'TACO' Trump appears to surrender to Putin in advance; replaces ultimatum with concession meeting

Summary

The Briefing with Jen Psaki: Detailed Episode Summary Release Date: August 9, 2025

Jen Psaki delves into some of the most pressing issues of the week, offering in-depth analysis and interviews with key figures. This episode centers around the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files, President Trump's unexpected meeting with Vladimir Putin, recent actions by the Justice Department targeting perceived political enemies, and an inspiring story of youth activism. Below is a comprehensive summary of the episode's key discussions and insights.

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1. Trump Administration's Handling of Epstein Files

Overview: The episode opens with Jen Psaki addressing the ongoing controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s reluctance to release the Epstein files. Despite bipartisan efforts and public demand, the administration has consistently resisted calls to disclose these documents.

Key Points:

• Bipartisan Push for Transparency: Congressmen Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, along with Congresswoman Summer Lee and Senate leader Chuck Schumer, have all attempted to compel the administration to release the Epstein files. However, these efforts have been met with strong resistance.

• Official Justifications Questioned: The administration has cited concerns for the victims as the primary reason for withholding the files. Psaki highlights the discrepancy between this justification and the survivors' own calls for transparency.

• Democracy Forward's Lawsuit: The nonprofit organization Democracy Forward has filed a lawsuit demanding internal communications from the FBI and DOJ related to the Epstein case. This includes emails, memos, and other correspondence involving high-level officials like Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.

• Redaction Requests: The administration has sought to redact personal identifying information from the grand jury transcripts, a move criticized by Epstein survivors as a potential cover-up (Timestamp: 07:45).

Notable Quotes:

• Jen Psaki: "If you have nothing to hide, then please release this information that people are asking for." (07:15)
• Pam Bondi's Changing Stance: Initially opposed to redactions, Bondi later requested privacy for all names except victims and cooperating defendants (09:20).

Insights: Barry Levine, author of Speaker Spider Inside the Criminal Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, suggests that the reluctance to release the files may stem from potentially embarrassing information related to President Trump’s 15-year relationship with Epstein (15:36). Sky Perryman of Democracy Forward emphasizes the importance of internal communications to uncover possible politicization within the DOJ and FBI (13:50).

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2. President Trump's Meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska

Overview: In a surprising move, President Trump announced a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, seemingly abandoning his previous ultimatum for Putin to end the war in Ukraine or face sanctions.

Key Points:

• Shift from Ultimatum to Concession: The meeting appears to signify a capitulation to Putin, raising concerns about the administration's stance on the Ukraine conflict.

• Potential Territorial Swaps: When questioned about a potential peace deal, Trump hinted at "swapping territories," a vague promise that has alarmed Ukrainian officials (24:38).

• Ambassador Mike McFaul's Analysis: Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Mike McFaul expresses skepticism about the meeting, fearing that Trump may agree to unfavorable terms for Ukraine without adequate staff support (25:28).

Notable Quotes:

• President Trump: "There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both." (24:42)
• Mike McFaul: "What are we getting in return for America's national interests, for Europe's interests, and for Ukraine's interests?" (25:28)

Insights: Psaki underscores the unusual nature of this summit, highlighting the absence of Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy and the potential implications for international relations. McFaul warns that without the support of experienced advisors, the meeting may yield little of substance, offering more advantage to Putin than to the U.S. or Ukraine (27:06).

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3. Justice Department Targets Perceived Political Enemies

Overview: Jen Psaki reports on the Justice Department's recent actions targeting notable political figures, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Senator Adam Schiff, under investigations allegedly related to mortgage fraud.

Key Points:

• Appointment of Special Attorneys: Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Ed Martin and John Sarcone as special attorneys to oversee these investigations without requiring Senate confirmation.

• Controversial Figures: Both Martin and Sarcone have backgrounds that raise questions about their suitability for these roles. Martin is known for his stance on the "Stop the Steal" movement, and Sarcone falsely claimed permanent U.S. Attorney status despite lacking confirmation.

• System of Checks and Balances: Despite previous questionable appointments, the Senate refused to confirm Ed Martin, but Bondi circumvented this by appointing him as a special attorney (33:02).

Notable Quotes:

• Psaki: "They clearly remains quite displeased by, obviously." (33:07)
• Barry Levine: Reiterates the problematic nature of the appointments and their connections to Trump loyalism (33:02).

Insights: Barry Levine criticizes the administration for bypassing established procedures, suggesting that these appointments are politically motivated attacks on Trump's adversaries. The use of "special attorney" as a loophole to avoid Senate scrutiny is seen as undermining the integrity of the Justice Department.

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4. Inspiring Young Activism: Cesar Vasquez

Overview: The episode shifts to a more uplifting story, featuring Cesar Vasquez, a 17-year-old activist from Santa Maria, California. Despite his young age, Cesar is at the forefront of protests against ICE's aggressive tactics in his community.

