The Latest on the Epstein Scandal with NY Governor Kathy Hochul, Olivia Troye and Miles Taylor

Summary

Summary of "The Latest on the Epstein Scandal with NY Governor Kathy Hochul, Olivia Troye and Miles Taylor"

The Jim Acosta Show, hosted by Jim Acosta, delves deep into the ongoing Epstein scandal, exploring its ramifications on politics, media, and governance. Featuring insightful discussions with Miles Taylor, Olivia Troye, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the episode released on July 22, 2025, offers a comprehensive analysis of the scandal's unfolding dynamics.

1. Introduction and Setting the Stage

Jim Acosta opens the episode by welcoming Miles Taylor and Olivia Troye, setting the stage for an in-depth conversation about the Epstein scandal and its broader implications. He hints at the upcoming appearance of New York Governor Kathy Hochul, promising a multifaceted discussion.

2. Donald Trump's Distractions Amidst the Epstein Scandal

The conversation quickly shifts to Donald Trump's tactics to divert attention from the Epstein files. Acosta draws an analogy to a scene from The Blues Brothers, likening Trump's flurry of accusations against Obama and others to distract from pressing issues.

Jim Acosta [00:50]: "Donald Trump was trying to distract from the Epstein files by saying Obama is guilty of treason... Let's play a little bit of that and we'll talk about it on the other side."

Trump's continuous barrage of allegations serves as a primary distraction, with topics ranging from election rigging to AI videos of Obama being arrested. Olivia Troy remarks on the increasingly unhinged nature of these distractions.

Olivia Troy [02:25]: "I think this is what we're going to get. I just feel bad for any random entity that gets caught in the crosshairs..."

3. Ghislaine Maxwell's Situation and Potential Implications

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around Ghislaine Maxwell's potential cooperation or defection in the Epstein case. The revelation that top Justice Department officials, including Todd Blanch, have contacted Maxwell's lawyers raises alarms about possible legal maneuvers to protect Trump's interests.

Miles Taylor [09:55]: "Ghislaine Maxwell is in prison, and a lot of people want to know if she's going to turn in powerful men... She could either be a very, very damaging witness against him, or she could be someone who pursues her freedom and potentially a presidential pardon."

Taylor expresses skepticism about Maxwell's intentions, suggesting that Trump might leverage his pardon power to extract favorable testimony.

4. Media Pressure and Authoritarian Tactics

The episode delves into the Trump administration's attempts to suppress unfavorable media coverage. Acosta references past incidents, such as revoking his press pass, and highlights the broader pattern of media intimidation.

Miles Taylor [25:20]: "There are no journalists in America that know this better than you... This was another good reason to leave the administration."

Olivia Troy emphasizes the importance of independent media in countering these authoritarian pressures, noting that capitulation by mainstream outlets only emboldens dictatorial tendencies.

Olivia Troy [25:36]: "This continues the cycle of fear, which we talk about often, and it perpetuates it."

5. Legislative Impacts and New York Governor Kathy Hochul's Insights

Governor Kathy Hochul joins the discussion, shifting focus to the broader legislative landscape and its impact on stakeholders. She criticizes the "big beautiful bill," highlighting its devastating effects on Medicaid and other essential services in New York.

Kathy Hochul [34:26]: "It is cataclysmic, Jim. It is the biggest, ugliest bill you can imagine... 1.5 million people will lose Medicaid."

Hochul also addresses the harsh immigration policies under Trump, describing ICE raids and the inhumane treatment of detainees. She shares personal anecdotes to emphasize the human cost of these policies.

Kathy Hochul [37:53]: "These are human rights violations. These are human beings. They should be treated with dignity..."

6. Climate Change and Energy Initiatives

The conversation transitions to climate change, with Governor Hochul outlining New York's commitment to renewable energy and the introduction of new nuclear power facilities. She dispels fears surrounding nuclear energy by highlighting advancements in technology and safety.

Kathy Hochul [44:52]: "There's technology that is much safer... we're going to be able to build nuclear facilities without the fears of the past."

7. Political Dynamics and Future Prospects

Governor Hochul discusses the political climate, addressing the mayoral race and the energetic involvement of younger voters. She underscores the importance of collaborative governance and the challenges posed by current Republican strategies.

Kathy Hochul [51:06]: "I'm ashamed of them. And they could have stood up and stopped this onslaught against their own constituents..."

8. Conclusion: A Call for Accountability and Transparency

Jim Acosta wraps up the episode by reiterating the pressing need for accountability in the Epstein case. He criticizes Trump's evasive tactics and underscores the importance of transparency for restoring public trust.

Jim Acosta [60:10]: "Donald Trump, we're not buying your bullshit... Release the damn Epstein files once and for all."

The episode concludes with Acosta's impassioned plea for the release of all Epstein-related files and a call to action against the ongoing political maneuvers aimed at obscuring the truth.

Key Takeaways

• Distracting Tactics: Trump's aggressive attempts to divert attention from the Epstein scandal through a barrage of unfounded allegations.

• Legal Maneuvers: Concerns over top DOJ officials engaging with Ghislaine Maxwell, potentially to protect Trump's interests.

• Media Suppression: The Trump administration's ongoing efforts to intimidate and control media narratives, threatening journalistic independence.

• Legislative Impact: The "big beautiful bill" poses significant threats to essential services in New York, with Governor Hochul highlighting potential losses in Medicaid coverage.

• Human Rights Concerns: Harsh immigration policies under Trump result in inhumane treatment of detainees, prompting outrage and calls for reform.

• Energy and Climate Initiatives: New York's proactive stance on renewable energy and the introduction of safer nuclear facilities as part of combating climate change.

• Political Accountability: A strong emphasis on the need for transparency, accountability, and collaborative governance to counteract authoritarian tendencies.

This episode of The Jim Acosta Show provides listeners with a thorough examination of the Epstein scandal's interwoven complexities, offering expert perspectives and highlighting the urgent need for truth and justice in the face of political obstruction.

Transcript

[Jim Acosta]

Oh. On this Tuesday. And as you can see with me today, the great Miles Taylor, the great Olivia Troy. So happy to have this discussion, and it's great to see both of you. A little later on in the program, I'll have New York Governor Kathy Hochul. What. What should be a very interesting discussion about all sorts of things. But, uh, guys, uh, just first of all, great to see both of you on at the same time. I love this.

[Miles Taylor]

Great to be here, and great to see my friend Olivia.

[Jim Acosta]

Absolutely. I'm excited, too.

[Olivia Troy]

I mean, it's a miracle. I wonder what will happen after this.

[Miles Taylor]

Definitely. It's a good thing there are no FCC reviews of this broadcast. I suspect it's going to put you in hot water if that was the case. Jim.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, let's not get on that radar screen just yet, although I suspect we might be. But I was going to start off the show by asking the question. Anybody remember that scene from the Blues Brothers when Carrie Fisher confronts John Belushi for standing her up at the altar? Fisher is about to exact her revenge on Belushi when he throws out every excuse in the book. He says, I ran out of gas. I had a flat tire, I didn't have enough money for a cab fare, my tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake, a terrible flood, locusts. I mean, that was Donald Trump today in the Oval Office when he was trying to distract from the Epstein files by saying Obama is guilty of treason. I mean, you name it, he was saying it. Let's play a little bit of that and we'll talk about it on the other side.

