Weekend Report: What’s happening?

There is no “pivot” or “de-escalation” in Minneapolis. Protesters ramp up action. Incomplete Epstein files dump includes jarring child rape claims against Trump.

We saw a show put on by the Trump administration this week, switching out Border Patrol commando Gregory Bovino who wore the Nazi storm trooper coat with corrupt border “czar” Tom Homan in Minneapolis, who said there would be a “drawdown” of ICE agents. But Trump later said there was no backing down, and ICE now had issued a threatening memo in recent days, sent to agents, saying that they don’t need a warrant—either an administrative warrant or one from a judge—to arrest people and have broader power than they were told they had just days ago.

Protesters are not fooled by Trump’s change in “tone”—which lasted for a brief moment—and are out in force. There were massive protests in Minneapolis and across the country on Friday, and more are planned for this weekend. And thousands of new ICE watchers have taken to the streets in the aftermath of Renee Good’s and Alex Pretti’s deaths.

About three million Epstein files were released yesterday, on a Friday, on the same day journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were stunningly arrested for covering a protest, as the administration seemed to want to bury the Epstein news. Survivors of Epstein’s abuse and Democrats say the administration is still withholding much information, as some files were uploaded—which were briefly deleted by the administration—that included what appeared to be uncorroborated accusations against Donald Trump of of child rape.