Key Points:

• Personal Motivation: Cesar's parents are migrant farm workers, directly affected by ICE's actions, driving his commitment to protect his community.

• Grassroots Leadership: Founder of La Cultura del Mundo, Cesar organizes patrols and nationwide rallies under the banner "Heroes, Not Villains," advocating for immigrant rights and opposing deportations.

• Impact on Youth and Community: Cesar acknowledges the personal sacrifices, including missing typical teenage experiences, to ensure safety and hope for his peers and family (42:08).

Notable Quotes:

• Cesar Vasquez: "I do this so that no other 17 year old has to do this." (42:08)
• Psaki: "You shouldn't have to do that right now." (41:37)

Insights: Cesar embodies the resilience and determination of young activists fighting systemic oppression. His efforts have inspired a movement that resonates across multiple cities, highlighting the power of youth in driving social change.

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5. IRS Commissioner Replacement Under Trump

Overview: Jen Psaki addresses the revolving door at the IRS, spotlighting the recent firing of IRS Commissioner Billy Long after just 53 days in office.

Key Points:

• Frequent Turnover: Under Trump’s administration, the IRS has seen six different commissioners within the second term alone, raising concerns about stability and leadership.

• Billy Long's Tenure: Despite minimal relevant experience and a controversial background in promoting pandemic-era tax credits associated with fraud, Long was appointed and quickly dismissed by Trump (45:10).

• Appointment as Ambassador: Following his dismissal, Long was reassigned as Trump’s nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Iceland, demonstrating a pattern of swift reappointments for loyalists.

Notable Quotes:

• Psaki: "He trusts him because he is a bridge too far." (Implicit)

Insights: The frequent changes in leadership at the IRS under Trump highlight potential issues within federal agencies, including politicization and the undermining of professional appointments. Long’s swift replacement and reassignment suggest a continued manipulation of key positions to favor administration-aligned individuals.

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Conclusion: This episode of The Briefing with Jen Psaki provides a comprehensive look at the Trump administration's controversial decisions regarding the Epstein files, international diplomacy with Russia, targeted political investigations, and internal agency instability. Complementing these discussions is an inspiring narrative of youth activism, showcasing the diverse range of topics Jen Psaki covers to inform and engage her audience.

Transcript

[Riley Herbst]

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[Jen Psaki]

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[Jen Psaki]