[Donald Trump]

Guys, Barack Hussein Obama is the ringleader. Hillary Clinton was right there with him, and so was Sleepy Joe Biden, and so were the rest of them, Comey Clapper, the whole group. And they tried to rig an election, and they got caught. And then they did rig the election in 2020. And then because I knew I won that election by a lot, I did it a third time, and I won in a landslide.

[Jim Acosta]

Okay? I mean, some of the distractions that Trump has been throwing out during Epstein Gate include the release of the MLK files, which we should talk about the 2016 election, the 2020 election, Rosie O', Donnell, Coca Cola, the Washington commanders, the Cleveland Guardians, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, an AI video of Obama being arrested, and the list goes on and on. Olivia, let me go to you first. I mean, it's just, you know, unbelievably Obvious what's going on here.

[Olivia Troy]

Yeah, I'm kind of enjoying it. I think it's just going to continue to get more unhinged. I was really enjoying the AI videos over the weekend. Or it didn't. Was that this weekend? I feel like every day is a blur now. The stunt videos. I was like, wow, we're there now in this. So I just think. I think this is what we're going to get. I just feel bad for any random entity that gets caught in the crosshairs and any foreign country or random shenanigan that happens from now until potentially this thing starts to blow over some. But I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. And I want to kind of, you know, knock down the distractions first before we get to the other news of the day. There's a lot of news actually around the Epstein gate, you know, story. And Miles, I mean, first of all, when Trump is accusing Obama of treason, of trying to rig the 2016 election, you know, this has all been looked at. I mean, the Jim Comey and the James Clapper thing, it's all been looked at. The Russians did try to interfere in the 2016 election. Despite all of the times Trump has said that it's, you know, the world is somehow against him. I mean, this was dealt with in the Mueller report. The Senate Intelligence Committee dealt with this. That included Marco Rubio, I believe, as well. I mean, Marco Rubio's own Secretary of state has signed off on some of the, you know, investigations into all of this. But, I mean, your thoughts? I mean, it's just, it's unreal how he does not let this go well.

[Miles Taylor]

On the Russia piece, you know, I mean, Olivia and I can speak to that firsthand. I mean, day to day. In the first Trump administration, I was helping to run his Department of Homeland Security, and I was brought into all of the information about what we saw with Russian interference in 2016. And I can tell you unequivocally, as one of Trump's appointees in the first administration responsible for protecting the country against that interference, it did happen. The president knew it happened. All of his senior officials knew it happened, and they didn't question that it had happened at the time. All of them, except for the president, who wanted to rewrite history because he wanted to use that as an excuse for, you know, any of his grievances at any given time. But you can even go back before Donald Trump was elected to show that some of his current officials were in the know in the earliest days of Russian interference. I'll mention John Ratcliffe, for instance. I was working in the House of Representatives at the time alongside John Ratcliffe when he was on the Homeland Security Committee. He and I were in the briefings together about Russian interference. And John Ratcliffe didn't think this was politicized. He didn't think it was some sort of domestic scandal to hijack the election. He knew I knew the rest of the members of Congress being briefed knew that this was a threat from a foreign adversary to the United States. And so, you know, I find it very unusual that people like that are back in a second Trump administration and roles like CIA director and willing to abide Donald Trump rewriting history in that way. That's point number one. But second point, Jim, I would say, is that word you mentioned, treason. There's why I named my, you know, substack here, treason. And that's because it's become Donald Trump's watchword for going after his adversaries. And people can roll their eyes. It's such a. An incendiary word. It feels Orwellian when he accuses people of treason, but it has very real effects. That's essentially the highest crime you can accuse someone of in the United States. And Trump has used those accusations to send the Justice Department after his adversaries, not just people like me and Chris Krebs, but now, apparently, senior Obama officials and people like Comey and Brennan and these other targets of the president. And that carries very real implications. So, again, we shouldn't just shrug it off when Donald Trump accuses folks of treason. When he says it now as president in a second term, he means it, and he wants to bring the full force of the federal government to go punish those people.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. And Olivier, we just can go back to the history of what happened during the campaign in 2016. Donald Trump Jr. Jared Kushner. I mean, there were officials inside the Trump campaign who met with that Russian attorney at Trump Tower. That happened in 2016. I mean, there were instances. And remember, Donald Trump Jr. Said, well, you know, if they want to interfere right before the election, you know, I love it, or what, I think that was the term he used at the time. And so, I mean, this is stuff that has been out there. I mean, I think Donald Trump himself said, oh, my, you know, anybody would take that meeting that my son took. So, I mean, of course there's going to be an investigation into whether or not the Russians have meddled in the 2016 election. I know we should not be going down this Rabbit hole. But every time Trump talks about this.

[Olivia Troy]

But Tulsi Gabbard wants you to, actually.

[Jim Acosta]

And Tulsi Gabbard wants you to. I know she does.

[Olivia Troy]

On board now.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, yeah. And she's on board. And it's kind of incredible that she's playing this game, too, I guess.

[Olivia Troy]

Well, I think she's trying to get back in his good graces right now. So I think that's what this is. But to Miles's point, though, I do think it's pretty egregious that people like John Ratcliffe are going along with this charade and the fact that, like, now he's going to be dealing with Tulsi Gabbard aspect of this, because I think, you know, there are definitely a number of players here, Tulsi wasn't there, but who were very much aware of the facts on this situation. And then as Trump got increasingly unhinged in his first administration, we saw heads begin to roll, Right? We saw people getting fired whenever anything was brought up, whenever anyone brought up the facts around this. And the intelligence community, people got fired. And so. But I think the bottom line on this, though, is that Trump needs to figure out, like, some new talking points, because it's the same regurgitation that has been going on for the past, like, I don't even know how many years now. And I think it's tired, and it's sort of like, speaks to who he is. It's nothing new. But I also think that, again, it's going to continue to be brought up because he's going to throw everything and anything to see what sticks. The only problem with that is that, you know, he brings up these narratives and they work, and he does it because his face follows them. He knows, you know, the buttons to push the triggers. And I think that it animates his base and gets him to go along with it. And so you're gonna see kind of the narratives pop up and they get kind of like, you know, the buzz gets going. But the reality is that there's a really looming dark cloud over huge right now that he can't get away from. And that's what he's trying to do.

