Breaking: Donald Trump has Terrible Presidents’ Day as Mass Protests Break Out

Summary

---

The Parnas Perspective

Episode: Breaking: Donald Trump has Terrible Presidents’ Day as Mass Protests Break Out
Host: Aaron Parnas
Date: February 16, 2026

---

Overview

On this pivotal Presidents’ Day episode, Aaron Parnas dives into a day of major political upheaval and public outcry. The show covers massive anti-Trump protests in New York, disturbing new details on the Epstein files and ongoing cover-ups, the fallout of a tragic mass shooting in Rhode Island, and high-level political maneuvers as Democrats prepare for potential power shifts in Congress. Aaron interviews Congressman Dan Goldman, a leader in past Trump impeachment efforts, for an insider’s perspective on the path forward for accountability and justice.

---

Key Discussion Points

1. Protests Against President Trump

• Location: Trump Tower, New York City
• Event: Hundreds gathered to demand Trump's resignation on Presidents’ Day, intensifying visible dissent against the current administration.
• Notable Moment: Parnas recounts the live scene ([01:15])

2. Epstein Files, Zorro Ranch Sale, and Faltering Transparency

• Revelation: The family of Donald Huffins, a Trump-allied Texas businessman, anonymously purchased Epstein's infamous Zorro Ranch for $13.4 million (2023)—a property never searched by authorities despite its known connection to child abuse ([02:10]).
  • “The campaign has not explained the purpose of the acquisition and to this day the Zorro Ranch has not been searched by state or federal authorities.” – Aaron Parnas ([02:31])
• Escalating Scrutiny: The Trump administration has halted further release of Epstein files, citing insufficient reasons and prompting bipartisan outrage.
• Call to Action: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (quoted via Parnas) demands Attorney General Pam Bondi’s resignation or impeachment for obstructing Epstein-related investigations.

3. Resignation Fallout: Tom Pritzker and Epstein Links

• Development: Hyatt Hotels Executive Chairman Tom Pritzker retires, citing association with Jeffrey Epstein ([04:34]).

4. Tragedy in Rhode Island: Another Mass Shooting

• Incident: Shooting at a Pawtucket hockey game leaves one dead, four injured—underscoring the country’s gun violence epidemic ([04:36]).
• Aaron’s Reflection:
  • “Children can no longer even play hockey in peace without having to fear a possible mass shooting.” – Aaron Parnas ([00:52], reiterated at [04:46])

5. Interview: Congressman Dan Goldman on Epstein Files, Impeachment Prospects, and Election Integrity

Parnas hosts a penetrating interview with Rep. Dan Goldman, highlighting institutional failings and outlining possible paths for congressional oversight.

A. DOJ’s Epstein Files Obstruction

• Goldman’s Take:
  • “This is a massive cover-up. It is becoming more and more clear … there’s no possible way that two and a half million documents are not covered by the requirements of the bill.” – Rep. Dan Goldman ([07:22])
  • Critiques lack of adequate privilege logs and transparency from DOJ.
  • Believes public and political pressure, rather than internal DOJ mechanisms, could force greater disclosure.
• Enforcement Weakness: Parnas asks about enforcing the Epstein Files Transparency Act if DOJ refuses to comply; Goldman notes the challenge but insists that "public opinion still does matter" ([09:25–11:12]).
  • “The administration … [is] covering up for Donald Trump, but it’s also clear that they’re covering up for others who were involved while exposing and intimidating the survivors and the victims. And that’s just not going to fly with the American people, both Democrat and Republican.” – Rep. Dan Goldman ([10:30])

B. Trump’s Name in the Files

• Parnas: Directly questions whether Trump’s name appears more often than publicly revealed ([11:12]).
• Goldman:
  • Admits he hasn't fully sifted through ~3 million pages, but identifies clear instances where Trump's relationship with Epstein is discussed in unredacted files.
  • “If there’s one example of that that we know about, imagine how many more examples there are that we don’t know about because there are 2 and a half to 3 million additional documents that are not provided.” ([12:26])

C. Anticipating Accusations of Foreign Election Interference

• Topic: Secretary Kristi Noem’s comments about ensuring “the right people” vote.
• Goldman’s Response:
  • "It’s chilling ... She effectively said the quiet part out loud ... this is to try to influence the election, potentially rig or steal the election.” ([14:00])
  • Dismisses GOP rhetoric on voter fraud as "total bogus," citing studies and lack of evidence.