Just the last few weeks, we have seen a lot of attempts to force the Trump administration to release the Epstein files. I mean, a lot. A lot of them. And tonight we're learning about a brand new effort, one that might tell us a lot about why the administration has been so cagey for weeks. Because so far, they've resisted nearly every push for more information. They've resisted the bipartisan push for congressman by Congressman Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie to force Congress to vote on releasing the files. They've definitely resisted that. They've resisted the effort by Congresswoman Summer Lee to force the Oversight Committee to subpoena the files. And they've resisted Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer's attempt to invoke a rarely used Senate rule to force the release of the files. Points for creativity for Chuck Schumer on that one. But they've basically the administration has stonewalled all of these efforts every single step of the way. But they've never given us a credible explanation as to why. It's almost weird sometimes. I mean, I'm not saying they've given us no explanation for withholding the Epstein files. It's just that none of their explanations seem to ever make that much sense. I mean, for instance, they told us that they wanted transparency on this issue. They keep telling us that, actually, over and over, but that they couldn't disclose the files out of concern for the people Epstein abused. That was one of the chief justifications the FBI and DOJ cited in declining to release any more of those materials. But then the thing is, some of those Survivors and their families started to speak out very bravely themselves. And those survivors made it pretty clear that they, too, wanted to see the Epstein files released. What is your kind of key message right now to Donald Trump? Prove everyone wrong. If you have nothing to hide, then please release this information that people are asking for. I believe, yes, the files should be released. So you're saying, Amanda, that Virginia wanted to see these Epstein files released, that that was important to her, even right up until the end she was fighting for that to happen right up until the very end? Yes. I mean, those are survivors. Those are family members of survivors. So we're doing this out of concern for the victims. Excuse doesn't really hold up. In fact, some of those survivors have even asked to testify before Congress. This week, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley led a group of Democrats in for a congressional hearing to allow those survivors to tell their story. They wrote a letter to Republican Oversight Committee Chair James Comer demanding that those survivors be allowed to testify. So Republicans might be starting to realize that they can't hide behind Epstein survivors. They can't use them in a wildly inappropriate and pretty gross way as an excuse to keep those files from coming out. That's not the only excuse, though. There's the other smokescreen this administration has put up. Instead of releasing all the Epstein files that the DOJ is in its possession, the administration instead decided to push for the release of a different set of documents, grand jury testimony, which represents just a little fraction of the total materials gathered on Epstein. And getting grand jury transcripts released requires approval from a court, which, as we've seen, is a pretty often complex and often lengthy process. Now, today, as part of that effort, the Trump administration officially asked the court to release all the grand jury transcripts and exhibits from the Epstein case, but with one important catch. They want those documents to redact any personal identifying information about anyone else who shows up in the documents, which means protecting the people who might be tied to Jeffrey Epstein. Now, at least one Epstein survivor has already told the court that any effort to redact third party names smacks of a cover up. But that didn't stop the administration from asking for those redactions, even though I would note Attorney General Pam Bondi, who's playing a pretty important role right now, publicly opposed keeping those names private as recently as last year. The people in that report are still fighting to keep their names private, Shawn. They have no legal basis to do so unless they're a child, a victim, or a cooperating defendant. People in the Epstein files have no legal basis for keeping their names private unless they're a child and a victim or a cooperating defendant. So said Pam Bondi, the current Attorney General, just last year. Now fast forward to today and this time and she's going to the courts and saying basically, yeah, actually, can we please keep all those names private? Thanks so much. Thanks for your time. Again, all of this is part of the administration's ever shifting explanation for why they cannot just release the files they already have. And the question remains, one of the questions, why? Why go to such lengths to avoid releasing the files? You have total control over a lot of people in this administration, people in power, the FBI director, the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney general and more spent years building up the release of these files. And now the collective group has kind of done a 180. Doesn't it make you wonder what they've been saying to each other about it behind the scenes over all these months and what they're being asked to protect today? One of the organizations that has been at the forefront of holding this administration accountable sued the Trump administration to answer those very questions. That lawsuit filed by Democracy Forward is demanding that the administration release information about their handling of the Epstein debacle, information that could explain why they've avoided disclosing the Epstein files. Among other things, the lawsuit is seeking internal communications, and this is a key part from within the FBI and the Department of Justice, Basically anything about Epstein, potential client list, flight logs, and anything relating to Ghislaine Maxwell. Just to put a fine point on this, that would include emails, memos, text messages, any chatter whatsoever, basically any internal chatter whatsoever from within these agencies about how to handle what has become a huge problem for Trump. And they list several top officials at the FBI and DOJ whose correspondence they are seeking, including Attorney General Pampondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and a number of high level officials who work for them. But there was one name in particular that appears in that lawsuit that stuck out to me, because they also requested all records reflecting communications between any of those law enforcement officials and White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, anything they might have discussed with Levitt regarding the Jeffrey Epstein matter. Now, Caroline Levitt clearly doesn't work for the FBI or doj. She works in the White House. And she is notably the only White House official named in their request. So even the mere suggestion that she might have communicated with the DOJ or FBI about something like this is a pretty gigantic red flag. I mean, in my experience, senior officials at the FBI and DOJ and the White House take great pains to avoid even the appearance of coordination on law enforcement matters. And to be clear, we don't know actually if Caroline Levitt corresponded with those officials or what might have been said. But they're asking for a reason. I'm going to talk to him about it in a moment. And remember, the press secretary is not only responsible for answering to the public, they're also an advisor to the president. So any communication that Caroline Levitt had with DOJ or FBI could tell us a lot about what the President might be trying to hide. And we already know that Trump had a deep personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein for 15 years, one he has tried very hard to minimize. We know that his name reportedly appears in the Epstein files and that Pam Bondi told him so in May. And every day this story stays in the news, more and more details about their relationship become public. Like, say, this clip from a 2010 deposition that recently surfaced showing Epstein being asked about Donald Trump.

[Barry Levine]

Have you ever had a personal relationship with Donald Trump?

[Sky Perryman]

What do you mean by personal relationships?

[Barry Levine]

Have you socialized with him?

[Tyler Reddick]

Yes, sir.

[Jen Psaki]

Yes.

[Barry Levine]

Have you ever socialized with Donald Trump.

[Tyler Reddick]

In the presence of.

[Barry Levine]

Females under the age of 18?

[Jen Psaki]

Though I'd like to answer that question, at least today I'm going to have.

[Cesar Vasquez]

To assert my 5th, 6th and 14th amendment rights.

[Jen Psaki]

You know, there might be more where that came from. We don't know. What we don't know is how Trump's 15 year relationship with Epstein has shaped the administration's handling of these documents. We might know more soon. The head of the organization that brought this lawsuit and a reporter who covered Jeffrey Epstein for decades joined me here to discuss in just 90 seconds.

[Riley Herbst]

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[Jen Psaki]

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[Jen Psaki]

Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of angie. When you use Angie for your home projects, you know all your jobs will be done well. Roof repair done well. Kitchen sink install done well. Deck upgrades done well. Electrical Upgrade done well. Angie's been connecting homeowners with skilled pros for nearly 30 years. So we know the difference between done and done well. Hire high quality [e-mail] Joining me now, Sky Perryman, the president and CEO of Democracy Forward, the group that just filed the lawsuit today seeking documents about the handling of the Epstein files and internal communications, as I mentioned. And Barry Levine, the author of the Speaker Spider Inside the Criminal Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Thank you both. Let me start with you, Sky. I mean, this lawsuit is unique for a lot of reasons, but part of it is because the information you're looking for is about internal communications of which there is a lot of in administrations. And if it's with an agency, it is subject to foia, not within the White House, but within an agency. So why did you take this, that approach and what are you looking for really?

