The Tara Palmeri Show

Episode: Trump’s Obscene Birthday Message to Epstein REVEALED

Host: Tara Palmeri
Date: September 11, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Tara Palmeri, joined by Don Lemon and other contributors, unpacks recent developments in the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein saga—most notably, the revelation of a birthday card purportedly sent from Donald Trump to Epstein. The discussion delves into journalistic integrity, the sweeping influence of Epstein among elites, reactions from political figures and the media, and the implications for victims and the broader public. The conversation is candid, detailed, and charged with the urgency and skepticism that have come to define Palmeri’s reporting style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context: The Epstein Files & Trump’s Birthday Card

• Victims and Justice:
  • Tara emphasizes the importance of transparency for Epstein’s victims now that further evidence is surfacing, especially the alleged Trump birthday card.

    “It’s a great day for them because it shows that some of the evidence is coming to light. ... It shows that there’s more there. There’s there there.” (Tara Palmeri, 00:52)

• Legislative Pressure:
  • Current reporting may increase pressure on House Republicans to support legislation compelling DOJ to release Epstein files.
• Journalism’s Role:
  • Palmeri lauds The Wall Street Journal for their steadfast reporting amid Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit, highlighting the role of both independent and institutional journalism.

    “They stuck with their reporting and were willing to go to the mat ... a really good moment for journalism.” (Tara Palmeri, 01:28)

2. White House and Republican Pushback

• Official Denials:
  • Don Lemon reads a statement from Trump’s press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, labeling the story “false” and “fake news to perpetrate the Democrat Epstein hoax.”
  • Don and Tara debate the performative nature of these denials, noting the press secretary’s job often involves defending the indefensible.

    “Their job is to speak for somebody else. Some people do it with a sort of gusto ... It’s particularly endemic to this administration to having to lie.” (Tara Palmeri, 04:18)

3. Other Elites’ Birthday Cards to Epstein

• Palmeri reveals that many other influential figures also sent suggestive or disturbing messages to Epstein, including executives and media owners.
  • Noteworthy: Nathan Myrvold (Microsoft) sent animal mating photos; Les Wexner doodled a woman’s breasts; Mort Zuckerman joked about digging up dirt; Bill Clinton lauded Epstein’s “childlike curiosity.”
• The normalization of “sexual deviance” and open secrets in elite circles is dissected.

  “A lot of the notes to Epstein suggested sexual deviance ... it was all kind of hanging out there in plain sight.” (Tara Palmeri, 05:56)

4. Financial Institutions’ Complicity

• Palmeri and Lemon discuss The New York Times deep dive showing JP Morgan’s ties to Epstein, the bank’s failures to cut him off, and possible broader implications.
  • Notably, the bank set up accounts for minor victims, ignored anti-money-laundering red flags, and facilitated massive funds movement.
• Tara suspects Epstein operated as a “hyper fixer” for both finance and intelligence communities, enabling the scale of his crimes.

  “He was a hyper fixer, not just for financial institutions, but also, I believe from my reporting, with intelligence agencies.” (Tara Palmeri, 09:13)

• The follow-the-money approach (“Senator Ron Wyden is right: follow the money”) is highlighted as key to understanding the ongoing revelations.

5. Conservative & MAGA Reactions to the Card

• Don Lemon references public denials, including JD Vance’s dismissive tweet and right-wing influencer Jack Posobiec’s sarcasm.
  • Signature Debate: MAGA voices contest the authenticity, but signature comparisons are compelling.

    “Remember when they said he doesn’t doodle and then you found out that his doodles were sold at Sotheby’s at auction?” (Tara Palmeri, 11:13)

• Conservative commentators attempt to shift focus or diminish significance, but the “genie won’t go back in the bottle.”

  “One thing that they can’t contain ... This is like the genie they’re trying to put back in the bottle and just will not go back in the bottle.” (Don Lemon, 13:54)

6. Trump and the FBI-Informant Rumor

• House Speaker Mike Johnson briefly asserted Trump was an informant against Epstein, referencing victim attorney Brad Edwards.
• Palmeri clarifies: Trump once provided some assistance to Edwards, but he was not an FBI informant. Trump’s involvement was transactional (linked to personal real estate rivalry), and his actions did not amount to meaningful intervention.

  “That’s what happened. That’s not the FBI informant.” (Tara Palmeri, 18:02)

• Palmeri asserts that by not taking significant action, Trump (and others) were tacit enablers of Epstein’s behavior.

  “When people don’t do anything about it, they become enablers themselves, in my opinion.” (Tara Palmeri, 18:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On journalistic courage:

  “Sometimes you just have to ... seeing is believing in this case.”
  — Tara Palmeri (02:31)

• On press secretary spin:

  “I think when you’re a public servant, your job first and foremost is to inform the public of the truth. Right. But am I surprised? No. This seems incredibly plausible to me.”
  — Tara Palmeri (05:03)

• On elite circles all knowing Epstein’s nature:

  “It was all kind of hanging out there in plain sight that this was a deviant, perverted man who just so happened to be really rich.”
  — Tara Palmeri (06:22)

• On financial system complicity:

  “This is a bank participating in sex trafficking essentially ... or facilitating sex trafficking. Excuse me.”
  — Tara Palmeri (08:05)

• On right-wing denialism:

  “They are scrambling so much. It is insane.”
  — Tara Palmeri (11:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:52] — Why the latest Epstein revelation is important for victims and journalism
• [04:18] — The role (and compromise) of press secretaries
• [05:56] — Details on other elites' obscene cards to Epstein
• [06:56] — JP Morgan’s and Deutsche Bank’s financial facilitation of Epstein’s crimes
• [09:13] — Tara’s assertion Epstein was more than just a financier: “hyper fixer” for power brokers
• [10:23] — Conservative denials and debate over authenticity of the Trump card and signature
• [13:54] — Don Lemon on right-wing containment efforts: "The genie won't go back in the bottle"
• [14:25] — Brad Edwards and the reality of Trump’s role: subpoena response, not FBI informant
• [18:41] — Palmeri’s closing thoughts on accountability and complicity

Conclusion

Tara Palmeri’s episode delivers a bracing, detailed dissection of the latest Trump-Epstein revelation, capturing the persistence of elite networks, failures of accountability, and the ongoing challenges for survivors and journalists. She and her guests expose the relentless spinning, institutional rot, and the reality that while truth can be buried, persistent reporting ensures that, eventually, “seeing is believing.”

For more, listen to the full episode or follow Palmeri’s ongoing reporting on Substack and YouTube.