Pod Save America, Episode 1119
Title: MAGA: Defenders of the Epstein Class
Date: February 10, 2026
Hosts: Alex Wagner, Ben Rhodes (Jon Lovett, Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Tommy Vietor absent)
Episode Overview
This episode focuses on three major topics:
- The Trump administration's controversial and self-serving plans for America's 250th anniversary ("Freedom250") and the right's rebranding of American history;
- Ghislaine Maxwell's desperate offer, the release of unredacted Epstein files, and the bipartisan ramifications—ushering in the term "Epstein class" for today's political elite;
- The ongoing battle over immigration enforcement and ICE reforms, highlighting the Trump administration’s increasingly authoritarian tactics.
Throughout, Wagner and Rhodes blend serious critique with biting satire, aiming to show how grift, corruption, and reactionary politics intersect at the highest levels of government.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Trump’s 250th Anniversary “Freedom250” Grift
[02:43–17:08]
The Narrative:
- Trump’s "Freedom250" project merges self-enrichment, performative patriotism, and right-wing historical revisionism as the centerpiece of America’s 250th anniversary.
- Freedom250, a public-private partnership, channels donor and taxpayer money into gaudy projects: a UFC fight on the White House lawn, a 250-foot "Triumphal Arch" for Trump, and a national convoy of “freedom trucks”—mobile conservative museums created with PragerU and Hillsdale College.
Notable Quotes:
- “If there's anything that can be monetized by Trump in some fashion, he's going to do it. America's 250th anniversary is no different.”
— Ben Rhodes [05:54] - “They're taking full custody of the American story...which excludes pretty much non-white people, agitators and activists...whitewashes our past and glorifies Donald Trump as the inheritor of this 250 years of history. And that's deadly serious.”
— Ben Rhodes [07:52]
Deeper Analysis:
- Right-wing infrastructure—PragerU and Hillsdale—plays a central role in whitewashing history and advancing a blood-and-soil nationalist, exclusionary vision.
- The hosts urge listeners not to be discouraged but instead to engage, protest, and assert the alternative, pluralistic American story.
2. Grift, Corruption, and the “Epstein Class”
[26:07–42:30]
Ghislaine Maxwell’s Offer and the Epstein Files:
- Maxwell proposes to exonerate both Trump and Clinton from Epstein’s crimes—in exchange for a Trump presidential pardon.
- Both parties, the hosts note, must confront their entanglements: Democrats should hold Bill Clinton and associates to account publicly, not just for appearances.
Notable Quotes:
- “Her only condition? Ben—President Trump must first grant her clemency. Points for ballsiness.”
— Alex Wagner [26:16] - “I think the other thing that's interesting here is that this kind of combination of Clinton and Trump is interesting…Democrats are not like blind followers of a cult of Bill Clinton in the same way that Trump has had that support in the Republican Party.”
— Ben Rhodes [29:16]
The “Epstein Class” Term and Its Political Utility:
- Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) frames today's oligarchic elite—encompassing both Trumpian plutocrats and establishment centrist liberals—as the “Epstein class.”
- This term crystallizes the rot in both parties, linking corruption, inequality, elite impunity, and sexual abuse.
Memorable Moment:
- Doug Band-Ghislaine Maxwell email roleplay: Wagner and Rhodes dramatize their exchange ("BooBooville"), highlighting Beltway grotesquerie [32:52].
Notable Quotes:
- “'The Epstein class.' I just feel like you hear that and you think rich people, corrupt people, lying people, and Trump's people. And I just think it's a very useful label to affix to all of this. That brings home a lot of the issues altogether.”
— Alex Wagner [34:56] - “It loops together...saying we're not just against the right-wing oligarchs or Trump...We're turning the page on this era of capitalism run amok, of powerful people...thinking that they could act without accountability or with impunity…”
— Ben Rhodes [35:14]
International Contrast:
- Wagner and Rhodes compare the UK's response—prompt resignations and investigations concerning politicians' Epstein links—to the near-absence of accountability in the US, lamenting the American culture’s removal of “shame” as a constraint on power.
Notable Quotes:
- “There has not yet been the same removal of shame as a potential source of accountability [in the UK]. I mean, they still feel shame.”
— Ben Rhodes [44:15]
3. Battle over ICE, DHS Funding, and Immigration Enforcement
[49:05–62:53]
Political Landscape:
- With a looming shutdown, Democrats seek constitutional reforms: limiting ICE’s unchecked power (e.g., ending racial profiling, requiring judicial warrants). Senate Republicans, led by John Thune, refuse, dismissing these as “unrealistic.”
- ICE’s drift into outright lawlessness—including paramilitary tactics and impersonation—marks the increasing authoritarian bent.
Notable Quotes:
- “I would not vote to provide a dollar funding to DHS if all those demands are not met…then let the spotlight be on the fact that these people are defending the necessity of having a paramilitary force in this country that is allowed to be masked and detain American citizens without warrants.”
— Ben Rhodes [51:36] - “Some of the 'Don't Tread on Me' crowd...are not comfortable with this either.”