[Sky Perryman]

Well, we are looking for what this administration is hiding, Jen, and what the COVID up is. There are just so many reports that we've seen where officials within the administration are withholding things. The administration is changing positions and it all appears to be to manage Donald Trump's sort of made for TV moments in his PR campaign. And so we're very interested in these communications. We filed the request. The government could have said we don't have any documents, but they haven't said that yet. And then now, of course, we're in court because they're withholding these documents in a timely manner.

[Jen Psaki]

I just mentioned this. I mean, I had our job before, so maybe that's what sticks out to me. But the only White House official mentioned here is Caroline Levitt. You're asking for internal communications that she had with the Department of Justice FBI. Tell me why you specifically included her name above others.

[Sky Perryman]

You know, it would be normally irregular in an administration that followed the rule of law and didn't politicize agencies like the Department of Justice or like the FBI. But we've been hearing so many concerns from people that this administration has really politicized these agencies. We believe that there are communications and again, the government is free to tell us that there are not that they have not said that notably. And so we are now really wondering what they're hiding and are going to be incorporated court to force those answers.

[Jen Psaki]

Barry, you've been covering Epstein and Maxwell for years. I mean, a lot of us are just learning a lot about this story over the past couple of weeks, you know, more than most of us know. If there are things that the attorney general and the press secretary might be concerned about going public, we don't know what they are. We don't even know that documents exist. But where does your mind go? I mean, why have they been so strange about not wanting to just release these files?

[Barry Levine]

Well, certainly, Jenn, my mind goes in the direction of what embarrassing secrets may be in the overall FBI Epstein files related to President Trump. That to me is paramount to all of this. And it would seem to me that's the reason why we're going through this cover up that almost is taking on kind of a Watergate esque atmosphere in terms of what are they hiding? Each day as this goes on, more and more people are wondering, the survivors are wondering what is in those files. And if there's nothing in a real derogatory sense related to the President, why don't they go ahead with what Pam Bondi initially said? And that is let's have complete transparency for the victims, for the American public, and let's get to the root of, of what's in those files. And if there's individuals who are enablers who also took part in the sex trafficking, let's prosecute them.

[Jen Psaki]

What do you think they're hiding? I mean, why do you, you've covered this, you wrote a whole book about it. Why do you think, what is your theory on why they will not release this and what Trump's connection to all of this is? We played the deposition. There's probably more of that maybe. Well, what do you think?

[Barry Levine]

Well, we certainly know that their relationship lasted 15 years. And, you know, tidbits of that relationship are still coming out. There was a former Sports Illustrated model in the 2024 campaign who was reported in the Guardian newspaper. She talked about an incident that took place back in the 90s where she was a casual girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein's. He took her to Trump Tower and she claimed that Donald Trump had groped her in front of Jeffrey Epstein. In fact, she called it a twisted game between the two men. Now, at the time of the campaign, they put it off as completely false. This was a political stunt. But I wonder, could there be more incidents like that that could be buried in the FBI files? And also, you know, I'm hearing that there could be some information I Reported in my book that Donald Trump had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein of a financial nature. Was he seeking advice from Jeffrey Epstein? These may not be issues that are strictly related to women. There may be other issues in those files that now, in the light of day, could be very sensitive or embarrassing to the President.

[Jen Psaki]

I know, sky, you have been seeking this information. So many people have been seeking this information. When you're seeking these internal communications, all these internal communications, what could come to light? I mean, I guess they could be discussing any of these incidents. That's possible. It could be discussing how to manage the leak of it. What kind of pool of information do you anticipate could possibly be in here if you get this?

[Sky Perryman]

Well, you know, you would see things like calendar requests on people's computers, who was meeting with who. You would see things like notes that were made, drafts, ways that they're trying to use a PR operation to deprive the American people of information. They've said over and over that they will disclose. And so those are the types of things, internal communications, notes, calendar, invites. Who was talking about this, which offices were involved. Right. There is a big concern in this administration. We see almost on a near daily basis the politicization of agencies like the Department of Justice that are supposed to be independent, where you have the President meddling around in those agencies. And so those are the types of things that we would expect to see here. And again, I just think it's important for the American people to know, you know, we had to file this request because the administration is withholding and is not responding in a time timely fashion to these requests, which are, you know, something that people have a right to know. So again, they could disclaim or say they don't have these records. That's not what they've done to date. They have dragged their feet and that's why we're in court.