D. On Impeachment and Accountability

• If Democrats Retake the House:
  • Parnas inquires about plans for impeachment ([16:06]).
  • Goldman’s Strategic Vision:
    • “I believe what is really important is less the actual articles of impeachment, but the investigation and the process ... Even the process of doing that will be beneficial for transparency and accountability with the American public.” ([16:32])
    • Stresses the role of robust investigations in informing and engaging the public, even if convicting the president in the Senate remains unrealistic.
    • Committed to leading thorough oversight and possible impeachment if evidence warrants.

---

Notable Quotes

• Aaron Parnas on the climate of violence and accountability:

  • “Children can no longer even play hockey in peace without having to fear a possible mass shooting.” ([00:52])
  • “The campaign has not explained the purpose of the acquisition and to this day the Zorro Ranch has not been searched by state or federal authorities.” ([02:31])

• Rep. Dan Goldman on DOJ’s Epstein files cover-up:

  • “This is a massive cover up. It is becoming more and more clear that it is in part because of what we know about their redactions, but also in part because there's no possible way that two and a half million documents are not covered by the requirements of the bill.” ([07:22])
  • “The administration … [is] covering up for Donald Trump, but it’s also clear that they’re covering up for others who were involved while exposing and intimidating the survivors and the victims.” ([10:30])

• Rep. Goldman on Kristi Noem's comments:

  • “She effectively said the quiet part out loud ... this is to try to influence the election, potentially rig or steal the election.” ([14:00])

• Goldman on impeachment’s purpose:

  • “What is really important is less the actual articles of impeachment, but the investigation and the process... Even the process of doing that will be beneficial for transparency and accountability with the American public.” ([16:32])

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Protest Coverage & Zorro Ranch exposé | 00:35–03:26 | | Ocasio Cortez Demands Pam Bondi Resignation | 03:00–03:26 | | Mass Shooting Report (Rhode Island) | 04:34–04:56 | | Interview Intro – Dan Goldman | 06:10–06:35 | | DOJ’s Epstein Files Cover-Up | 07:22–09:07 | | Legal Barriers & Congressional Leverage | 09:07–11:12 | | Trump’s Name in Epstein Files | 11:12–13:14 | | Kristi Noem “Right People Vote” & Election Integrity| 13:38–16:06 | | Impeachment’s Value and Democratic Strategy | 16:06–19:24 |

---

Memorable Moments

• The emotional charge as Parnas describes scenes from the ground at Trump Tower and the haunting reality of a mass shooting at a children’s hockey game.
• Ocasio Cortez’s scathing rebuke of the Attorney General over Epstein cover-ups, delivered with righteous exasperation ([03:26]).
• Congressman Dan Goldman’s unwavering insistence on accountability and transparency, laying out a blueprint for congressional Democrats if they regain power ([16:32]).

---

Tone & Style

The episode is passionate, urgent, and heavily informed by insider political and legal analysis. Aaron Parnas maintains a balance of journalistic clarity and emotional drive, especially when confronting issues of child abuse, gun violence, and government accountability. Goldman speaks directly and plainly, offering a strategic yet principled approach to the checks and balances of American democracy.

---

For listeners wanting a thorough immersion in the current political and legal turmoil—especially relating to Trump’s presidency, the Epstein scandal, and Democratic strategies for 2026—this episode is unmissable.

Transcript

[A]

Ever notice how ads always pop up at the worst moments when the killer's identity is about to be revealed during that perfect meditation flow On Amazon Music, we believe in keeping you in the moment. That's why we've got millions of ad free podcast episodes so you can stay completely immersed in every story, every reveal, every breath. Download the Amazon Music app and start listening to your favorite podcasts. Ad free included with Prime Major Developments.

