Podcast Summary: "Epstein and the #MeToo of It All"

Podcast: The Opinions (The New York Times Opinion)
Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Lydia Polgreen (Opinion Columnist, NYT)
Guest: Molly Zhang, Fast (Contributing Opinion Writer, Host of Fast Politics podcast)

Episode Overview

This episode examines the reemergence of the Jeffrey Epstein saga and its connection to the broader #MeToo movement. Lydia Polgreen and Molly Zhang, Fast discuss the recent press conference by Epstein survivors, political ramifications, the cyclical nature of MeToo, and the complex dynamics of power, privilege, and accountability. The conversation also explores the emotional and societal weight of these stories, their impact on both parties, and what the current moment might mean for the future of accountability and social change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Press Conference and the "Ghost" of Epstein (00:59–02:53)

• Molly describes the press conference: She was present at a gathering of Epstein survivors on Capitol Hill, highlighting the return of Epstein-related issues just as Donald Trump faces multiple controversies.

  • "Tuesday was a day that for Donald Trump was like right out of Macbeth... Jeffrey Epstein, like Banquo's ghost, comes back." (01:33, Molly)
  • The survivors held their event just as a key House petition about the Epstein files passed, evoking a "Shakespearean moment" of reckoning.

• Trump’s reaction: The timing and secrecy around the files suggest Trump "does not want those files to be released." (02:53, Molly)

2. The Pre- and Post-MeToo Arc (02:53–05:42)

• History of the Epstein case: Predates the #MeToo movement but shares similarities in institutional failure and silencing of women.

  • "Jeffrey Epstein first gets into legal trouble just about 20 years ago... all before the MeToo movement started." (02:53, Lydia)

• Survivor’s testimony: Annie Farmer recounted calling the FBI in the 1990s under multiple administrations—Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump—without real action.

  • Notable Quote:
    "In 1996... my sister Maria bravely blew the whistle... [the FBI] hung up on her... no follow up of any kind." (04:52, Annie Farmer)
  • The long timeline underscores bipartisan failures.

3. #MeToo as Broader Societal Exposure (05:51–07:22)

• Origins of MeToo: Acknowledgment that Tarana Burke, a Black activist, started the conversation years before Weinstein's exposure.
  • "MeToo was first popularized by Tarana Burke... inspired by many conversations... with teenage girls." (05:51, Lydia)
• Conspiracy vs. Silence: Public focus on outlandish "cabal" conspiracy theories (like Pizzagate/QAnon) distracts from everyday, pervasive abuse.
  • "The conspiracy feels more like a conspiracy of silence of powerful men wherever they happen to find themselves." (07:21, Lydia)

4. Unusual Bipartisan Action: Republican Women Push for Disclosure (07:22–09:46)

• Break with party lines: Three of four Republicans who supported releasing files are women, many with personal histories of trauma.
• Personal connection:
  • "There is something about this saga and the role of these three women that is just totally fascinating." (08:25, Lydia)
  • Survivors felt "very connected with Marjorie Taylor Greene." (09:36, Molly)
  • "One of them was like, I voted for Trump and you've betrayed me." (09:47, Molly)
• Appetite for truth: Both Congresswomen and survivors seek to publicize the list of names in the Epstein files.
  • "There really is appetite for information. So even if the Trump DOJ ... this list... there really is a feeling these names are getting read." (10:56, Molly)

5. Cycles of Accountability and Reversal in MeToo (11:06–14:43)

• Pattern repeats: High-profile cases prompt a surge, then backlash or reversal (Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Al Franken, Aziz Ansari).
  • "There is this kind of cyclical nature... where there's accountability, there's a sense that this cannot go on, and then there's a backlash." (12:42, Lydia)
• Historical perspective: Comparison to the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment and backlash chronicled by Susan Faludi.
  • "If you think about the book Backlash, Susan Faludi's seminal bible of the sort of war against feminism..." (13:03, Molly)

6. Privilege, Power, and Victimization (14:43–15:36)

• Privilege as a shield: Victims often lacked the social capital or protection that might have deterred predators.
  • "During MeToo, a friend... said, 'No one ever MeToo'd me.' And I said, 'You come from a fancy family...'" (14:52, Molly)
  • "These women were disenfranchised enough so they didn't have a powerful mom they could call." (15:25, Molly)
• Exploitation is common: Abuse often started with people close to the victims, not just elites.
  • "These teenage girls who ended up in... Epstein's clutches had had previous experiences of being exploited... by somebody close to them." (15:37, Lydia)