— Alex Wagner [53:30]
Systemic Breakdown:
- The immigration court system is overwhelmed, with legal professionals resigning and the administration seeking to sideline judges and deny migrants due process—accelerating deportations and detentions.
- The privatization of detention centers further merges profit with cruelty.
Notable Quotes:
- “It just feels like there's ICE on the outside and then the inside. So they break the will of the public on the outside...and on the inside, it seems like the design is crush the system, overwhelm it, and otherwise fragment it so it's no longer functioning.”
— Alex Wagner [57:33]
Reform Proposals:
- Rhodes urges a reboot: abolishing ICE, restoring immigration enforcement to the DOJ, and eliminating private detention contracts.
4. Culture and Messaging—Fighting Back with Joy and Inclusion
[21:56–23:04; 67:53–72:43]
- The hosts promote the need for a positive, multiracial vision of America—“using joy as the vehicle”—as exemplified by cultural icons like Bad Bunny.
- In contrast, they lampoon the right’s performative grievances, including RFK Jr.’s revolting “carnivore” Super Bowl snacks (meat and “ferments”), casting this as a metaphor for the joyless, exclusionary MAGA vision.
Notable Quotes:
-
“To make the argument for a multiracial, inclusive America using joy as the vehicle is real effective.”
— Alex Wagner [21:56] -
“What is more of a sign of convergence than detained immigrant children getting measles because of Stephen Miller's racism and Kristi Noem's nihilism and Robert F. Kennedy's fanciful conspiracy theorizing?...we're just over a year into this, Alex. So God knows where we're going to be in a couple years…”
— Ben Rhodes [66:30]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps
On Trump’s “Freedom250” Grift:
- Ben Rhodes: “The grift is a feature, not a bug.” [05:54]
- Alex Wagner: “Freedom250, which is increasingly like the big sort of organization that the Trump administration is spending most of its capital on, or rather political capital on...that they're encouraging to be the sort of branding lead in all of this, is the slush fund for Trump's triumphal arc...” [08:02]
On the “Epstein Class” and Corruption:
- Senator Jon Ossoff (clip): “This is the Epstein class ruling our country. Trump was supposed to fight for the working class. Instead, he's literally closing rural clinics and hospitals to cut taxes for George Soros and Elon Musk.” [34:24]
On the Difference Between US & UK Responses to Epstein Scandal:
- Ben Rhodes: “In British politics...there has not yet been the same removal of shame as a potential source of accountability...they can still be shamed.” [44:15]
On Immigration and ICE:
- Ben Rhodes: “I don't think Americans like what ICE is doing. The polls indicate that the kinds of reforms that the Democrats are advocating for, like, people not wearing masks, people following the law, like, these are things that are broadly popular. And I would not vote to provide a dollar funding to DHS if all those like, demands are not met.” [51:36]
- Alex Wagner: “It just feels like there's ICE on the outside and then the inside. So they sort of break the will of the public on the outside...and on the inside, it seems like the design is crush the system, overwhelm it, and otherwise fragment it so it's no longer functioning.” [57:33]
On RFK Jr.’s Super Bowl Snacks:
- Alex Wagner: “He’s just gonna have yogurt. Yogurt at the Super Bowl... What's more disgusting than creaky ass Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Eating a bowl of yogurt at the Super Bowl?” [68:07]
- Ben Rhodes: “I've never used 'ferment' to apply to a delicacy.” [68:38]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- [02:37] – Opening, “Freedom250” segment: Trump’s 250th grift
- [17:08] – Subtlety and failure of right-wing culture war campaigns (“freedom trucks,” history revisionism)
- [26:07] – The Epstein Files: Ghislaine Maxwell's offer; Maxwell/Clinton ties; roleplay of Maxwell-Doug Band emails
- [33:09] – Jon Ossoff's ‘Epstein class’ framing
- [42:30] – Epstein fallout: UK vs. US accountability cultures
- [49:05] – Congressional battle over DHS/ICE funding and reforms
- [57:33] – ICE tactics, system breakdown, and the imperative for long-term immigration reform
- [65:37] – Measles outbreak in detention centers; intersection of anti-vaxx, racism, and government neglect
- [67:53] – RFK Jr.’s Super Bowl snack; cultural messaging and the absurdities of the right-wing diet/identity
Summary Conclusion
This episode spotlights the dangers of Trumpist grift, the menace of right-wing revisionist history, bipartisan elite impunity exemplified by the “Epstein class,” and America’s slow movement toward authoritarian immigration enforcement. Wagner and Rhodes critique both parties while calling for bold, inclusive, and joyful counter-narratives to reactionary politics. Their tone is often sardonic but underscores the seriousness of the stakes.
For Listeners Who Missed It
This episode is a crash course in how MAGA, conservative institutions, and elements of the establishment Democratic elite conspire to entrench their power, with the “Epstein class” as a unifying label. But beneath the satire and anger is a call for listeners to contest these forces—by reclaiming American history, demanding accountability, and fighting for humane policy.
Sections on advertisements, intros, and outros have been omitted as requested.