[Jim Acosta]

Totally. And, Miles, I mean, we should talk. And Olivia, we should talk about this. I mean, this is a huge development that happened today when Pam Bondi put this out there earlier this morning. New York Times reporting it this way. Top Justice Department officials have contacted lawyers representing Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, who was serving a prison term for sex trafficking. To address lingering questions about the case, Todd Blanch, the deputy attorney general, who was also Donald Trump's defense lawyer, at one point announced on social media that he had requested a meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell. And I just want to, since we have the ability to play a little sound today, this is one of those days where I like the ability to play a little sound. This is Donald Trump back in 2020 wishing Ghislaine Maxwell well. Let's play a little bit of that and talk about it on the other side.

[Miles Taylor]

Ghislaine Maxwell is in prison, and a lot of people want to know if she's going to turn in powerful people. And I know you've talked in the past about Prince Andrew and you've criticized Bill Clinton's behavior. I'm wondering, do you feel that she's going to turn in powerful men? How do you see that working out?

[Donald Trump]

I don't know. I haven't really been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly. I've met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is. I don't know the situation with Prince Andrew. Just don't know. Not aware of it.

[Jim Acosta]

A whole lot of not aware of it there, Miles. But, I mean, I don't know many people that, you know, would wish a convicted sex trafficker well. You know, I just, you know, I just don't. That's just so odd to me that Donald Trump said that.

[Miles Taylor]

This stinks, Jim. I mean, it stinks really, really, really bad. And it doesn't take, you know, a former criminal defense lawyer to go see what might be happening here, which is, you know, the happy talk about Maxwell seems designed to get her on Donald Trump's side. She could either be a very, very damaging witness against him, or she could be someone who pursues her freedom and potentially a presidential pardon. And that's what some of the news reporting has indicated, is that she is hell bent on getting out of jail. She doesn't want to be the one that's the living scapegoat for Jeffrey Epstein. And if the news reports are right, she has told people in the prison that she won't be there for decades and years. She maybe expects potentially imminent release. So I've got to imagine she's willing to do and say anything she needs to to secure that presidential pardon. And in Donald Trump, you have a man who has shown a great willingness to wield the pardon power to get people to do things that he wants. I mean, I witnessed it firsthand. He told me at the border that we should break the law and if we went to jail, he would pardon us. I mean, he said those words in front of me. So, I mean, he wields these pardons that. And right now, there's nothing that gives him greater fear about the stability of his presidency than this ongoing association with Jeffrey Epstein. So if he can wield that pardon power to get her to say something favorable for him, I think he will try.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. Olivia, when I saw that tweet this morning, I said, beg your pardon, you know, because to me, I mean, that's exactly what seems to be going on here, which is, you know, she's either gonna try to get a lighter sentence or a pardon for just clamming up and not saying what she knows. And, Olivia, the name of the game here is, again, these are. These are distractions. These are ways to try to avoid and evade any kind of accountability or responsibility in this case. They said they would release the Epstein files. That's what they said they were going to do. And they're not releasing the Epstein files. They're talking about releasing grand jury testimony from the Epstein case or visiting Ghislaine Maxwell behind bars. I mean, can we have a camera in that room when they. When Todd Blanch meets with Ghislaine Maxwell?

[Kathy Hochul]

Yeah.

[Olivia Troy]

I mean, look, this is. This is a let's Make a Deal edition, and the gray cover up is what this is. So I fully expect that they're going to figure out behind the scenes how they're going to get around this and that she'll likely be cooperative. You know, I'm very interested to see what's going on on the Hill with some of these Republican congressmen. I think that's really interesting to watch right now. Watch their demeanor. Whether it's okay, we're not like they tend to do along the way remains to be seen. But I'm very curious to watch people like Thomas Massey and some others that are kind of raising the question and asking for the release of this list and all these other things with the files. Right? Like, so I find that kind of interesting. And look, this is a pipe dream, right, for, like, a recovering Republican like myself. And I know Miles and I come from conservative backgrounds. Like, I'm like, is this finally the moment of the opportunity here where they kind of weave their way to kind of throw Trump under the bus? Like, because they could potentially take it and do it, but I don't think so. Not when you have Pam Bondi sitting at the top of the Department of Justice and Cash Patel at the FBI. Look, I don't trust either of those people. I've been very public about that. And I don't, I don't trust that they are going to have the best interest of true justice at hand. And so I'm a skeptic, right?

[Jim Acosta]

No.

[Miles Taylor]

If I could just say one thing about Jim, which is, you know, criminals can die like Jeffrey Epstein, but the facts don't die. So no matter what Donald Trump may or may not try to do with Maxwell and, you know, coercing favorable testimony of some kind or trying to absolve him of his associations, those associations won't die. And if the reporting is to be believed, there is more out there about Donald Trump's very salacious history with Jeffrey Epstein. And so no matter what they try to get out of Maxwell, I don't think that's going to be the end of the story. And this is going to be painful for him because it will be a drip, drip, drip of details about his associations. And we still don't know who the sources are of the Wall Street Journal reporting or some of the other reports out there. There are clearly people who have access to and knowledge of Donald Trump's relations with this now dead pervert who want to make sure that that sees the light of day. And, you know, if I had to make a guess, that's not going to stop with Maxwell.

[Jim Acosta]

No, you're absolutely right. I mean, DC Loves a scandal in the summertime. And I think that's, this is where we are right now. But you know, more to the point, I mean, what you were both just talking about, I mean, the House Oversight Committee today, this, according to the New York Times, voted to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell for a deposition. The motion to support the subpoena was introduced by Representative Tim Burchett, Republican of Tennessee. It sounds like the Chairman Comer went along with this. And I mean, this was in the face of what happened earlier in the day. The AP reporting, House Speaker Mike Johnson rebuffing pressure to act on the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. He's sending members of Congress home early for a month long break from Washington for the August recess. He says he wants to give the White House, quote, space to release the Epstein information on its own. I mean, this is somebody Mike Johnson was saying last week to one of the crazy right wing podcasters that it's time to release the Epstein files. And he's just doing an about face here. I mean, to me, he's just the, he's just the weenie of the week. I mean, he is shutting down the House of Representatives to avoid releasing the Epstein files. And Olivia, I mean, you know, you just watch the news and see these Republicans going up to the cameras. They're saying that their offices are getting flooded with phone calls from their constituents demanding the release of the Epstein files. And so Trump and Mike Johnson are trying to shut this thing down. It's just not working.

[Olivia Troy]

Yeah, I don't think it is. And I think, but, you know, I think that they're hoping that time will make it pass. You know, to my last point though, one thing that I've been thinking about, and I know inside baseball, I texted you about this earlier, but someone in this inner circle of Trumps knows the truth. Yes, someone does. And I guess my hope in a surreal world is that someday someone has the moral courage and fortitude to come forward and tell the truth for the sake of those victims and really set the record straight on all of this. And that is kind of what has been bothering me lately, is that just trying to figure out someone in the circle and maybe it'll be the moment of opportunistic situations or maybe it's the way of where they're like, how do I get out of this situation? And maybe this is away and I come forward and I tell the truth about this and I, you know, and I, I just, I wonder if that is a possibility. And as, you know, someone who's been watching this closely and is very, just horrified and upset over what's happened here in this whole situation, I would hope that that individual exists out there and that they're weighing it carefully and that they do come forward someday. That's.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, Miles, you were that whistleblower in the first administration. I mean, you have some, some, you know, experience in this area in terms of the whistleblowing. Do you, do you agree with Olivia? There's probably somebody on the inside who knows something for sure.