[Jen Psaki]

From reading through your files, I'm not a lawyer, but I still read through them. It seemed like you said about a 20 day deadline, your deadline for when you wanted this information back, help people understand who are watching. What does it mean if they don't comply with that? Is there legal action that can be taken or you just keep pressing the issue?

[Sky Perryman]

Well, we did. We did take legal action. And we took legal action because it's not every case where you would expect an agency to grant what we call an expedited processing request. But the law actually recognizes that on issues of significant importance, where there is great public interest, where there is great media interest, where the people in this country are wanting to know something or asking their government to be transparent. The law gives a mechanism to ask for that type of expedited processing. The Department of Justice hasn't granted that. That's really concerning. Right. Because these laws exist in order to build trust between people and their government, to shine sunlight. This administration says it's the most transparent in history. And all we've seen in the number of cases that we bring against the administration is that they really don't disclose and are not transparent until you force them to. So that's why we're in court.

[Jen Psaki]

I'm pretty sure they haven't met the most transparent moniker they've claimed. Barry, one of the. One of the issues you've talked about a lot, and I've tried to talk about, too, and everybody should talk about, is the impact on these survivors and the victims and living through this again. But also they've been used as sort of what I would consider a little bit of a gross tool in saying we can't release it because it will hurt the victims. But now a lot of them are coming forward. Some are on television, some may be testifying before Congress. You know, a lot of these stories. How powerful? What kind of power do you think that could have to move more people in Congress or even in the public once they start talking more and talking in front of Congress?

[Barry Levine]

Well, I think, Jen, it's already moving people, and I think it's moving lawmakers because anybody who's a mother or a father or a brother or sister understands what these girls went through. There were a thousand victims. Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell took away their childhoods. Three of the victims have passed on, two of them from drug overdoses. And of course, Virginia Giuffre, who was the initial top accuser, she took her life just this past April. These women have been living with trauma for decades now. And for the president to refer to this as a hoax or a political stunt is just so devastating to these survivors who have gone through, you know, not only the abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, but some of them were also trafficked to rich and powerful friends of Jeffrey Epstein. So they're living with a horror each and every day. And I'm hoping that the lawmakers are will listen to them, even though the president, you know, is not showing any type of sympathy for thefor the victim. So, you know, I do hope that the lawmakers push the Justice Department to finally release all of the FBI files and we can move on with an investigation and see where the chips fall.

[Jen Psaki]

Sky Perryman and Barry Levine, thank you both so much for joining me tonight. I really appreciate it. We're going to take a quick break. After that, we're going to talk about new targets of Trump's retribution campaign and the foot soldiers doing his bidding. But first, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are meeting in Alaska next week, which sure sounds like it could be a huge victory for Putin. Is it? Ambassador Mike McFall will join us next.

[Sky Perryman]

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[Jen Psaki]

This was supposed to be the week when Trump was supposed to deliver on his big ultimatum for Vladimir Putin end the war in Ukraine or else face new, crippling economic sanctions. That was the ultimatum. What Trump did instead, though, is bow completely to Putin. Today, Trump announced that he would be meeting with the Russian president face to face next Friday in Alaska on US Soil. An added bonus for the Russians. But wait, there's more. Earlier today, when asked whether Ukraine, who was invaded by Russia 3 1/2 years ago and has been defending itself ever since, would have to give up its territory, Trump gave this little clue about what a peace deal could entail.

[Tyler Reddick]

We're going to get some some switched.

[Barry Levine]

There'll be some Swapping of territories to the betterment of both.

[Jen Psaki]

The betterment of both. Quite a turn of phrase. This is Ukraine's territory. I'm not sure what he means. The betterment of both. Now, make no mistake, that was the President of the United States capitulating to Russia in advance of a meeting with Putin. So today was kind of a big win for Russia, which is why one could imagine in a Kremlin tonight, it's vodka shots all around, perhaps. Joining me now is former U.S. ambassador to Russia under President Obama, Michael McFaul, who, I should add, speaks regularly with Ukraine's President Zelensky and knows a whole lot about these issues, as you all know. Ambassador McFaul, I mean, I just gave my short take on this meeting, but what do you think.

[Tyler Reddick]

Jen? That was a pretty good take. That's exactly what I think. This is an extraordinary gift to Putin, just like you said, as you remember when we worked together at the White House, anytime a foreign leader meets with the President of the United States, that's a gift that it is Vladimir Putin that can't travel to a lot of countries because he's a criminal. And that he gets to come to the United States of America and stand next to the President of the United States is a gift. He's already received everything he needs. The question, therefore, for President Trump and his team, what are we getting in return for America's national interests, for Europe's interests, and for Ukraine's interests? And so far, the details on that are very murky. The clip you just played about swaps, you're absolutely right. He's talking about swapping Ukrainian land for Ukrainian land. He's not talking about Russian land being swapped. And I can tell you the reaction in Ukraine among officials, this feels very nervous. They're very nervous about this, especially because President Zelensky is not going to be in Alaska. It's just going to be Putin and Trump.

