Trump may try to hand Ukraine to Putin Friday—all to distract from his own “ties” to convicted p*dophile Jeffrey Epstein.

At least, that’s what renowned journalist Michael Wolff said on a new Daily Beast podcast Inside Trump’s Head.

THE DETAILS: Michael Wolff—author of multiple Trump exposés—says Trump has been making “relentless” calls demanding a “big thing” to drown out questions about his links to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Trump’s White House team is allegedly “befuddled” by his hands-on push to meet Putin himself—a dramatic shift from past protocol. Wolff said staffers fear Ukraine will pay the price.

WHAT TRIGGERED THIS: The DOJ recently announced it was done pursuing Epstein charges, despite promises from Trump’s AG Pam Bondi that more revelations were coming. When no new “Epstein Files” dropped, MAGA voters—not liberals—accused Trump of a cover-up.

That led to the most serious break yet between Trump and his far-right base. Wolff says the Epstein story is now the “drumbeat” behind every Trump move.

WHY IT MATTERS: Trump’s desperation to squash the Epstein scandal could result in a catastrophic foreign policy blunder—pleasing Putin while betraying Ukraine and U.S. allies.

And it’s all in service of keeping Trump’s own name out of Epstein headlines.

THE BIG PICTURE: Trump’s long, well-documented friendship with Epstein—whom he once called a “terrific guy”—continues to haunt him.

Epstein told Wolff in recorded interviews that Trump was his “closest friend.”

Despite smear campaigns and violence distractions, Trump still can’t escape the truth.

Donald Trump has deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., seizing control of the city’s police and stationing soldiers at tourist landmarks despite crime being at historic lows. The move — legally limited to protecting federal property unless he declares an insurrection — appears more like a show of force than a public safety measure, echoing authoritarian tactics that turn the military into a backdrop for political theater. Full story from ABC News.

Democratic Party leader Ken Martin has unveiled a proposal to limit corporate and undisclosed money in the 2028 primaries—but it sidesteps super PACs and other big-money loopholes that dominate modern campaigns. While billed as a stand against corruption, the plan risks being more symbolic than substantive, leaving the party dependent on the same wealthy donors and corporate interests it claims to oppose. Full story from The New York Times.

A new Siena poll shows Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani leading the New York City mayoral race by 19 points, trouncing establishment figures Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams, whose refusal to unite has fractured opposition. With capitalist Democrats and Republicans splitting the vote, Mamdani’s grassroots surge underscores growing public rejection of politics-as-usual—and the donor-driven machine that sustains it. Full story from The Hill.

The Trump administration has launched a sweeping review of Smithsonian museums, demanding content changes to align exhibits with his nationalist narrative and erase what he calls “race-centered ideology.” The directive, targeting institutions from the African American History Museum to the National Museum of the American Indian, threatens to turn public history into state propaganda—replacing honest accounts of oppression with government-approved mythmaking. Full story from CNN.

An 18-year-old girl in Minnesota has filed a discrimination complaint after a Buffalo Wild Wings server followed her into a women’s restroom, accused her of being male, and demanded she “prove” her gender. Advocates say the incident reflects a growing wave of gender policing fueled by anti-trans rhetoric, which increasingly targets anyone who doesn’t conform to narrow, sexist ideas of how women should look. Full story from NBC News.

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Yesterday we asked, given Trump’s declaration of a “crime emergency” in D.C., is it actually needed?

Shellshow voted no: “He wants to eliminate anyone and everyone who does not agree with him. He MUST be stopped!”

Louise also voted no: “Everything he does is for a calculated reason. There is no need for a takeover. Records prove that. He is just stirring the pot so people come forward to cause unnecessary trouble and then he’ll say there is a reason. Manufactured chaos to prove he has a point!”

Bill had a frightening thought: “This is just a stepping stone to martial law.”

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