7. Will Trump (or the Powerful) Face Accountability? (16:35–19:36)

• Pattern of impunity: Epstein and Trump’s cases show repeated escapes from full consequences.
  • "He does a year of couture jail... doing this, he's doing that. It's in Palm Beach." (16:35, Molly)
  • "With a lot of powerful men... sometimes the process is imperfect, but eventually it happens." (16:35, Molly)
• On public reckoning:
  • "I think it'll actually be a really good thing if this whole network... are swept away and pushed into retirement and sent off to live out the last of their days in some kind of shame..." (18:46, Lydia)
• Democratic renewal: She argues that holding everyone accountable, regardless of party, could be a positive generational renewal, like the post-Iraq War shift.

8. Layers of Privilege & Moral Responsibility (19:39–21:59)

• Complicity and social circles: Continued association with Epstein despite knowing the truth implicates many.
  • "There's no denying... it's clear that some of the people involved here chose to stay in contact... long after they knew." (21:38, Lydia)
• Privilege as pattern: Even registered sex offenders maintained connections with people of influence.
  • "He was on the registered sex offender website... not that far from you?" (20:45, Lydia/Molly)

9. Why Epstein Splits the Trump Coalition (22:11–24:34)

• Roots in conspiracy: Trump’s original coalition radicalized by narratives like Pizzagate and QAnon, focused on elite sex trafficking.
  • "You had a base that had an origin story that was Donald Trump is going to end a sex trafficking ring. Then fast forward... Here we are, fast forward. We are in 2025... there clearly are many people..." (22:42, Molly)
• Irony of reality: The conspiracy proved "true"—not in outlandish coded messages, but in the banality of real abuse.
  • "Sometimes conspiracies turn out to be true... there is something sort of sad and banal... and tragic about that." (24:09, Lydia/Molly)

10. Populist Discontent & the Broader Meaning (24:34–25:35)

• Beyond MeToo: Part of the unrest comes from unmet populist promises, not just renewed focus on women’s rights.
  • "There’s also, I think, an underlying dissatisfaction that is...stoking the flames." (25:31, Molly)

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "Jeffrey Epstein, like Banquo's ghost, comes back."
  – Molly, 01:34

• "In 1996... my sister Maria bravely blew the whistle... [the FBI] hung up on her... no follow up of any kind."
  – Annie Farmer (read by Molly), 04:52

• "The conspiracy feels more like a conspiracy of silence of powerful men wherever they happen to find themselves."
  – Lydia, 07:21

• "There really is appetite for information. So even if the Trump DOJ... this list... there really is a feeling these names are getting read."
  – Molly, 11:00

• "There is this kind of cyclical nature... where there's accountability... and then there's a backlash."
  – Lydia, 12:42

• "These women were disenfranchised enough so they didn't have a powerful mom they could call."
  – Molly, 15:25

• "I think it'll actually be a really good thing if this whole network... are swept away... in some kind of shame..."
  – Lydia, 18:46

• "You had a base that had an origin story that was Donald Trump is going to end a sex trafficking ring... and here we are in 2025... it turns out to be true."
  – Molly, 22:42

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Press Conference and Political Impact: 00:59–02:53
• Historical Failures & Survivor Testimony: 03:55–05:42
• Origins & Broader Scope of MeToo: 05:51–07:22
• Role of Republican Women: 07:22–09:46
• The Cycle of MeToo Accountability: 11:06–14:43
• Privilege and Exploitation: 14:43–15:37
• Will Accountability Finally Happen?: 16:35–19:36
• Layers of Privilege & Moral Responsibility: 19:39–21:59
• Epstein’s Impact on Trump’s Coalition: 22:11–24:34
• Root Populist Discontent: 24:34–25:35

Conclusion

Lydia Polgreen and Molly Zhang, Fast provide a nuanced, historically-rooted discussion on the enduring power dynamics and cultural cycles unearthed by the Epstein saga. The episode exposes both the extraordinary and mundane ways privilege shields abusers and how cycles of scandal and reform continue to shape American politics and society. The guests tackle the disillusionment and hope woven into #MeToo, and the deep societal hunger for truth and change driving even the political establishment to momentary consensus. The conversation ends with a sober recognition of the ongoing fight for accountability and the unpredictable paths to justice and renewal.