[Jen Psaki]

I mean, I think that is for Trump being played. That is part of it. But what happens next week at this meeting and where does it go to your point? I mean, Putin told the Trump administration this week that Russia would agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine handed over eastern Ukraine, which would be an absurd thing for them to do. But is that kind of a fear? Is that something that you think is possible in this meeting, that Trump could potentially agree to that?

[Tyler Reddick]

Well, first, I'm glad you pointed out what Putin's talking point is, because it's been the same for. Since he started this war, this barbaric invasion of the sovereign democratic country of Ukraine. He says, give us the territories that we already put on our map as being part of Russia. Right. You buy a map in Russia today, those four regions are already part of the Russian Federation, but Russian soldiers don't occupy those four regions. So he has this audacious talking point that the Ukrainians need to liberate their own country and then we can have peace. I hope the president has enough good sense to reject that. And, you know, I hope they maybe there may be some small steps, maybe some kind of temporary ceasefire that at least there would be something tangible out of this meeting, because otherwise it's a gift for Putin and we, the American people and the Ukrainian people get nothing in return.

[Jen Psaki]

Let's talk about the Ukrainians, which are obviously a hugely important factor here. They are the factor, and you speak with them regularly. Zelenskyy seems to be in a very tough spot here. You can tell me, I mean, he is. Has the President of the United States having this meeting with the Russians. He's barred, as I understand it from his, in his constitution from ceding any territory in Ukraine. Not that I'm suggesting he should. What is kind of his best outcome of this meeting next Friday?

[Tyler Reddick]

Well, the extreme positions that Putin has laid out are not. Trump doesn't come out and say, oh, I think these are great ideas. And I worry about that because, you know, I've been in meetings with President Putin. He's extremely well versed in all these issues. This is, you know, his main issue of his presidency right now. President Trump is not. So I hope that there'll be staff. I hope they won't do much one on one time. They did that in Helsinki. We know in 2018 that did not end well for American national interests. But Zelensky is jammed because his people are tired. They don't want this war to go on. They don't want to give up territory. And he knows that eventually they'll probably have to be some kind of agreements, you know, under, you can imagine, something along these lines. They'll never recognize these territories as being part of Russia, but they might agree to pursue unification only through peaceful means. And that could be a kind of trade space. But I want to be clear. Lots of Ukrainians won't agree with that, and lots of Ukrainian soldiers won't agree with that. So if President Trump thinks he can just do a deal with Putin and then send an email or put it out on Truth Social, this is what Zelensky needs to accept. He can't do that. It is a democratic country in Ukraine that would be political suicide for President Zelensky.

[Jen Psaki]

But before I let you go, I mean, you mentioned some of this. There's a whole body language and tradecraft to these meetings, especially with Putin. What are you going to be watching for? You mentioned if they are meeting one on one, if that's a lengthy one on one, what are the other things that will be flags for you? I guess as we look at this, watch this meeting next Friday.

[Tyler Reddick]

Well, the first flag is this is the exact opposite of how usual presidential summits with leaders from Moscow are organized. Usually we get the agreements all done at lower levels. You know, people like my level when I worked at the White House. And the end game is the summit. President Trump's turning that around. So that already makes me nervous. Second, I do not want any one on one time. He needs to be there with the Secretary of State, also the national security adviser, because he just does not know all the facts. And the worst thing that would happen is that Putin says this is what we should do. You know, Don boss, just give us donbas in Crimea. Mr. President, we already have him. And he'll say that's a good idea. And then they go in front of the press and he says that and locks in. Because when the President of the United States says something, it's very hard to unravel that. That becomes policy. That's what I'm most nervous about. In this meeting hastily scheduled for Alaska on Friday.

[Jen Psaki]

Ambassador Mike McFaul, I know we were able to snag you and you had other plans this evening. And I'm so grateful for that because I think everybody's trying to make sense of what this is. And this was incredibly helpful. Thank you so much again for joining me tonight.

[Tyler Reddick]

Thanks for having me.

[Jen Psaki]

Okay, there's still more to come tonight. We're going to meet in insane aspiring young activist who has a personal reason to get political. But first, Trump's Justice Department goes after more of the President's perceived enemies. That's coming up next. So today we got the jaw dropping news that the Justice Department is now targeting New York State's Attorney General Letitia James with investigations by not one, but two different federal prosecutors. The U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York has started a grand jury investigation into Attorney General James civil fraud case against Trump. You know the one, the case that ended with Trump being fined more than $450 million last year, which he clearly remains quite displeased by, obviously. And then on top of that, today, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed a, quote unquote, senior special attorney to investigate both Letitia James and California Senator Adam Schiff, each for alleged mortgage fraud. I wonder how she picked those two particular individuals to target. Now, as bad as just the top lines of that sound that I just gave you, the situation is unfortunately far worse when you learn more details. I mean, check out who the Justice Department has put in charge of these investigations. Stop the steal.

