Letters from an American – February 10, 2026 (Released: Feb 12, 2026)

Host: Heather Cox Richardson
Theme: Uncovering the history behind today’s politics with a focus on recent governmental, legal, and political upheavals influenced by the ongoing Epstein scandal, immigration enforcement controversies, election security disputes, and deeper fractures in federal and state leadership.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Heather Cox Richardson breaks down a tumultuous week on Capitol Hill and beyond, exploring the fallout of the slow and incomplete release of unredacted Epstein files, escalating scandals among U.S. leaders and their foreign counterparts, turbulence within federal agencies, and partisan divides at the highest levels of state leadership. Richardson weaves together events from Congress, the Department of Justice, foreign governments, and the White House to illustrate the growing challenges to American governance and accountability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Access to Unredacted Epstein Files

• Congressional Access Tightened:
  • Judiciary Committee members can now view unredacted Epstein files on DOJ computers (available 9am–6pm, no devices allowed, must provide 24h notice).
  • Despite the Epstein Files Transparency Act's December 19th deadline, only half the files are released—many with significant redactions.
• Democratic Pushback:
  • Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) immediately requested access, uncovering Trump's name "more than a million times" in the search results.
  • Raskin suggested these restrictions are "part of a cover up to hide Trump’s relationship with the convicted sex offender" (02:50).
  • A file referencing a child of nine was described by Raskin as "gruesome and grim" (03:10).
• Lingering Redactions:
  • Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA): "There's still a lot that's redacted. Even in what we're seeing, we're seeing redacted versions. I thought we were supposed to see the unredacted versions." (03:30)
• Revelations about Administration Members:
  • Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick falsely claimed to have cut ties with Epstein in 2005. Files show connections and business continued until 2018.
  • Bipartisan calls for Lutnick’s resignation ensued. Even Republican discomfort became apparent over Lutnick’s visits with his family to Epstein’s private island.

2. International Fallout Over Epstein Ties

• Immediate Consequences Abroad:
  • In the UK, former ambassador Peter Mandelson was fired—a crisis for PM Keir Starmer for appointing him.
  • Two Norwegian diplomats under investigation; Mona Jewell resigned as ambassador to Jordan and Iraq.
  • Slovak national security adviser Miroslav Lychak resigned after his correspondence about meetings with Epstein and Russian officials surfaced.
• Russian Intelligence Allegations:
  • Poland announced an investigation into Epstein’s ties to Russian intelligence.
  • PM Donald Tusk: "This can only mean that they also possess compromising materials against many leaders still active today." (07:52)

3. Ghislaine Maxwell’s Testimony

• Maxwell testified by video before the House Oversight Committee.
• She asserted her Fifth Amendment right and refused to answer questions.
• "Her lawyer said she is prepared to speak fully and honestly if Trump grants her clemency." (08:35)

4. Immigration Enforcement and Civil Rights

• Congressional Testimony on ICE and Border Patrol:
  • Todd Lyons (ICE), Rodney Scott (CBP), and Joseph Edloe (USCIS) defended agency actions and asserted protests have posed danger to their staff, backed by Republicans.
  • Democrats pressed on federal arrests and deaths during ICE operations.
  • Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA): "All of this comes from Stephen Miller's sick and twisted, deranged Great Replacement theory...they're just pawns in Stephen Miller's sick and twisted scheme." (10:45)
• ACLU Lawsuit:
  • Filed after a raid in Wilder, Idaho detained 105 undocumented immigrants and 375 citizens/lawful residents; only 5 charged, all for unlicensed gambling.
  • Allegations emerged of children being zip tied—flatly denied by ICE and FBI, but photographic evidence later emerged, forcing FBI to clarify, "no young children were zip tied." (12:05)

5. 2020 Election Fallout & Politicization

• Fulton County, Georgia Ballot Raid:
  • Court docs show raid (seizing 700 boxes of ballots) was based on debunked 2020 fraud claims by Kurt Olson (now Trump’s Director of Election Security).
  • Legal analyst Joyce White Vance noted that statutes of limitation have passed and that Republican-led bodies previously found no fraud.
  • White: The raid seems “less about bringing a meritorious criminal prosecution… and more about casting suspicion over Fulton County's voting system.” (12:40)

6. National Governors Association Meeting Cancelled

• Trump disinvited two Democratic governors from the White House meeting.
• In protest, all Democratic governors declined to attend, effectively scuttling the annual bipartisan event.
• Democratic governors' statement: "At every turn, President Trump is creating chaos and division and it is the American people who are hurting as a result." (13:10)
• NGA chair, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK), announced the event was no longer official NGA business.
• Press Sec. Carolyn Levitt: "It's the People's House. It's also the president's home, and he can invite whomever he wants." (13:40)

7. Grand Jury Rebuke of Trump’s Prosecutions

• Grand jury refused to indict six Democratic members of Congress who recorded a video reminding service members to refuse illegal orders (Trump called this "seditious behavior punishable by death").
• New York Times called it “a remarkable rebuke” to the administration’s attempts at harassing perceived opponents. (14:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Raskin on viewing Epstein files:
  • "When I searched the files for President Donald Trump’s name, it came up more than a million times." (02:40)
  • "One of the files…referred to a child of nine. Raskin called it gruesome and grim." (03:10)
• Rep. Khanna on Lutnick:
  • "Are we going to allow rich and powerful people who were friends and had no problem doing business and showing up with a pedophile who was raping underage girls? Are we just going to allow them to skate or... have accountability?" (05:50)
• Donald Tusk (Polish PM):
  • "This can only mean that [Russian intelligence] also possess compromising materials against many leaders still active today." (07:52)
• Walkinshaw on ICE:
  • "All of this comes from Stephen Miller's sick and twisted, deranged Great Replacement theory..." (10:45)
• Democratic governors' unified protest:
  • "At every turn, President Trump is creating chaos and division and it is the American people who are hurting as a result." (13:10)

Key Timestamps for Segments

• Epstein Files congressional access explained: 00:07–03:30
• Administrative and political consequences (US & abroad): 03:31–08:10
• Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony: 08:11–09:10
• Immigration enforcement, ACLU lawsuit, ICE controversy: 09:11–12:00
• Fulton County raid & election integrity: 12:01–12:58
• National Governors Association & bipartisan breakdown: 12:59–13:53
• Grand jury rebuke of Trump’s prosecutions: 13:54–14:12

Tone & Style

Richardson’s narration is calm and precise, balancing factual recounting with clear, nuanced analysis. She maintains an even, slightly somber tone, emphasizing the historical gravity of the moment, particularly on issues of accountability, governmental integrity, and the erosion of longstanding democratic practices.

For more, visit Heather Cox Richardson's Substack.