[Miles Taylor]

Except, you know, from the beginning, Donald Trump has tried to make it a lot harder for Miles Taylors and Olivia Troy's to come forward. I mean, they have essentially co opted the levers inside of government that people can use to go make lawful disclosures of misconduct by installing political loyalists inside some of these ethics jobs across departments and agencies and in the Justice Department, by keeping their fingers on the pulse of potential reporting against the administration. I mean, they've made it very, very difficult. They've kind of planted what I would say are IEDs along the roadside that someone might follow to go make a lawful disclosure. Now, that doesn't mean all the doors are closed. You know, folks can still go to Congress, they can still go to the press. And I suspect Olivia's right, that at some point here, when the pressure gets hotter and it goes beyond the president and his immediate inner circle, folks aren't going to want to be implicated, and that makes them more likely to speak out. The other thing I would say, Jim, is to your point about Congress, I've seen this story before from the House and the Senate side. When something bad is happening in the summer and congressional leaders think they can make it go away by sending the members home for recess, I'll tell you what happens. They go back home and they hear that cacophony. They were already getting in cell phone calls and voicemails at their offices, and they hear it in person. And they do town halls, and it's loud and they get very upset because their families get harassed.

[Jim Acosta]

These town halls are going to be a shit show.

[Miles Taylor]

These town halls are going to be unbelievable. And these members of Congress will come back in September and say, Speaker Johnson, we don't give a shit what the President wants you to do. Our careers and our lives are on the line. We gotta be more aggressive on this. That's what's going to happen when they get back from this break.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, Olivia, they're going to get tired of covering Trump's ass real quick on this. That's my sense. I've banned the term. The walls are closing in. We're not allowed to say the walls are closing in on Donald Trump. That went out in the first term, but they're getting tired of covering his ass on this.

[Olivia Troy]

Yeah, I. I just wonder. I mean, yeah, it's got to be exhausting. And I think Miles is right. They're going to pay for it when they're out there on the, you know, trail at home, and they're going to hear from it from their constituents. I think the question is how much the threshold is there for them to want to take on Trump on it and to continue seeking the truth on this. And I just, you know, I've been repeatedly disappointed in moments where I thought that they would take a stand on significant things. And so I just, I guess I. I'm not optimistic, but I do think. I don't think this scandal is going away. I think it'll be a fall scandal as well, like. But, you know, I just. I don't know. I guess I'm. I'M I'm, I'm tepid on that. But to Miles point, though, I do want to talk about something like go back to that point, what he said about how much harder Trump has made this for people to come forward and speak out. Like. Yeah, so I would recommend that you not go to your inspector general if you're in the Trump administration right now, or go to that. I mean, it'll never see the light of day. There's a reason that I didn't follow that process. I knew very well, I watched others follow it, but I had seen firsthand by that point when I came forward that it was never going to see the light of the day if I did that. So I would think twice about that strategy. And I think that there will be others to help you if you decide to do that along the way.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, well. And I mean, you know, he's running out of things to throw out at the wall to see what sticks. I mean, they released the MLK files. I mean, how shameful, you know, how shameless. I suppose you could also say can they be when they try to distract from the Epstein files by releasing the MLK files and trying to use the assassination of Martin Luther King, one of this country's greatest heroes, to try to distract from what Trump, whatever Trump is trying to hide in the Epstein case. The other thing that we should get into, Miles, and you wrote about this beautifully on Substack. Trump has booted the Wall Street Journal out of the press pool. He's suing the newspaper after their story that claimed that Trump once doodled a racy drawing of a woman as part of a card to his buddy Epstein. And you wrote this on Substack, Miles, you said candidly, this is how authoritarian systems work. I've seen it abroad in meetings with leaders of repressive countries. They don't invite an independent press to cover them. They welcome obedient state run or state coerced news outlets into the room to ask questions that flatter the leader. And I just think that that's so well put. I mean, we're starting to see that more and more now. Obedient state run or state coerced news outlets. I mean, it's a little scary what's happening in this country right now. But you write that what happened to the Wall Street Journal is being observed by other news outlets, which puts them at a position of self censorship, self editing and so on.

[Miles Taylor]

Well, and there's no journalist in America, Jim, that knows this better than you because they made you the test case in November 2018. And I know you and I have talked about it before, but I'll just never forget that. The day that you confronted Donald Trump in a news conference because he had been saying that there was a foreign invasion at America's border because he was so frustrated at these videos of migrant caravans coming in. And you challenged him that. That, Mr. President, this is not a foreign invasion. Right. That means a foreign country is launching an incursion across our borders. And he was apoplectic about that. He was so apoplectic that he revoked your press pass. And I remember his head of communications coming in to a restaurant nearby that night, and I was having dinner with a Cabinet secretary who I was trying to convince to leave the administration with me, to resign in protest. And then this person comes in and says, you wouldn't believe what we just did. We revoked Acosta's press pass. He thinks he's doing CNN from the White House tonight, but he's going to show up at the gates and the Secret Service are going to turn him away. And this person was just patting themselves on the back and celebrating this. But I knew not just that that was another good reason to leave the administration, but that this was Trump's impulse to threaten journalists in order to get the coverage they wanted. And they tried to do that with you, Jim. You didn't cave. But I say it's the test case, because now here they are in a second term, feeling like they have nothing to lose, and they are now pulling all of these levers to try to stack media coverage in their favor. And when they can't punish and intimidate the journalists who don't follow suit, that's a very dangerous thing for a President of the United States to do.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, and we saw this with Colbert, you know, getting fired over at cbs. I mean, you know, CBS was claiming, oh, it has nothing to do with the content of the show. I mean, Olivia, nobody believes that. Nobody thinks that was bs.

[Olivia Troy]

I think we've been watching this. This is a pattern of behavior by the Trump administration that has been happening since January, since they took office. Right. They have been attacking media, they've been attacking legal institutions, law firms. But, yeah, I mean, no one's buying that. Right. I mean, I'm actually, like, enjoying Colbert. Just the fact that he's like, I am now free. I can now just speak freely, just acknowledges, and just address some things along the way. And so I'm actually wondering how this is going to go for the next few months. That he's still on air and how they're going to feel about it, but, you know, shame on them. And we've seen other news organizations cave to this type of pressure. And again, every time they do this, though, all they do is embolden the wannabe dictator sitting in the Oval Office. That's all this does, because it just continues to give them more power. It allows them to bully people, and it creates. It continues the cycle of fear, which we talk about often, and it perpetuates it.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, Miles, I mean, they just, they. They revel in being bullies. And when CBS rolls over or one of the other networks or a newspaper rolls over, it just, you know, it makes them want to do it even more. And it. And it's. It's sickening because the way to stop the behavior is to stand up to this guy, you know, and not take this bs. And apparently Trump was on Truth Social saying not only is he getting the $16 million. 15. $16 million, whatever it is, he says that Paramount has agreed to provide millions more in PSAs or favorable cover. You know, it's bananas what he. And he put this out there. Apparently, Paramount hasn't responded as to whether this is true or not, but he says that we're getting $20 million more from the new owners and advertising PSAs or similar programming for a total of $36 million. What the hell does that mean?