[B]

This afternoon on President's Day, the President of the United States faced a large scale protest outside of one of his marquee flagship buildings in New York City with protesters saying Trump must go now. At the same time I spoke with a Congressman this afternoon, Congressman Dan Goldman, who led the impeachment efforts as counsel during the first Trump administration, who says that impeachment is a viable tool that Congress should consider using next time the Democrats take over the House of Representatives. We're learning this afternoon more information about Epstein Files, specifically who purchased the Zorro Ranch in New Mexico that Epstein owned and abused children at and at the same time a horrific mass shooting has struck the community of Rhode island at a local hockey game between two boys schools. Children can no longer even play hockey in peace without having to fear a possible mass shooting. Make sure to like, comment, share and subscribe. You may not like this news, but the more you like, the more people see it. And please subscribe to support my work to my substack click the link below. While big tech companies suppress this work, while TikTok suppresses mention of Epstein, I won't stop. Not now, not ever. This afternoon large scale protests have broken out in front of Trump Tower, New York on President's Day against the current President of the United States. Take a listen and watch what is happening in New York. Hundreds of people in front of Donald Trump's flagship marquee building came out, made their voice heard. It comes as we're learning more about the Epstein files, specifically who purchased the Zorro Ranch that had never been searched. The Sorrel Ranch, as you know, is where several instances of child abuse occur, child sexual abuse and according to new documents. New documents show the family of Donald Huffins, a Texas businessman and self described Trump Republican currently running for State Comptroller, bought Jeffrey Epstein Zorro Ranch at a public auction in 2023 for a reassessed value of $13.4 million. The property was the site where Epstein abused teenage girls and was purchased through an LLC linked to Huffin's family. The campaign has not explained the purpose of the acquisition and to this day the Zorro Ranch has not been searched by state or federal authorities. And it comes as the Trump administration is saying, no more Epstein files. You get everything that we've already released and nothing more. And, well, it's facing significant scrutiny. Congresswoman Ocasio Cortez in Europe made clear that it's time for Pam Bondi to either be impeached or to resign.

[C]

Just shocking to see all of this and we cannot let it go and we cannot allow them to desensitize us to this. It does not surprise me that the same authors of the quote, unquote, anti cancel culture movement, Right, all of these people who have been trying to tell us that basic humanity and upholding standards of dignity is cancel culture. It's not surprising to me that they say, oh, you can't speak out against this or that. You can't hold that person accountable because it's cancel culture. Now, I'm sure they don't want us to hold pedophilia accountable and they think having an anti pedophilia stance would be cancel culture. That's the erosion in culture morality that that is being hinted at here when Pam Bondi says there's no more work here to be done. Really, you are the Attorney General of the United States of America and you don't want to hold any one of these pedophiles accountable. Resign or be impeached.

[B]

Now comes this afternoon as we're learning more fallout from the Epstein files. Hyatt Hotels Executive Chairman Tom Pritzker has announced that he will retire from his position at the company, will not stand for re election to its board, citing an association with Jeffrey Epstein. All while in Rhode Island. The community of Pawtucket, Rhode island has been gripped with a mass shooting. Another mass shooting in the United States of America, this time between two local schools during a hockey game at a local ice rink. One person has been confirmed dead. Four others have been hospitalized. The status of those four others at this hour remains unknown. But I'm going to show you a clip of the shooting itself. It's not graphic, but it is terrifying because it shows what children in the United States of America have to go through. So let this serve as a trigger warning before going to the clip. Here it is. It. That is the reality of children in the United States of America going to a local hockey game and facing a mass shooting. Another day, another mass shooting in the United States of America. This afternoon, I spoke with Congressman Dan Goldman, who led the impeachment efforts of Donald Trump, the first Trump administration. He is now a member of Congress. And he says that if reelected and if given the majority in the House of Representatives, he will personally oversee investigations into the Trump White House. Investigations that he say could lead to the impeachment of the President of the United States. And even if, according to him, impeachment may be futile because you may never get 67 votes in the United States Senate, it is still worth pursuing. Make sure to like, comment, share and subscribe here's my interview with Congressman Goldman. Excited to be joined today by Congressman Dan Goldman this afternoon. Now Congressman, I want to jump right into it and talk about an announcement made this over the weekend from Attorney General Pam Bondi and the doj. They say they're done releasing Epstein files. They released about three to three and a half million files. They have over six million in their possession. What's your reaction to them just saying we're done?

