Bulwark Takes

Episode: "Only One Reporter Pressed Trump’s Epstein Lies!"
Date: September 8, 2025
Host: Sarah Longwell
Guest: Andrew Egger

Brief Overview

This episode centers on the White House press conference led by Trump Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt amidst explosive new Epstein-Trump revelations. The Bulwark’s Sarah Longwell and Andrew Egger dissect the failure of the White House press corps to hold the administration accountable, with a focus on Maggie Haberman’s standout questioning. The episode critiques both the press’s performance and the White House’s strategy of evasion and misinformation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Press Conference: Context & Disappointment

• Sarah Longwell opens by expressing disappointment over the lackluster performance of the press during a pivotal White House briefing on Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
  • She notes an "enormous amount of breaking news" and expected rigorous questioning about the new documents linking Trump and Epstein.
• The only substantive questioning came from Maggie Haberman (NYT), who pressed Levitt about discrepancies and outright denials regarding Trump’s signature on incriminating documents.
  • Longwell plays a clip to show how press failed to follow up on these lines of inquiry.
• The rest of the questions largely consisted of "softballs," many from new right-wing infotainment types that the White House now favors.

2. Maggie Haberman’s Lone Stand ([01:00] - [02:48])

• Notable Exchange:
  • Maggie Haberman presses, "You said the Epstein documents are a hoax...So what is the theory? Since these documents came from the Epstein estate, who is faking these documents?" ([01:00])
  • Carolyn Levitt responds by shifting the narrative: "I did not say the documents are a hoax. I said the entire narrative surrounding Jeffrey Epstein right now...is a hoax that is being perpetuated by opportunistic Democrats..." ([01:17])
• Haberman’s repeated follow-ups force Levitt to stick to a "deny-everything" script, notably around the authenticity of Trump’s signature.
• Longwell notes that Haberman’s nuanced questioning ("but which part's the hoax? ...is it the documents?") is what journalism should look like.
  • "I actually gotta say, I don't know whether Maggie Haberman is just a better questioner, which might be true, or if the rest of the press corps is so deeply pathetic..." ([06:13])

3. White House Media “Reshaping” ([04:05] - [06:13])

• Andrew Egger explains how the Trump White House has packed the press room with favorable figures, strategically calling on right-wing content creators to ensure softball or distracting questions.
  • "The White House has done a very effective job...in really reshaping the nature of the White House press corps..." ([04:05])
• This environment allows the administration to deflect or avoid difficult topics, evidenced by the lack of Epstein follow-ups and the focus on unrelated or complimentary questions.
  • "So few specifics. The one thing that I did think was interesting...was the signature thing." ([15:54])

4. Denials, Diversions & Absurdity ([07:55] - [09:53])

• Both discuss how Levitt and the administration rely on sweeping denials, branding everything a "hoax" or a "witch hunt" and refusing to address specifics.
  • "The White House has stuck to this facially ridiculous line of witch hunt, witch hunt, lie, hoax invented. We'll see you in court." ([08:04])
• Sarah and Andrew explore the grotesque implications of the newly-released documents, including jokes about "depreciated women" in Epstein’s circle, and how the White House refuses to address these specifics for obvious reasons.
  • "It's so gross. And it's, and it's, it's all right there...it's this book that Jeffrey Epstein had...until he died and then it was handed over to law enforcement." ([08:00])

5. Press Corps Priorities & Systemic Failures ([09:53] - [13:00])

• Discussion about how other breaking news (Israeli strikes in Qatar) dominated questioning, and how reporters wasted limited questions by prompting Levitt to rerun prepared statements.
  • "To me...why are you guys burning questions?...ask about Epstein because you get just burning questions." ([09:53])
• Egger sympathizes with some breaking news scramble, but both hosts insist the press missed the uniquely historic importance of the Epstein revelations.
  • "Yes, throughout this whole thing, it was just, I just thought there were going to be a lot more Epstein questions. I really did. I thought they let her off the hook quite a bit." ([11:33])

6. The Administration’s Dodges & Press Manipulation

• The administration deploys talking points about crime in blue cities, pivots to touting arrests of pedophiles, and dodges questions about victims or Trump’s relationships.
  • "She was like, why don't we talk about how many pedophiles we've put away? ...They don't address. They were asked about the victims and would Trump meet with the victims, skated over that, no follow ups." ([12:57])

7. Signature Denials and Press Passivity ([15:54] - [20:17])

• The hosts are astounded that the White House's argument—that Trump’s signature is forged—is accepted at face value with little resistance from most reporters.
  • "It blows my mind that Carolyn Levitt...was only asked one time about their claim that these signatures don't match." ([15:54])
• They blame a "flood the zone with shit" strategy alongside the bludgeoning and dilution of the press corps with unserious actors.
  • "They have pushed into that room a bunch of people who are not serious about asking questions." ([18:14])

