Trump "fired" her, to give her the "cover" of being a private citizen so she can assert her 5th amendment rights. And remember, the 5th amendment is your RIGHT as a citizen, so Bondi, like it or not, has that right just as we all have.

So don't hold your breath that we will be getting Pam Bondi's answers to any questions. If that happened, monkeys might fly out of my butt.

Laura McElroy's avatar

Yes they will still attempt to enforce the subpoena.

Jon Rosen's avatar

They can enforce the subpoena but they can't force her to answer any questions (unless they grant her full and unconditional immunity which is highly unlikely). She has the same right as anyone to "plead the 5th".

Susanna J. Sturgis's avatar

"Doing what she was told"? Didn't "just following orders" go out with the Nuremberg trials?

JBR's avatar

Apparently they have not. And her problem was that she didn't successfully bring unjustified prosecutions. Because she had no legal basis. She tried. Its like mafia shooting someone for failing to kill someone else. Thats why hegset fires top generals ... because they won't follow illegal. Orders. The courts have been the only saving grace so far but obviously supreme court is unreliable.

Susanna J. Sturgis's avatar

I keep wondering where the red line is that Roberts, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett won't cross. It's pretty clear that Thomas and Alito don't have one.

JBR's avatar

It has to be vivid. Clear language in constitution, prior cases, and no exceptions.

patricia's avatar

just a power whore gone, sure to be replaced by another one

Jay Jay Eh's avatar

She prostituted her profession.

I wonder if there is a male equivalent expression for this phenomenon?

patricia's avatar

power mad dick..........?

Diane Doyle's avatar

There is no low low enough under which Trump will not go. Trump and his followers do the Limbaugh Rock to see how low they can go.

Joan Eisenstodt's avatar

He knows no “competent” people.

Mark Epping-Jordan's avatar

Here Lies Ex-AG Pam Bondi

Run Over by the 47 Bus

Careening Down Loyalty Avenue

A One Way Street

2025-2026

Lynne's avatar

Please, Joyce, the Democrats are horrible at PR; get them to run this during the runup to the midterms like you suggested!

"Don’t send any money for daycare because the United States can’t take care of daycare, that has to be up to a state. We can’t take care of daycare. . . . We’re fighting wars, we can’t take care of daycare. You gotta let a state take care of daycare, and they should pay for it, too. . . . It’s not possible for us to take care of daycare, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things."

Somebody needs to JUMP on this info and make it count. Do you know who to put this in front of that actually can message?!

ELIZABETH Craze's avatar

The Democrats need to get focused and also find a person who can likely beat JD Vance or Rubio. Otherwise we have an additional 4 years of disaster with hate mongers catering to wealth while crushing our citizenship. GET WITH IT DEMS!!!!! PLEASE.

Don't waste anymore time. It doesn't matter about personality ( look at Kamala) .It must be a smart believable person with a real objective that can at least be palatable abd doable. No blind promises.

John D. Cooper's avatar

I would be surprised to see Marco Rubio goes anyplace up or down. If he is lucky he can go quietly in the night back to Miami.

Vance will get Peter Thiel’s help to continue Trump’s gaslighting, lies, and assault on people eating their pets.

Judy Swift's avatar

Anyone who has any familiarity with Canada!

Riversong Pond's avatar

Sorry, Judy, the Canadians don’t want you.

Judy Swift's avatar

I was actually responding to Lynne's comment about Trump's' message:

"Don’t send any money for daycare because the United States can’t take care of daycare, that has to be up to a state. We can’t take care of daycare. . . . We’re fighting wars, we can’t take care of daycare. You gotta let a state take care of daycare, and they should pay for it, too. . . . It’s not possible for us to take care of daycare, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things."

Canada isn't perfect, but in Canada they DO fund universal health care, and child care, and have a family child benefit, some free dental care, etc.  In the States, Republicans always label this "socialism" or "communism." It is the government looking after its citizens.

And I AM Canadian - although I grew up in what is now Jamie Raskin's district!

Riversong Pond's avatar

Ah, you were offering information rather than seeking it. Thanks for clarifying.

Yes, much of the rest of the world seems to understand that the basic needs of the people need to be met. The preamble to our own Constitution states it clearly that governments are instituted to “promote the general welfare “.

It’s a mystery why Americans can still be manipulated by the “socialist” bogeyman.

Joan Eisenstodt's avatar

As in moving? It’s complicated. See current issue of The Nation.

patricia's avatar

the voters need to get their shit together, after they pull it out of their heads of course

Ann P's avatar

Joyce, what are the chances that the Florida Bar Association will commence an investigation into Bondi with an eye to disbarment proceedings? I know there was a petition to have her disbarred awhile back, but the Fla Bar Assn said it was their policy not to have disbarment proceedings against a holder of a Presidential appointment while they’re in office. So that should mean she’s fair game now, right?

