Podcast Summary:

The Next Level – Trump's DOJ Utterly Bungled the Latest Epstein Release
Episode 1043, December 24, 2025
Hosts: Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Jonathan V. Last (JVL)

Episode Overview

The hosts dissect the Department of Justice's bungled release of the latest Jeffrey Epstein files, focusing on the Trump-era DOJ's apparent incompetence, possible political interference, and the broader, unnerving implications for Epstein's network—including high-profile figures like Trump and Clinton. Interlaced with sharp banter and incredulous humor, they also probe the Republican coalition, JD Vance’s political rise, and the festering rot at the heart of America’s elite power structures.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The DOJ’s Mishandling of the Epstein Files

• Massive Document Dump: DOJ released data set 8—about 11,000 documents, 30,000 pages (Sarah Longwell at [03:45]), in compliance with the Epstein Transparency Act, which Trump grudgingly signed.
• Redaction Fiasco: Initial release lacked proper redactions, exposing victim IDs. "Whoever did it didn't do it properly. It was easy to see if you just copied and pasted the document. This is amateur stuff." – Sarah Longwell [03:35]
• After realizing the error, DOJ swiftly reuploaded with corrections, but the unredacted files had already been downloaded. Public exposure minimized only by belated action.
• Damage Control by DOJ: DOJ's public statements displayed clear bias, trying to distance Trump from allegations. “It reads like a pronouncement from the Kremlin, except it’s too stupid for that,” – Tim Miller [06:36].
• The hosts mock the DOJ’s tweet as partisan lawyering: “Are you his defense attorneys?” – Sarah Longwell [07:44].

2. The Question of Impartiality and Accountability

• JVL ponders legal or structural remedies when the Justice Department acts as a president’s defense team. “Is there any remedy? I don’t think there is.” – JVL [08:55]
• Sarah: “The recourse is to expose them with their own idiocy.” [09:29]

3. Grim Content from the Files

• Standout: A letter from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar (not long after Epstein's suicide) referencing Trump. “Our president shares our love of young, nubile girls.” (Tim Miller quoting from the Epstein letter, [10:58])

  • Authenticity is debated; authenticity confirmed by inclusion in evidence, but doubts linger due to handwriting and timeline.
  • “That’s like…pretty close to a smoking gun with Trump.” – Sarah Longwell [12:31]

• Co-Conspirators and Denials

  • Sarah notes at least 10 co-conspirators repeatedly redacted—contradicting prior testimonies by Trump allies like Cash Patel. “All over the files are the redacted names of up to 10 co-conspirators.” [13:58]
  • “You cannot accept any release of documents that does not provide at least credible allegations of other men who sexually assaulted... young girls...It is not plausible that it was just Jeffrey” – Tim Miller [14:57]

4. Selective Redaction & What’s Still Hidden

• DOJ appears to have over-redacted, hiding even names of public prosecutors, and released large documents entirely blacked out. “They have no legal basis for redacting public information,” – Sarah Longwell [17:05]
• Important memoranda about DOJ’s prosecution decisions remain unpublicized.
• Hosts stress: If this is all that’s released, what “worse stuff” is being withheld?

5. Implications for Trump and Other Public Figures

• Trump’s denials are contradicted. “Trump is lying and has been lying about all kinds of things. Pam Bondi… Cash Patel… have been lying." – Sarah Longwell [13:58]
• Flight logs suggest Trump’s involvement was deeper (“Trump's name appeared on flight logs many more times than previously reported.” – Sarah Longwell [21:12])
• Disturbing connections to other elite figures: images of Trump and Maxwell on Steve Bannon's phone (from 2021), indicating continued relationships well after the scandal’s eruption [22:17].
• The unanswered question: who, besides Epstein, were the other men engaging in abuse?

6. On Bill Clinton’s Involvement & Elite Culture

• Clinton also featured heavily in files and photos, even if some details are ambiguous (e.g., was he on the island?).
• Ephemeral alliances: why did both Clinton and Trump maintain close ties to Epstein? “If you go over and there are a lot of 17-year-old girls and a massage table, I'd be like, this isn't my hang anymore... But Clinton and Trump and Summers... are just like, yeah, that's my… new friend.” – Tim Miller [33:44]
• Broader theme: the exploitative, insular nature of political and financial elite circles.