8. Broader Implications for Journalism & Democracy ([20:17] - [22:01])

• Andrew Egger warns that seeding the press room with "bozos and amateurs" undermines not just accountability for the Trump administration, but any presidency.
  • "You have to have a White House briefing room that functions and a White House press corps that functions in order to responsibly cover any president." ([20:39])

9. The "See You in Court" Strategy ([24:24] - [26:50])

• Sarah queries what the Trump team thinks will happen by promising to "see you in court." Egger responds that it’s likely a stalling tactic, designed to shift the news cycle rather than win on merit.
  • "There is no real long term strategy...They are trying to get out of the current moment and live to fight the next moment." ([24:24])
• The defamation lawsuit threat is a defensive move to recast Trump as a victim, even though it risks drawing out negative coverage.

10. Existential Despair & The Way Forward ([26:50] - [31:36])

• Sarah expresses deep frustration at both the mainstream press’s performance and the White House’s successful manipulation.
  • "It's not just what happened. It's all the things that didn't happen." ([26:50])
  • "How are we supposed to hold this administration to account when the fourth estate is like this?" ([18:14])
• She praises independent media and stands by the Wall Street Journal’s determination to stick with the story.
• Both agree the only viable path forward is for independent outlets and persistent journalists (like Haberman or the WSJ) to cut through the flood of misinformation.

11. Political Incentives and Cynicism ([31:36] - [33:09])

• Egger and Longwell note that Republicans only agitated for Epstein files release when they expected Democrats' implication. Now, as Trump is exposed, the tune changes.
  • "Now that it turns out that it's their guy who's in the crosshairs, you know, you got to count on the principles of Marjorie Taylor Greene...to carry you through, I guess." ([32:46])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Sarah Longwell:
  • "That was literally the only thing that was pressed on. And the answer was it's a lie. He didn't sign those letters. And that's my story and I'm sticking to it." ([02:48])
  • "The President of the United States is being implicated with the most notorious pedophile in like known history...It is insane." ([18:14])
  • "There have been four Republicans who have also supported this, that Donald Trump has been threatening Republicans that they are against the administration if they won't release it." ([12:57])
• Andrew Egger:
  • "The White House has done a very effective job ... in really reshaping the nature of the White House press corps according to who they want to be covering them..." ([04:05])
  • "She said that again today at the briefing in that clip. 'Donald Trump has the most famous signature in the world, and it's not the one that was on that letter. And we're going to prove that in court.'" ([15:54])
  • "It's a problem not just for this story, but it's a problem for America that any White House would do this." ([20:39])
  • "There is no real long term strategy...They are trying to get out of the current moment and live to fight the next moment." ([24:24])
• Maggie Haberman (quoted in segment):
  • “What is the theory? Since these documents came from the Epstein estate, who is, I guess, in your view, faking these documents?” ([01:00])
• Carolyn Levitt:
  • “I did not say the documents are a hoax. I said the entire narrative surrounding Jeffrey Epstein right now…is a hoax…” ([01:17])
  • "The President has one of the most famous signatures in the world... He did not write that letter. He did not sign those documents." ([02:27])

Important Timestamps

• [01:00] – Maggie Haberman’s pivotal question about the Epstein documents’ authenticity
• [02:48] – Sarah Longwell’s summary of the Haberman exchange and press corps failures
• [04:05] – Andrew Egger explains the White House strategy of reshaping the press corps
• [06:13] – Sarah on how Haberman’s follow-up clarified the administration’s dodge
• [08:00] – Dissecting Trump’s denial strategy and the absurdity of trying to explain jokes and records from 20 years ago
• [11:33] – The missed opportunity as reporters wasted questions on already-answered topics
• [15:54] – Egger and Longwell on the mystifying lack of challenge to the signature denial
• [20:39] – The dangers of a manipulated press corps for American democracy
• [24:24] – The “see you in court” strategy as an immediate, not long-term, tactic

Summary: Language, Tone & Takeaway

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Egger maintain a tone that is frustrated, incredulous, and, at times, darkly humorous. Their critique is sharp, unflinching, and driven by a sincere concern for democratic accountability and press integrity. Throughout, they rely on direct quotes, vivid analysis, and clear-eyed skepticism about both the current White House and the state of political journalism.

If you missed the episode, this discussion is a biting, transparent look at the dangers of a tamed media, the absurdities of brazen political lying, and the importance of persistent independent journalism in a post-truth era.