[Barry Levine]

Stop the steal. Stop the steal.

[Jen Psaki]

That guy. He's in charge of the investigations. That's Ed Martin. Remember him? He's obviously a Trump loyalist, obviously. And a 2020 election denier. And he's also a pro January 6th rioter activist. Within minutes of Trump being sworn into office in January, he appointed Ed Martin to be the interim U.S. attorney for D.C. now, within weeks, Martin fired dozens of the prosecutors who had worked on January 6 related cases and opened an investigation into their work. A few weeks after that, Martin dropped criminal assault charges against a former leader of the Proud Boys and demoted the prosecutors who had work been working on that case. His behavior was so outrageous that nearly 100 former employees of the D.C. u.S. Attorney's office signed an open letter opposing his permanent appointment to the job. See, the president does have the power to temporarily appoint interim U.S. attorneys on his own, but to take the job long term, US Attorneys have to be confirmed either by the Senate or by a panel of judges. And even with a Senate that bends over backwards for Trump left and right these days, Ed Martin was a bridge too far, and he did not get confirmed by the Republican Senate. So I guess in that sense, our system of checks and balances did its job. But today, Attorney General Pam Bondi sidestepped that system altogether because Bondi appointed Martin to be a, quote, unquote, special attorney so that he can investigate Letitia James and Adam Schiff without needing to be confirmed as a US Attorney. Fun loophole there, I guess. Now, if that term special attorney is ringing a bell for you, it may be because of this man. U.S. attorney Don Sarcone reached out to News Channel 13 today, saying his appointment will be extended. Sarcon says he got word this afternoon that a panel of judges has decided to extend his appointment as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York. Last month, the interim U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, John Sarcone, got national attention for telling local New York press that a panel of judges had appointed him to his role permanently, which turned out to be a lie. Trump had appointed Mr. Sercone to be the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, despite the fact that Sercone has no prosecutorial experience whatsoever and reportedly does not even live in the district. To give you a sense of his politics, Mr. Charcon once told a reporter that he believes Democrats are, quote, evil. And ultimately, not only did a panel of Judges not approve Mr. Sarcone, but the Senate never confirmed him either. Normally, that would mean Mr. Sarcone would be out of a job, right? But wouldn't you know it, last month, Pam Bondi named him a special attorney to sidestep the confirmation process and keep him in the role. So now these two special attorneys, Ed Martin and John Sarcone, are in charge of investigations against Trump's enemies, despite having never been confirmed or approved by anyone other than Trump and Bondi themselves. Doesn't seem great. Up next, I'm going to turn it to a more positive note. I'm going to speak with a very inspiring young man. He's not only talking the talk by speaking at town meetings and rallies, he's walking the walk, patrolling the streets of his California city to protect migrant workers, including his own parents. I can't wait to meet him and hear his story. That's coming next.

[Cesar Vasquez]

We must be here to be for the people who cannot be here. There are so many people. 30% of Santa Maria cannot be here today out of fear. My team members parents cannot be here today because they are scared. My parents cannot be here today because they are scared.

[Jen Psaki]

At 17 years old, Cesar Vasquez, who you just saw there in that video, isn't even old enough to vote. But he's out of the house by 4am each morning, joining a group of local residents to patrol the streets of his central California town. For ICE agents, for Cesar, it's personal. His parents are migrant farm workers, and in his hometown of Santa Maria, ICE has been particularly aggressive. The nonprofit group 805 Undocufund estimates that ICE has taken hundreds of people from Santa Maria since Trump took office. So Cesar will wake up often before the crack of dawn to make sure nobody, especially not his parents, is taken from his community. Back in February, Cesar led a walkout of high school students protesting ICE rates. He also runs an immigrants rights group called La Cultura del Mundo. And through that group, Cesar organized protests last Friday under the banner Heroes, not villains. In 28 cities across 17 states, people rallied. Cesar spoke in his hometown of Santa Maria, but supporters also marched in places like Wichita, Kansas, and in Portland, Maine, nearly 3,000 miles away from his hometown. Cesar's movement has gone nationwide, and he has big plans for what's next, which I'm excited to talk with him about. And joining us now is Cesar Vasquez, organizer of the Heroes Not Villains rallies and founder of the group La Cultura del Mundo. I've so been looking forward to talking with you and we have been so inspired by you on our team. I just want you to know that. So I know this is. Well, thank you. I mean, I know this is very personal for you, but I just have to say, I mean, for adult citizens who have power, it can be very hard to stand up and very hard certainly to stand up to agents in tactical gear and face coverings. What made you decide to stand up and to really dedicate yourself to being somebody who wanted to lead this movement in your community and beyond? Yeah.