[Miles Taylor]

You know, sounds like state media. If you go back to the McCarthy era, there were a lot of people who rolled over because they were scared of the scrutiny in that time period, and they capitulated and they said things they later regretted, and history looked back on them with a very, very piercing gaze. History saw them, and we are seeing that story repeat itself in much, much bigger fashion. This is far more expansive than what we saw with McCarthyism. And we've seen law firms capitulate, we've seen major news organizations capitulate, but you can see through them. And I think we see that with CBS and these other outlets. The question is, how do you counter it? And fortunately, I think we are on one of those mediums right now. The. The blooming of independent and media that's not accountable to corporate overlords is something that is going to make sure that folks are able to continue shining a light on this administration, even if Trump and his lieutenants start to pull the more aggressive levers against these organizations, like revoking their broadcasting licenses and launching more legal suits.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, well, guys, I mean, you know, I feel like we keep talking for Another hour about this, but I've got Governor Kathy Hochul waiting in the wings. But. But let's keep this conversation going because, I mean, the media piece of it obviously interests me because I came from media. But, you guys, I mean, the thing that is just so damn disturbing right now about the Epstein case, he's got his own defense attorney going down to a federal prison to talk to Ghislaine Maxwell. Are you kidding me? And there's speculation he's gonna try to put one of his other defense attorneys on the Supreme Court, Emil Beauvais. I mean, what the hell is going on in this country? And one of the Republicans gonna stand up to him. My God, he wants you to go down with the Epstein ship. You have some backbone. It's unreal. But anyway. All right.

[Miles Taylor]

Backbones are in short supply, Jim. But, you know, we. We got to build some factories to. To, you know, recreate them.

[Jim Acosta]

I know I. I wrote in my own substack over the weekend. It's 2025 is the year of the knee pads, I guess, but it's. It's pretty sick stuff. Pretty sad stuff. Sorry, earmuffs, Olivia. All right, thanks a lot. Appreciate it. Hopefully the governor's still waiting after that comment. Good to see you guys. Thanks a lot. Good to see you. All right, let me bring in Governor Kathy Hochul from the great state of New York. Every time I get up to New York, I say, gosh darn it, I would love to live in New York. I love this place. I love the city of New York. Great to see you. Governor Hochul, thanks so much for doing this. Really appreciate it.

[Kathy Hochul]

No, good to see you, Jim. And there's always a place for you in New York. And I did hear the knee pad comment, and you're absolutely right.

[Jim Acosta]

You know, listen, I appreciate you coming on the show. It's your first time on the show with me, and we're in independent media now, which I think is the future. As Miles was saying just a few moments ago, it's where this is all heading. But, I mean, you know, the Late show is produced in your state in New York City. I mean, I remember the Ed Sullivan Theater when it was the David Letterman show. It's just a. It's a. It's one of the. Just the gems of New York City. I think that. That. That theater and that show. And I'm just wondering what your thoughts on all of this, because it's just very disappointing to me that CBS has done this.

[Kathy Hochul]

You know, shows like the Stephen Colbert show are part of our identity. I have worked really hard to give incentives for the film and television production studios to be here, to have content created here. Because to me it's also about the jobs. It's 200 jobs that we're going to lose here in New York. We supported programming like this with $16 million. I'd like to know if I'm getting that money back as you cancel this show. And so no, it has an economic hit as well. I mean, obviously losing, you know, the, the comedic genius is going to be a real hit to our political discourse. I mean, especially I, I, I've been watching the show since its inception. But you know, it's also has, you know, they need to be aware that this is going to hurt people's jobs. And that's what I laser focus on. It's 200 people without a job that.

[Jim Acosta]

There'S no question about. Right. It's the whole team there and they have a terrific team there at the Late Show. I, I do want to ask you about how the, the so called big beautiful bill, which I don't, I try not to call it that on this program because it's, it's anything but. But I have to ask you about the Epstein case because it was, it's obviously consuming so much here in D.C. these days. And I, I'm sure you don't spend a whole heck of a lot of time focused on that. I've seen you made some comments here and there. But I, I, you know, I have to ask the question. I mean, Epstein was a New Yorker. He allegedly killed himself, you know, in prison in New York. His brother doesn't believe it was a, it was a suicide. He believes it was a homicide. Julie Brown, the acclaimed investigative journalist from the Miami Herald, says there's lots of questions about how he died. You know, I just wonder what you think, Governor, is, is there any piece of this case that could fall into the jurisdiction of the state of New York? I mean, the relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Do you have questions? What are your questions? What are your thoughts?

[Kathy Hochul]

It's all worth looking into. But what the hell are you hiding? Seriously, to have Congress leave until six weeks from now because they're afraid to be pressured to release the files? I mean, are you kidding me? Now when you think about it though, it's actually good they left town. I'm glad they left town because it can't do any more harm to the American people, like $9 billion of rescissions to cut out essential programming like public television and Sesame Street. For God's sake. So I'm viewing it as like I'm glad they're gone. But it really raises a lot of questions, like is there something about members of Congress in there? What is this all about? So I have as many questions as the average New Yorker and American citizen about what is really behind this cover up. And that's all it can be described as. And now to really deflect, like we're going to go after Joe Biden now, really going to retread those old tires. I mean, you're really going there. We're a lot smarter than that. And I think the base that has been betrayed from the Republicans is not going to let this one die.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, well, and there's no question about, I mean, these Republican members are telling reporters that they're basically just hearing from their constituents, talking about the Epstein case when they, when they call the office, you know, up on Capitol Hill. And it, I mean, it's something they're gonna have to deal with when they go back and do these congressional town halls, if they even do any congressional town halls. I'll be shocked if there are that many of them. But they're also going to be hearing about the, the so called big beautiful bill and you know, all of the various cuts in there. And I know you're, I guess, up against these Medicaid cuts. I read that NBC4 has reported that the federal cuts to Medicaid could cost, will cost 1.3 million New Yorkers their Medicaid coverage. I mean, that's according to your office. What happens? How do you deal with that?