7. Political Fallout & the Trump/Anti-Pedophile Narrative

• The hosts stress the hypocrisy: Trump is positioned (even by his base) as a “pedophile buster,” an anti-elite crusader—while evidence overwhelmingly contradicts this claim.
• “He can't be President… People should be horrified by this.” – Sarah Longwell [26:11]
• But: “We're so far past consequences ever showing up for him.” – JVL [26:14]
• “Leaving in shame is about as good a consequence as we can get, though it’s not the consequence that we want.” – Tim Miller [27:57]

8. JD Vance, Republican Coalition & The MAGA Future

• JD Vance’s emergence as a Trump successor sparks debate. Can he hold together Trump’s base and the new antiestablishment coalition?
• JVL lays out the trade: Trump’s unique ability to deliver both nationalist (America First) policy and keep pro-Israel and antisemitic factions united—Vance may struggle to replicate this. [44:26 and onwards]
• Sarah: "Trump’s magic is not… just managing the tensions that exist inside [the coalition]... The thing that gets him elected is the ability to bring something to the table that offsets the fact that much of that is something people hold their nose for. What does J.D. Vance bring to the table?" [47:21]
• Tim: Vance lacks charisma (“zero Riz” [50:39]) and inspires resignation rather than enthusiasm in focus groups.

9. Societal Decay and the Young Right

• The episode touches briefly on an unsettling focus group of young Trumpers displaying extremism, antisemitism, and Nazi sympathies—signaling a generational shift in the right’s base. [54:12]

10. Final Bombshell

• As the show closes, Tim reads a late-breaking FBI record: Epstein’s brother claims Epstein was murdered to prevent him from naming names; allegedly claims authorization came from Trump (cautioned as unsubstantiated at this stage) [55:27].

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the DOJ Redaction Fiasco
  “This is amateur stuff. DOJ attorneys know how to do this stuff.” – Sarah Longwell [03:35]
  “It’s like one of the most basic steps any lawyer is going to take before producing documents…The weirdness about the redactions…looks like it’s just a mistake. It’s just the amateur hour Apple Dumpling gang nature of these people.” – Sarah Longwell [04:24]

• On DOJ’s Statement about Trump
  “It reads like a pronouncement from the Kremlin, except it’s too stupid for that.” – Tim Miller [06:36]
  “Are you his defense attorneys?” – Sarah Longwell [07:44]

• On Trump and the Epstein Files
  “Trump is lying and has been lying about all kinds of things…Pam Bondi has been lying…Cash Patel has been lying…” – Sarah Longwell [13:58]
  “It is not plausible that it was just Jeffrey…There are other men involved. None of them have been charged…” – Tim Miller [14:57]

• On Epstein’s Network and Elite Culture
  “Why are you friends with this? Bill Clinton couldn’t be friends with anybody…Why is he spending so much time with this guy? Like, it’s like some random rich guy that can’t spell…Why? Because of the young girls…” – Tim Miller [31:59]

• On the Limits of Political Consequences
  “He can’t be President…People should be horrified by this…As much as I think that it should have been disqualifying what happened on January 6, the extent to which his own supporters have wrapped his narrative up in the idea that he is a pedophile buster...This should take him down. The hypocrisy should take him down. The moral nihilism should take it down. The criminal content should take him down…” – Sarah Longwell [26:11]
  “We’re so far past consequences ever showing up for him.” – JVL [26:14]

• On JD Vance and the Future of MAGA
  “JD Vance’s…trap is that he gives you America First, no wars, no more immigration, but he doesn’t have the magic…” – JVL [49:18]
  “He’s got zero Riz.” – Tim Miller [50:39]

Major Segments & Timestamps

• DOJ Redaction Fail / Process: [00:51]–[06:35]
• Why DOJ Statement Was Inappropriate: [06:36]–[08:54]
• Can DOJ's Partisanship Be Checked?: [08:55]–[10:09]
• Worst Revelations in New Files / Authenticity of Evidence: [10:10]–[13:00]
• Co-Conspirators & Lies from Trump Allies: [13:58]–[16:26]
• Excessive Redactions & Missing Documents: [17:02]–[18:49]
• New Detail: Epstein-Trump Connections: [21:12]–[22:51]
• Bill Clinton, Other Elites & Denial Culture: [30:57]–[36:11]
• Big Picture: ‘Will This Matter?’ / Political Fallout: [36:12]–[39:32]
• JD Vance, MAGA’s Future, Republican Coalition: [39:40]–[53:58]
• Gen Z Far-Right, Focus Group, Disturbing Trends: [53:58]–[55:27]
• New Allegation: Epstein’s Brother Claims Murder Order Came from Trump: [55:27]

Takeaway

In this episode, The Next Level crew delivers a withering, detailed breakdown of the DOJ’s mishandling of the Epstein file release, highlighting the amateurism, the disturbing new evidence, and the broader societal rot revealed in these documents. The hosts critically examine Trump, Clinton, and elite complicity, ask if genuine consequences are even possible in our current climate, and assess the precarious future of the populist right through the figure of JD Vance.

With trademark skeptical humor, they insist that sunlight—public exposure and relentless scrutiny—remains the best remedy against incompetence and corruption, even as the fight for actual accountability looks increasingly Sisyphean.