[Cesar Vasquez]

First of all, thank you so much for having me here and taking your time to interview me. I started because my community needed hope. Right. There have been more families than I can remember where I have had to speak with them. I have seen multiple families separated right in front of me. There have been instances where I have had had to remove six and eight year olds off of the medical account because they were deported, having to send baby clothes to Mexico because an unborn child was deported. And so that's what keeps me going. That's why I wake up at 4am to ensure that this doesn't happen again.

[Jen Psaki]

You are, as I noted, you're just 17 and I'm going to keep repeating that you have people who have joined this movement in your town and across the country who are much older than you. But what has been the response from your peers, from your classmates, from people who are your age in your community?

[Cesar Vasquez]

You know, they have joined and a lot of people across the United States have joined because they are so scared. Right. Right now everyone is looking for that little glimpse of hope. And it's up to everyone to create those glimpses of hope for their surrounding communities. I mean, because if we don't create the hope, then no one else will give it. And right now what we're seeing is that so many people across the United States are finally starting to rise up and starting to be against the oppression that we have felt for hundreds of years.

[Jen Psaki]

You started this in your town, of course, as we've shown and we've talked about, it's kind of expanded into dozens of cities and towns across the country. What has that been like for you? And what are the main goals that that all of you are really rallying around?

[Cesar Vasquez]

You know, we call this movement the People's Dream because For so many years, you know, for so long, people have been fighting for the American dream. And I'm sure that a lot of you all, a lot of the audience feels that the American dream isn't there anymore. And so we're pushing for the people's dream, a system where the people are truly listened to, where they are truly valued, and where the people are leading the country that they are living in. And so that's what we're here fighting for, the people's dream. And it's crazy. You know, I'm 17 years old and a lot of my firsts have been because of this. I mean, the first time I got in my own car was to go to the ICE office and to see what ICE agents were there. The first time I was on the freeway, on the highway was to chase an ICE agent. Right. So a lot of my first as a, as a kid, as a teenager has been to fight for the community.

[Jen Psaki]

I wanted to ask you about that too. I mean, you kind of, you're doing this because there are these ICE agents are terrorizing people in communities. People are scared. As you've talked about, people in your community are scared. How much do you feel like this has kind of taken away your ability to be a teenager and that of your friends too, and the people in your community? And I ask this because I think it's important for people to understand. You're just 17. You're waking up 4 at 4 in the morning and kind of leading a movement. You shouldn't have to do that right now.

[Cesar Vasquez]

Yeah. A lot of people ask me why I do this and I say that, and I say that I do this so that no other 17 year old has to do this. I started organizing when I was 12 years old. I've accepted that my childhood has been taken away from me and that is nothing compared to the childhoods and the lives that are being taken from a lot of these six and eight year olds where their mother's being deported or their father's being deported. And so in a lot of ways it sucks that I don't get to have my first as a dumb teenager, but I go to sleep every night and get the very limited sleep so that no other 17 year old has to do this.

[Jen Psaki]

Cesar Vasquez I don't know how you do it. I'm incredibly inspired by you. I imagine everybody watching is it's. And it's really powerful. So thank you for doing what you do. Thank you for being with us tonight. It's late, but. And you have to get up early. So thank you again for joining us. Coming up, we have one more thing to tell you about. Donald Trump just sent his handpicked IRS chief packing. His replacement will be the sixth person to lead the agency since Trump took office. More on that after a quick break. Under Trump, the IRS has become quite the revolving door. I mean, in the first five months of his second term alone, the tax agency shuffled through five whole different leaders, which wasn't the best look to say the least. But Trump eventually put in his hand picked nominee, a former congressman from Missouri named Billy Long. Now, despite the fact that long had essentially 00 relevant experience, unless you count his stint promoting pandemic era tax credits that were known for being riddled with fraud, Trump wanted him for the job. And of course Senate Republicans went along with it. So in June, Billy Long officially became this year's sixth and presumably final IRS commissioner. I mean, sixth time has got to be the charm, right? Well, apparently not because today, a whopping 53 days into his tenure, Billy Long was fired by Trump. For now, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessen, who already has a full time job being, well, the treasury secretary will act as lucky commissioner number seven. Now, it's unclear why exactly Long was ousted so quickly, but then again, maybe Trump simply wasn't a fan of Long's leadership style. I mean, for example, just yesterday Long emailed the entire IRS staff, quote, please enjoy a 70 minute early exit tomorrow. That way you'll be rested for my 70th birthday on Monday. Well, that's a bit awkward now, isn't it? But on the bright side, Long has already been rehired as Trump's nominee for U.S. ambassador to Iceland instead. So hey, maybe this is all just Trump gifting his good pal a trip to Iceland for the big 70. Who knows? That does it for me. Today you can catch the show Tuesday through Friday at 9pm Eastern on MSNBC. And don't forget to follow the show on Blue Sky, Instagram and TikTok.

[Riley Herbst]

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