[Kathy Hochul]

Yeah, no, it is cataclysmic, Jim. I mean it is the biggest, ugliest bill you can imagine. And I have called out the seven Republicans from the very beginning, even before they cast this vote. I said, listen, you have the power. This is only going to win by just a couple of votes. You band together, strengthen numbers. New York Republicans stand together for their constituents instead of screwing the farmers and home health care workers and the hospitals, the rural hospitals are going to close and they're going to own this. And there's a lot of rural poverty that these members of Congress represent. I represented the most Republican district in the state of New York, shocking everyone couple years ago, a number of years ago. But I lost that seat because I support Obamacare. I stood up on principle because I knew how important health care was for all. I lost my seat on that issue and I'm proud of that because sometimes you have to do, you know, go against what your Political parties want and what the winds of the day are saying you to do. And I said, this is what political courage is about. We did it. I don't see any of that. These are the most common people ever to grace the halls of Congress. I'm ashamed of them. And they could have stood up and stopped this onslaught against their own constituents, the people who elect them to office. So I believe there's going to be consequences, we're making sure of that. And so you ask about the consequence. 1.5 million people will lose Medicaid. We have 300,000 people who will lose SNAP, meaning they're not going to get food on the table for. For little kids with hungry tummies. And we have a $13.5 billion hit to our healthcare system in New York. Our own state will have to offset $3 billion in cuts next year alone. So this is something that is beyond what anyone could have expected in terms of its scale. It is damaging to so many industries, and this is just the beginning. So our job as leaders is to do what I've been doing. I went up to Elise Stefaniks district, did a town hall standing room only of angry, probably mostly Republicans. I didn't ask for their political affiliation when they entered the room, but farmers who are getting screwed on the tariffs, health care workers are losing their jobs. Farmers again. Back to the farmers. They're losing their workers. Immigration raids up there, immigration rates.

[Jim Acosta]

So, yeah, what do you say when you hear Tom Homan? I mean, Tom Homan apparently said the other day that they're just going to unleash ICE on New York State and New York City here in the coming days. I mean, one of the things that we have seen, I mean, in the coverage of Trump's immigration raids and detention, by the way, the detentions don't get as much coverage sometimes as these raids. But, I mean, some of the reporting coming out of the conditions for the migrants who are being detained are just. I mean, they're otherworldly. They're not in keeping with the American tradition of people being detained for immigration violations. I mean, there was a report in the Guardian just yesterday that said that there were detainees down in Florida who were being forced to eat like dogs. Their hands were behind their backs, they were eating off Styrofoam plates. It's unreal. What's been happening with all of this. Is there. What. What happens? How do you, as a state official, you know, you know, lock horns with people like Tom Homan and try to prevent some of these abusive practices?

[Kathy Hochul]

Oh, it happens a lot. I will tell you right now, what they're doing is deplorable. Think of any third world country that's doing this to any detainees. We'd be charging them with human rights violations, right? I mean, this is exactly what's happening. These are human rights violations. These are human beings. They should be treated with dignity, and they're treated like garbage in our own country, the United States of America. So I get very angry about this, Jim. You got me on a topic that I just go off the charts on, because there's a real human impact. These are individuals who came here like my grandparents, came with nothing. Impoverished immigrants. My grandfather was a migrant farm worker in the wheat fields of South Dakota because they wouldn't hire the Irish. They were domestic servants for a while. Then grandpa was, you know, hit the jackpot when he got a job at Bethlehem Steel plant. Working hard every day with my dad. So I talk about this in terms of these people in search of the American dream. Many of them are here working hard, they're paying taxes, and they're not getting the benefits of that. But how they're treating you with these rates, it is another broken promise. Because they promise they're only going to go after the really bad ones, right? The crazy criminals and the terrorists, the human traffickers, the really bad ones. That's all they spoke about. And yet in Tom Holman's hometown of Sackets Harbor, New York, tiny community, one Saturday morning, ICE agents showed up wearing those horrible black masks, carrying the hell out of everybody, bearing guns, weapon guns drawn, broke into a home, and they took a third grader out of her bed. Her older teenage brothers, twin brothers, and the mom threw them into a van. And where was the father? He wasn't around because he's out milking the cows already at 6am on a Saturday. That's the hard work they're doing. They took him to Louisiana for two solid weeks. I called Tom home and I said, you release them. And Jim, you'd be so proud of this Republican area. Republican farmer, right? It's literally called Old McDonald's Farm. And they rallied around this family, demanding that they be released. They had a thousand people in this area protesting Tom Homan's house. So I saw this. This outrage that I believe is out there, regardless of party affiliation, where people have said, enough is enough. I mean, they took a young college student and her mother from Long Island. I'll be out there tomorrow. I mean, the rounding up guys making pizza in the Bronx who've been here for 20 years. These are not the hardened criminals that they promised to get. And people need to rise up and condemn that. And what they're doing also in courthouses, they're circling and capturing people who are simply following what they're told to do. Show up in this courtroom and have your appearance before a judge, they're like sitting ducks because while they're in there, the judge is told to withdraw their status, they walk out the door and the ICE agents declare that they are now criminals and scoop them up.

[Jim Acosta]

Right, and how does that encourage people to show for their court dates? You know, again, it contributes to this idea that people have to live in the shadows in this country, that migrants have to live in the shadows in this country. And it just makes our broken immigration system even more broken. But Donald Trump doesn't care about that because he wants to exploit. He doesn't want to fix America's broken immigration system. He wants to exploit it for political gain. And, you know, I think you're absolutely right, Governor, when you talk about just the human component of this. I have said on my show multiple times that perhaps the biggest lie of the 2024 campaign was when Trump said we're going to go after the criminals and the gangbangers. That was. I mean, of course he said they're eating the cats and dogs in Ohio and so on, but that one has major policy implications because he got the American people to buy into something that was just a huge lie. And now the polls are showing, of course, that they're rejecting what he's doing on immigration. But the, but the damage is being done every day as we speak. And I guess there's just not a whole heck of a lot you can do. I mean, he can put the Marines in la, he can just do whatever he wants now.

[Kathy Hochul]

It's unfettered power, which is frightening.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah.

[Kathy Hochul]

And I don't think this is what people thought, you know, thought they're voting for. They thought they're going to get the hardened, scary criminals off the streets and they're going after the guy who works in your landscaping. He's cutting your lawn, perhaps, or he's making your pizza down the street. This is where it's going to have that effect. And the accumulation of the impacts of the, the big horribly ugly bill and the immigration rates and the tariffs which have driven inflation up now. So it's, you know, the cost of a stroller in Walmart today is double what it was in May. And why do I know this? Because I have a brand new grandbaby and I checked the prices.

[Jim Acosta]

It's interesting.

[Kathy Hochul]

Double inflation, tariffs, and we're going to bring down prices day one. Well, we're still waiting for day one to come because prices are going up. These are all issues that will be used and I will weaponize against the Republicans next year. And everybody, everybody needs to rise up and throw them out of office and make sure that Hakeem Jeffries is the next speaker to have a firewall to start bringing back some sense of sanity to our nation's capital.

[Jim Acosta]

And not to get too inside baseball, but you're seeing the Texas Republicans toy with this idea of redistricting so they can gain some House seats in Texas. I'm sure they're. One of the reasons why they're doing that is they're nervous about those Republican House seats in New York that you were just referencing a few moments ago. Any news on your front from the state of New York in terms of what can be done from a redistricting standpoint? Forgive me if you're like, well, Jim, if you had been paying attention, you would know this, but I don't, I just don't know is there are Democrats going to try to fight fire with fire here?

