The “Is the Melania Movie a Bribe?” Edition
The Washington Post guts its newsroom while owner Jeff Bezos and Amazon lavish unheard-of sums on Melania “documentary;” Trump calls for “nationalized elections;” and DOJ releases over 3 million new Epstein files.
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Episode Notes
This week, Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the juxtaposition between the devastating layoffs at The Washington Post and the exorbitant price owner Jeff Bezos and Amazon paid for the Melania movie, this week’s ominous foreshadowing of the Trump administration’s real threats to the 2026 elections with election law expert Nate Persily, and why the Clintons are facing deposition in House Epstein investigations.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Finya Swai for Politico: The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, makes dramatic cuts
Ashley Parker for The Atlantic: The Murder of The Washington Post
Nicole Sperling and Brooks Barnes for The New York Times: Amazon’s Promotion of ‘Melania’ Has Critics Questioning Its Motives
Alyssa Rosenberg for Vox: Other first ladies had cash grabs. Melania tops them all.
Sam Kessler, Rebecca Ballhaus, Eliot Brown, and Angus Berwick for The Wall Street Journal: ‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company
Ruth Marcus for The New Yorker: How Jeff Bezos Brought Down The Washington Post
Erica L. Green, Michael Gold, and Robert Jimison for The New York Times: Trump Repeats Call to ‘Nationalize’ Elections, as White House Walks It Back
Hugo Lowell for The Guardian: Tulsi Gabbard running solo 2020 election inquiry separate from FBI investigation
Shirin Ali for Slate: The Real Reason Trump Chose Georgia as His First Strike on the 2026 Vote
Andrew Howard for Politico: Election officials grapple with a brain drain as threats rise
Bob Bauer for Executive Functions: Is the Administration Prepared to Deploy ICE to Police This Fall’s Elections?
Dustin Volz and C. Ryan Barber for The Wall Street Journal (Exclusive): Classified Whistleblower Complaint About Tulsi Gabbard Stalls Within Her Agency
Kadia Goba for The Washington Post: Clintons finalize deal to appear for House Epstein investigation depositions
Eli Stokols, Hailey Fuchs, Shia Kapos, and Mia McCarthy for Politico: ‘Comeback Kid’ no more: Dems aren’t protecting the Clintons from Epstein scrutiny
Nicholas Confessore for The New York Times: They Said They Weren’t Close to Epstein. New Documents Show Otherwise.
Jim Geraghty for National Review: Epstein Files of the Rich and Famous
Alex Shephard for The New Republic: Trump and Musk Knew Exactly Who Jeffrey Epstein Was
Here are this week’s chatters:
Emily: Sam Adams for Slate: Finally, a Muppet Show Reboot That Understands the Original Appeal of the Muppets; Melissa Sanchez and Jodi S. Cohen for ProPublica: The Real Story Behind the Midnight Immigration Raid on a Chicago Apartment Building
Juliette: Shrinking on Apple TV (Season 3 Official Trailer on YouTube, video 2:20); Issy Ronald for CNN: US Winter Olympics hospitality space changed from ‘Ice House’ to ‘Winter House’ following anti-ICE protests
David: Kaela Cote-Stemmermann for City Cast DC: Jeff Bezos Gutted the Washington Post. Now What?; City Cast DC; Meet the City Cast DC Team; City Cast – Current Openings
Listener chatter from Shrestha Sinha in Norwich, UK: Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne for The Guardian: Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world; The Guardian Investigates – Podcast Series on Apple Podcasts: The Birth Keepers
For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, David, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss a fascinating profile of anti-government militia leader Ammon Bundy, the contrast between Bundy’s and his former allies’ views on ICE tactics, and how messages about individual liberty and government intervention might be affecting the Trump administration’s narratives about immigration enforcement.
In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily Bazelon talks with author Curtis Sittenfeld about her short story collection, “Show Don’t Tell.” They discuss the recurring themes of the book from troubled marriages and middle age to the passage of time, and characters who are navigating moments of racial privilege and prejudice.
Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Podcast production by Nina Porzucki
Research by Emily Ditto
You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.
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Find out more about David Plotz’s monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.