[D]

Oh, it's absolutely absurd. And what's even more absurd is the farce that was their letter that announced that. And according to the Epstein Files Transparency act, they were required within 15 days of turning over the documents to explain to Congress the reason for any redactions or any withholdings. The letter, about half of it was about 300 names of people of either politicians or what they call politically exposed persons that were all lumped in together, including me because I was in a couple of news articles as well as, you know, a number of potential accomplices or co conspirators and missing a bunch of different names. But it did not explain at all why they are withholding the two and a half to three million documents. It gave vague reasons of privileges for the redactions, but it did not go item by item privilege log, which would be the ordinary and standard practice to do that. So this is a massive cover up. It is becoming more and more clear that it is in part because of what we know about their redactions, but also in part because there's no possible way that two and a half million documents are not covered by the requirements of the bill. And so we are figuring out our next steps. But this is the beginning, not the end of getting true transparency.

[B]

Well, so I want to ask you about those next steps because the way I read the law, it's a little troubling in that enforcement is difficult. Right. Who's enforcing if the DOJ doesn't comply with the law? Typically it'd be the doj. And in this case why would the DOJ go after itself? So, so how do you enforce a violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

[D]

Well, I think there are a couple of different ways. One is to continue to ratchet up the pressure to explain to the public why they have not complied and why this is part of a cover up, because the public pressure, political pressure matters. The other thing that can be done is to hold doj, hold Pam Bondi in contempt. That can be criminal contempt, which would go to the, to the DOJ for potential criminal prosecution. Obviously, we don't expect them, as you point out, to investigate or prosecute themselves. But there's also civil contempt where it can go to court. But I think that what we have seen with the Epstein files in particular to get to this point is that public pressure matters and this is a bipartisan issue. The administrator, the administration, Donald Trump, Pam Bondi, Todd Blanche, they are covering up a massive, massive scheme, the depths of which we still don't know. There's no question they're covering up for Donald Trump, but it's also clear that they're covering up for others who were involved while exposing and intimidating the survivors and the victims. And that's just not going to fly with the American people, both Democrat and Republican. And so I think that the public pressure that continues to build and will continue to build will have an impact because it will have an impact on House Republicans who are up for election in November. And it'll. Public opinion still does matter.

[B]

Now, based on your review of the unredacted files, because I know you mentioned online that you went and reviewed those. Is the President's name mentioned more often than we've seen publicly?

[D]

I have not done, I Gotta be honest, 3 million pages. I've not done a thorough search. What I have seen and I, Jamie Raskin and I both pointed to the same document that I brought up in the committee hearing with Pam Bondi, where a statement or notes of what Donald Trump apparently said to other, another lawyer about his knowledge and understanding of, of Epstein and his relationship with Epstein, it was redacted publicly, but it was unredacted privately or sorry, I should say, for the members of Congress. When I asked Pam Bondi why it was redacted publicly, she said attorney client privilege. Now, there are any number of different reasons why she's wrong, including the fact that if it were attorney client privilege, it should not be unredacted for members of Congress either. So it's, it's a total bogus explanation. But that, and I'm going to be following up on this in the coming days to explain why it is so important and so relevant, but it contradicts other things that Donald Trump has said. And so if there's one example of that that we know about, imagine how many more examples there are that we don't know about because there are 2 and a half to 3 million additional documents that are not provided to us redacted or unredacted. And so I am certain that there is a lot more information that they are not sharing based on bogus assertions of privilege that relate to Donald Trump.

[B]

I do want to.

[D]

Sorry to interrupt again. There are plenty that are in there, too. Let's not, you know, let's not forget about the numerous allegations, know, some of which were not chased down, others of which have been corroborated. But somehow, some way, Pam Bondi has just decided that he hasn't done anything. There's no evidence of him committing a crime.