[Kathy Hochul]

It's something we're looking at very closely. Let me just put that out there. Okay. We're watching what's happening there, and I do not like a scenario where we are disadvantaged when we're following the rules. More to say on that later.

[Jim Acosta]

More to say on that later. Okay. I may have hit on something that I didn't anticipate. I do want to ask you about something that's near and dear to your heart, and that is combating climate change and building this new nuclear power plant. Plant or facility. Is that correct that that should be coming in the coming years here? Can you talk about that? And the reason why I'm, I'm so interested in it is because we've got a climate crisis in this country right now. And I know a lot of people are freaked out over nuclear power. Folks who are perhaps in our age brackets, remember the Three Mile island incident and so on. And they just don't, they don't want to go down that road. They're nervous about it. Are you, are you pretty confident that you can see safely build one of these facilities and ramp up nuclear power in your, in your state?

[Kathy Hochul]

Absolutely. And, you know, we are the second cleanest energy grid in America, so we already are leaning into renewables. I fought really hard to save an offshore wind facility that Donald Trump's administration had Shut down in March and the company was packing up and leaving. They're a 10 year project for offshore wind and they're about to be done in about a year and a half. And they put a stop where work order and we're able to get that back online. So now there's going to be half a million homes in Brooklyn powered by offshore wind. We lean hard into hydro. I launched a hydro electric power bringing 25% of the power down in New York City from Quebec. Solar, we're still leaning into solar. So all of those are still very much in play. But it's not enough, you know, as we're powering the innovation economy. Artificial intelligence data centers. I have Micron coming with $100 billion of investment in semiconductor manufacturers. I'm not going to leave our state behind because we didn't have the ambition and the boldness to lean into new energy opportunities. And again, nuclear is not new, but there's not been a new facility built here in decades.

[Jim Acosta]

Right.

[Kathy Hochul]

So there's been this fear we all watch the China syndrome.

[Jim Acosta]

Right, Exactly.

[Kathy Hochul]

That scared crap out of everybody, if we could be honest about it. But what's interesting about Three Mile Island, Jim, Microsoft is looking to go back there and restart it.

[Jim Acosta]

Isn't that interesting?

[Kathy Hochul]

Technology is much safer. There's also these smaller modular reactors which you can do five of them and create the same as one larger facility. I just met with my energy team again today. I'm excited about this and I hope we can bring everyone along to know that this is a clean power source. And it takes time. But I've already had conversations with the White House about what they can do to shave off some of the unnecessary review. Not compromising safety, but we can do this. Let's lean into this opportunity and make sure that we can power our future and make sure it's affordable. Affordability is everything for people, as well as making sure we protect our climate.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, and we have to do something about climate change. It's getting out of our control. And I mean, you're looking at these weather events, they're just getting more and more extreme. I have to ask you about the New York mayor's race. Mamdani, what do you think? He's a young whippersnapper to folks like you and me, but he has a lot of people. It's interesting to see the politics of New York play out in the way it has. Governor Cuomo, who was your predecessor, you know, didn't. That didn't work out so well for him. He tried to Make a comeback. And this Mamdani guy, I know that he has made some comments that he's going to have to answer for and so on, and people are concerned about that. But he's got a lot of younger people and progressive people kind of excited down in the Big Apple. What do you think?

[Kathy Hochul]

No, I do think energizing the younger people is really important to our political process. I mean, for too long, they felt sidelined. They didn't feel engaged. They didn't feel that their vote made a difference. I was a teenage Democratic activist. I used to work with Tim Russert to elect Moynihan way back. And so I was always, you know, there was a time when I was a little younger. You had to be 21 to vote when you're being drafted to go to Vietnam.

[Jim Acosta]

Wow.

[Kathy Hochul]

You couldn't have a beer and you couldn't vote. So all that changed. So the power has been there, waiting to be tapped for ages. And I love to see this energy, the enthusiasm behind the candidate. And again, this is one. I can't predict what will happen, but it's definitely one that we're watching closely. And my job as governor is to work with whomever the voters of New York City want me to, and I will make it all work out. And the state of New York actually has enormous power as well in terms of deciding whether or not there are, you know, increases in taxes or whether the MTA does something different with the buses. And so there'll be depending on who it is. It doesn't matter. I've always been collaborative because I also represent the city of New York. It's not a separate entity. It's a subdivision state.

[Jim Acosta]

That's right.

[Kathy Hochul]

8.3 million New Yorkers are my constituents as well. So I'll always be collaborative and work with whoever the voters want me to.

[Jim Acosta]

And so at this point, you're not ready to endorse Mom? Donnie, you're not there yet. Have you had meetings with them? Do you want to sit down with them?

[Kathy Hochul]

No, I already sat down. In the first few days after the election, you know, I talked about areas where there's, you know, obviously, as you mentioned, you know, comments that are very deeply troubling to the Jewish community. They're anxious about this because they want to make sure that, you know, that some things are walked back that are. That were troubling, and I understand that sentiment. And the business community is anxious about this because they're concerned about, you know, socialist philosophies and what that does to a capitalist. The Capital of capitalism. So. But I also think, you know, we'll get through this.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah.

[Kathy Hochul]

And my job is to talk to people and say, listen, the governor has enormous power. She knows how to use it. But also, there's a lot of areas we can find common interest.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. Well, I won't. I won't put you. Put any. Put the screws to you anymore on that. But I do, I have to say, great.

[Kathy Hochul]

You can't do it anyhow.

[Jim Acosta]

You know my tricks too well.

[Kathy Hochul]

But I've been elective office 31 years. I know. I handle people like you.

[Jim Acosta]

I know you. I know you do very well. But, I mean, but if I could just finally ask this. There's just no way in hell that we want Eric Adams to be the mayor of New York still. Right. I mean, he's just. I mean, come on. I'm sorry. I'm a. I'm a D.C. kid. I've lived in New York a couple of times. Sometimes I sound like a New Yorker when I ask a question, but, I mean, come on, what's with this guy?

[Kathy Hochul]

Listen, it's going to be up to the voters to decide. I have had a relationship of working. I've also invested a tremendous amount of money in subway safety. Crime has gone down because the state has also embraced a responsibility to help drive those numbers down. Literally. The state of New York pays for overtime for police officers on the subway at night. Never before in history did a governor step up with state dollars to help make the streets of city of New York safer. And I'll keep doing that. I put a billion dollars toward building more affordable housing because I believe in the city. The mayor and I work together on these. And so, again, it's up to the voters.