USNewsLink.com's avatar

I have posted the details concerning Bondi's escaping a Florida Bar investigation while holding office. She is no longer shielded from an investigation. I am going to follow that since it is one way to ensure that Bondi is held accountable for her crimes.

Joan Eisenstodt's avatar

Do post a link here when you write about it. Thanks.

USNewsLink.com's avatar

It is posted as a comment to this article.

David J. Sharp's avatar

I guess the key to success in TrumpWorld is to be quietly incompetent … instead of flamboyantly incompetent.

JBR's avatar

She had to be crooked and she was. Just not crooked enough.

Marlene Lerner-Bigley (CA)'s avatar

Joyce, Bondi is equivalent to Gumby. Pliable as all get-out! Maxwell Frost was on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show tonight and he said she definitely cannot get out of the deposition set for the 14th. Frost said that the Dems know that James Comer has been trying to get her out of testifying but says come hook or crook (paraphrasing), Bondi will have to be deposed.

DW's avatar

Please don't let it be Pirro. That woman is almost as obnoxious to listen to as the president

TCinLA's avatar

Habba's worse - a total moron convinced she's a super-genius.

DW's avatar

It's the way Pirro behaves that gets me. It's like she's giving Judge Judy

John D. Cooper's avatar

Let’s just be straight up truthful. There is not one person on that list who should even merit a confirmation hearing. And Trump will keep Todd Blanche in the position as long as he can. Then another fumbling fool will surface.

Jeanne Golliher's avatar

Since there's no chance we will get a respectable AG let’s go for the bottom of the barrel. I have decided that Judge Jeanine is my #1 choice because she is the most comically incompetent and possibly the least dangerous. We've seen what evil + competence looks like in Russ Vought and Steven Miller. Plus she'd make a great drinking buddy for whiskey Pete, presumably her old pal from their Fox News days.

James Dunn's avatar

Reporting suggested she pleaded with Trump not to fire her. Maybe she will be angry enough to become the re-incarnated Daniel Ellsberg and just release all the Epstein files.

TCinLA's avatar

Whistling past the graveyard...

William Burke's avatar

I think she’ll be a loyalist to the bitter end. Probably packing her bags for South America right now.

patricia's avatar

no way, she knows the scary people in those files

Laura McElroy's avatar

It will be interesting to see if the Florida State Bar Association will go after her since she doesn’t bear the imprimatur of the Orange One.

Deb Pierce McCabe's avatar

But is she still a loyalist? She's a danger to him. Her firing may not be cause for celebration, but no one is sad to see her go. We just need to nab her computer...

ELIZABETH Craze's avatar

I hope she spills the beans on him and tells all. She should be angry enough. He wouldn't even grant her an extension till summer.

USNewsLink.com's avatar

AN INDICTMENT OF AN INSANE CRIME BOSS' CHIEF CAPO:

Over the course of fourteen months, while repeatedly executing the orders of the criminally insane Donald Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi carried out a series of federal crimes born of pure malice, revealing an absence of moral compass, and her deliberate intent to deny innocent American citizens of their civil rights. Her well documented criminal acts demand her immediate arrest and prosecution pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code (U.S.C.). The following is an abbreviated list of her crimes perpetrated while holding federal office between 2025-2026:

1. Targeting the Judiciary

2. Retaliation Against Legal Profession

3. Purging and Realigning the DOJ

4. Conflicts of Interest

5. Targeting Critics

6. Suppression of evidence of criminal wrong doing by Trump

7. Engaging in a criminal conspiracy to shield Trump from charges

8. Acting as an accessory to Trump's crimes

9. Political "enforcer" for Donald Trump

10. Ignoring criminal activity, such as organized crime and national security cases, in favor of focusing on immigration and politically motivated investigations.

11. Dismantling Accountability: Scrapping the Public Integrity Section, which prosecutes government corruption.

12. Targeting Rivals: Authorizing investigations into Trump's political opponents, including Rep. Adam Schiff and NY AG Letitia James.

13. Blocking the "Epstein Files": Abruptly shutting down the investigation into the Epstein Files in July 2025 after reportedly informing Trump his name was included.

14. 2020 Election Interference: Bondi was a central figure in spreading baseless claims of voter fraud, appearing with Rudy Giuliani in Philadelphia to declare Trump the winner of Pennsylvania while votes were still being counted.