[B]

I do want to briefly touch base on Secretary Noem. Obviously, we're in a partial government shutdown that doesn't seem to have an end anytime soon. But over the weekend she said that she's going to be working heading into November to make sure that we, quote, have the right people, people vote to elect the right leaders. That's a direct quote from the secretary. What's your response to hearing something like that from the DHS secretary?

[D]

I mean, it's chilling. And given my experience and what I know about Kristi Noem is that she's not very good at doing the dark arts of politics that Donald Trump operates in. And so she effectively said the quiet powder out loud. We, we have, I certainly have been saying for weeks now that the ultimate plan and at least one significant aspect of this immigration dragnet is to try to influence the election, potentially rig or steal the election. But she just came out in the open and said that she's the head of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Homeland Security has control over elections, which it doesn't, the states do, and that the department is going to have to make sure that the right people vote. I don't know, you know, any other way of viewing that than trying to rig the election for Republicans. And part of the reason is because this whole allegation, this whole theory that undocumented immigrants vote is just total bogus. There is no data. There is no evidence. And there have been many studies, including by the Heritage foundation, the right wing think tank that demonstrates that it's just not a thing. It does not happen. And there have been studies that have analyzed whether it has happened or not. So people will say, oh, well, it's just not caught. No. Entire voter rolls have been examined from different states, including 2020 in Georgia, to determine whether there was any meaningful voter fraud. And there isn't. And so I think it's. It was her ineptitude and incompetence that revealed what the actual plan is, and that is to steal the election.

[B]

Well, so I want to take, I guess, a macro level view at all of this. Say Democrats win the House of Representatives in November or and I guess the United States Senate in November. You led, you were a lead counsel on the impeachment effort of the president during his first administration. Is impeachment something we should be looking at? Whether it's about the president or Noem or any one of his cabinet secretaries. Is that a worthwhile effort in your opinion?

[D]

So I have a lot of thoughts about this, as you can imagine, having, you know, led the first impeachment investigation. And I actually think that that Ukraine impeachment investigation is, is very indicative of the value of impeachment. We never expected to get 67 senators to convict Donald Trump. And I think now after January 6th, if that can't get 67 senators to convict Donald Trump, given what he did, it's hard to imagine that there will be a scenario where anyone in this polarized political environment will get 67 votes to convict them. But that does not mean it's not valuable. And I believe it is important. But I believe what is really important is less the actual articles of impeachment, but the investigation and the process, because what ended up happening with the Ukraine impeachment is that because we did a real investigation, we were able to build a case with Republican witnesses. We presented it to the American people, both through House hearings and then through a Senate trial. The public understood the corruption and the abuse of power that Donald Trump used as it related to Ukraine in 2019. Now, putting aside the fact that that seems quaint given what he's been doing now, I continue to believe that it had a material impact on the 2020 election, which Donald Trump lost, and that the voters understood better what he was doing. And that was because of the investigation and because of the case, less because of the fact of the articles of impeachment. And so what I plan on doing is, you know, in my role on the Judiciary Committee, and I may be the chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee on the Judiciary Committee, if we are, if we do flip the House, which I expect we will, is I plan on doing all sorts of investigations. And if they rise to the level of impeachment, I think it's very important for historical purposes. I think it's very important to define what the Constitution means, that that we continue and follow through with impeachment. And if that means articles of impeachment, then we should do it. And just because the Senate is so politicized that they won't convict doesn't mean the House should not do its job. But even the process of doing that will be beneficial to for transparency and accountability with the American public.

[B]

Congressman, thank you so much for taking the time this afternoon.

[D]

Thanks for having me, Aaron hey folks.

[B]

Thanks so much for watching. Feel free to add this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you watch for the latest breaking news and daily hits throughout the day. Make sure to follow subscribe. See you soon for more big news.

[A]

Wayfair's President's Day clearance is on now and you can score tons of huge deals like Wayfair's best deals since Black Friday right now through February 16th. You can score up to 70% off everything home at Wayfair. Like up to 50% off mattresses with fast and easy shipping straight to your door. Plus amazing flash deals on President's Day. Shop Wayfair's Presidents Day clearance now through February 16th.

[C]

Wayfair Every style, every home.