[Jim Acosta]

You got to get this. You got to get stuff done. That's what you do as governor. And I will say, I know, and I have. I have a special place in my heart for New York because my mom's folks are from that part of New York when I did a whole finding your roots thing with PBS at one point. And they figured out that one of my great grandmothers was a made at the Dakota Building on the Upper west side, and that my. I had a great grandfather named Archie. Was it Archie or Herbie? Archie or Herbie? One of the others drove a limo back in the early 1900s after he came through Ellis Island. And so, you know, I. I do care about New York, and I hate seeing just, you know, what Tom Homan and the ICE folks have been doing there, what Donald Trump has been doing there. It's just a great city, and they just don't deserve to go. Go through that.

[Kathy Hochul]

It's a flat out assault on New York State and our city and our values. And they have to get through me. And I'm standing up strong against all these. These attacks on people and our policies and our values. And that's what my job is. Governors as well. So it's a. A lot going on with managing what's going on in the city. Washington, where I served in Congress and worked for Senator Moynihan. So I know the culture there. Well. If you ever get tired of Washington, Jim will find you a home tracing your roots. So there's always a place for everyone in New York. And also there's this perception that we're spiraling out of control. New York City is, I don't know when it's been this vibrant.

[Jim Acosta]

Oh, it's a great city. Oh, it's beautiful.

[Kathy Hochul]

You can't get into Broadway plays. The restaurants are packed. The young people are everywhere. People from all over the country are coming here because this is the place to be. It is the creative capital. It is the financial capital, is the tech capital. And so we're just getting warmed up. And so. So come on and see us.

[Jim Acosta]

All right, we'll do. Thanks, Governor Hochul, really appreciate the time.

[Kathy Hochul]

Good talking to Jim.

[Jim Acosta]

All right, thanks so much. All right. I took up a lot of the governor's time, but I felt like I got a little emotional talking about my. My mom's grandparents. Oh, my goodness, please forgive me, everybody. No, I think Governor Hochul was just spot on there talking about these ICE raids in, in New York. And I do appreciate her giving us some of those stories because I feel like we're just. We're just drinking from a fire hose these days. And the way Trump is trying to distract everybody from the Epstein case and he's throwing out all this bullshit, and we're not seeing in the news, in our daily news coverage, some of the horrors that are just coming out of his. These immigration roundup atrocities, and they're just absolutely disgusting. And when the governor is talking about, in Tom Homan's hometown, kids being pulled out of bed by immigration authorities and so on, you just have to ask the question, what the hell is going on in this country right now? What is going on in this country right now? And I talked about this on the show yesterday. When you have detainees, immigration detainees eating their food like animals. I mean, that was that. If you missed the show yesterday, I talked about this The Guardian wrote a story about it. Give it a Google, look it up. Human Rights Watch, other human rights groups came out with a report that said that, I mean, these are the kinds of conditions that are going. It's not just the ICE raids where you see the ICE agents and the masks and, and people have cell phones out and they capture this kind of stuff. There's stuff going on inside these detention facilities that are absolutely horrifying as well. Really appreciate Miles and Olivia jumping on with me today. I want to, if, if folks who are still watching right now could do me a favor and just drop me a line in the chat on Substack and let me know what'd you think of, like, having Olivia and Miles there? I thought that was a good little combo, the three of us going back and forth. There was a part of me that just, you know, could continue that conversation all day. But, you know, in the meantime, it means a lot. Everybody's been tuning in. And I have to finally say, just as a, as a quick little final note, I did see a lot of the comments about the interview I had yesterday with Michael Cohen. Believe me, I came away from that interview kind of saying, what's going on here? Sort of a head scratcher. And so we'll see. You know, folks, there can be a lot of twists and turns between now and when we get the truth in the Epstein case. Donald Trump is doing. I've seen it up close. I've been with him up close. I know when he's freaking out, he is still freaking out. He is doing everything in his power right now. He is throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. He is going after everything but the kitchen sink at this point to try to distract the public, to try to turn the page, to try to change the narrative from the Jeffrey Epstein case. And it's just not going to happen when the speaker of the House is saying, hey, guys, let's run for the hills, because they're just so nervous as to what is in those Epstein files. That's a dead giveaway right there. When Donald Trump's own personal defense lawyer, who is now a top Justice Department official, by the way, what a joke that is, that his own defense attorney is a top Justice Department official. But what's even a bigger joke is Donald Trump sending that official and Todd Blanche down to Florida to see Ghislaine Maxwell in that federal penitentiary that she's in down in Florida. That should tell you right there that they are freaking out. And so it just begs the question, why, why Are you so nervous, Donald Trump? What are you afraid of? What's going on here? What are you trying to hide? And I wish somebody over at the White House, it would be great if somebody just asked him that question. Mr. President, what are you trying to hide? You said you would release the Epstein files. You haven't released the Epstein files. You're doing things that are way short of releasing the Epstein files. You're saying, let's release the grand jury testimony in the Epstein case. That's not the same thing. And people are smart enough to know that. And people see the headline. Oh, you're sending your own defense attorney down to talk to Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's partner in crime in some of the most heinous crimes you can think of? What's going on there, Mr. President? Why are you doing that? Why isn't it. I mean, do I have to be the guy that asked these questions? Shouldn't it be a question for the president? I'm sorry, Mr. President, isn't there somebody else from the Justice Department you could send down there who doesn't have a conflict of interest? Who isn't your former defense attorney? Isn't that how the government should work in this country? You should have a government that. That. That operates in this country, where the President's own defense lawyer is going to go down and talk to Ghislaine Maxwell. Am I watching a movie? Is this a Lifetime movie event that we're. That we're all watching together right now? The President trying to hide and cover up what is going on in the Epstein case. And he's trying every trick in the book. He's even released the MLK files. He will even use the assassination of Martin Luther King to try to cover up what he's done in the Epstein case. Folks, it reminds me of that. I just watched the Untouchables on my way back from Colorado, and there's a great line from Sean Connery, who plays Jimmy Malone, Elliot Ness's sidekick in that movie. And he says, ness, this town stinks like a whorehouse at low tide. And that's what this case stinks like. This case stinks like a whorehouse at low tide. And Donald Trump. We're not buying your bullshit. We're not buying your bullshit. There's a reason why Marjorie Taylor Greene is saying all of the calls going into her office are about the Jeffrey Epstein case. There's a reason why that is. Your own people are not buying your bullshit. They're just not buying it. When you send your lawyer down to Tallahassee to talk to Ghislaine Maxwell or you're releasing just certain files from the Jeffrey Epstein case. Oh, not those files over there. Don't go over to that file cabinet over there. Go to this file cabinet over here. I mean, I could just. It just. It sounds like an episode of Veep. I can just picture them all running around with their hair on fire. Which file should we get? Not those files. Get these files. Oh, no, no, no, no. Those ones say Trump in them. Get rid of those. It's a joke. Release the damn Epstein files once and for all. Donald Trump, we're not buying your bullshit. And with that, I'll thank Olivia Troy, Miles Taylor and Governor Kathy Hochul. Thanks everybody for watching. Really appreciate it. We'll see you next time. Still reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. Have a good evening, everybody. Ready?

[Kathy Hochul]

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