15. Trump University "Bribery" Scandal: In 2013, while Florida Attorney General, Bondi declined to investigate fraud allegations against Trump University just days after receiving a $25,000 donation from Trump’s charitable foundation.

Now that she no longer occupies government office she is available to be investigated pursuant to a petition filed by 70-State of Florida lawyers and judges to force the Florida State Bar to investigate her as reported on October 14, 2025:

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/10/14/state-supreme-court-rejects-attempt-to-force-florida-bar-to-investigate-bondi/

Read the Jon May v. The Florida Bar case that is available on the Florida courts website:

https://acis.flcourts.gov/portal/court/68f021c4-6a44-4735-9a76-5360b2e8af13/case/0fff4d5e-f891-4e97-b7b1-906c750fdc9d

Read the court's October 13, 2025 denial of the petition of Jon May v. The Florida Bar:

https://acis-api.flcourts.gov/courts/68f021c4-6a44-4735-9a76-5360b2e8af13/cms/case/0fff4d5e-f891-4e97-b7b1-906c750fdc9d/docketentrydocuments/b86f3125-3776-4450-bcea-47f1b4969ee9

A presidential pardon will not shield Bondi from a State of Florida investigation and prosecution for her crimes while holding an active law license. She violated many other states laws in the course of illegally pursuing innocent American citizens.

Joan Eisenstodt's avatar

When it’s in front of us - OMFG.

William Clodius's avatar

FWIW I don’t think that Trump was willing to accept that there was no way for Bondi to get a conviction for Comey or Letitia James. Anyone who thinks that Lindsey Halligan could get convictions is delusional about the American judicial system.

Daniel Solomon's avatar

More likely she told Trump the extent of his exposure for Trumpepstein -- and he took it as disloyalty. Everything else sounds like prexext -- even the excuse for war.

Trump can't let Bondi testify under oath.... I estimate that inside DOJ there are still 20-30 witnesses that Trump can't let testify.....

Many more DOJ veterans (like Marie Villefana and Maureen Comey) can say what they saw.... He can't let them testify.

William Clodius's avatar

I believe that anyone, including those who aren’t government officials, can be called to testify under oath, so firing Bondi doesn’t affect whether she can be called to testify under oath. In the current situation, Republican congressional committees are reluctant to require anyone, whose testimony can hurt Trump, to testify under oath. I hope that at least the House committees will no longer be Republican controlled after this November. If so, I would expect the House Judiciary Committee to call her to provide testimony on the actions of Todd Blanche and Kash Patel. Whether the committee would have the capability to force her to give testimony, when the enforcement would normally be left up to the U.S. Marshals, is another matter.

Laura McElroy's avatar

And Thank God for federal Grand Juries.

Lucy Johnson's avatar

Joyce, in reading your list of trump loyalists he's likely to choose as the next A.G. it was bad enough you included DC AG Pirro, but then you ended your list with Alina Habba! OMG!!! IMO, she would be the worst of the worst. At least of couple of the others might have some brain cells.

Which state bar licenses Habba? Can we all start a petition to that state's bar association requesting that she be disbarred?

And now that Bondi is no longer a Federal employee (or is she?), let's all go back to petitioning the FL bar association to disbar her!

Laura McElroy's avatar

IMO, Ken Paxton would be the absolute worst! He’s been a terrible, corrupt Texas AG!

Barbara F's avatar

Which should make him a perfect choice for Trumpet's AG?

Cats 🐈🐈‍⬛'s avatar

Agreed. He has been horrible for the people of texas.

Lucy Johnson's avatar

Laura, Paxton was not named in Joyce's list, but I agree that he is a terrible and corrupt person. However, is he enough of a loyalist to trump to be trump's choice, and does he meet the trump standard of looking like a TV host?

Laura McElroy's avatar

Lucy, good point, he looks like a creep.

Cissna, Ken's avatar

There must be some trump loyalists who, now, thev senate would not confirm.

Diane Doyle's avatar

But the Republican Senate (and Fetterman who's a traitorman) have very low standards for what they will confirm.

patricia's avatar

don't forget fetterman has brain damage

William Burke's avatar

U.S. Attorney General Jeanine Pirro??? If this actually happens, I’ll know I’ve finally entered The Twilight Zone. I pretty much feel like I’m already in it, but this would nail it down.

Steve Winogradsky's avatar

Now that Spam Bondage has been fired, what's her next move? In the words of DJT, "she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector".

Head librarian/desk clerk at the Trump Library/Hotel?

Marlene Lerner-Bigley (CA)'s avatar

No, she will go back to being a “legal analyst” for the UAE, just like before. Too bad Florida will not disbar her. I don’t see her skipping out on the deposition that is being prepared for her but one never knows.