In short
The episode centers on alleged DOJ coordination with Ghislaine Maxwell ahead of a House deposition. It claims Donald Trump’s DOJ—led by Todd Blanche (Trump’s former criminal defense attorney, now DOJ #2)—is meeting Maxwell in Tallahassee with her lawyer David Oscar Marcus, who reportedly confirmed discussions with DOJ and praised Trump’s “commitment to uncovering the truth.” The episode argues Maxwell has leverage to seek a sentence reduction/commutation or deal before the August 11 House subpoena, and suggests Trump may have wanted Marcus as his lawyer. It also cites Maxwell’s 20-year sex-trafficking conviction and DOJ sentencing language describing her role with Jeffrey Epstein and victim Virginia Giuffre.
Notable examples
Epstein files (300 gigabytes), Maureen Comey’s firing, and claims about Trump influencing media cancellations (Stephen Colbert).
Guests
Todd Blanche (interviewed on “For the Defense,” described as Trump’s former defense attorney turned DOJ #2).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOTrump and Maxwell's Meeting at DOJ
2:27 to 4:40
Discussion about the meeting between Trump’s DOJ and Ghislaine Maxwell.
“and Ghislaine Maxwell at the federal courthouse at the United States Attorney's Office there in Tallahassee, Florida.”
Potential Deals and Implications
4:40 to 10:02
Exploration of potential deals for Maxwell and political implications.
“Now, it seems obvious to me that Ghislaine Maxwell is expecting some sort of deal to be offered to her by Donald Trump right now, whether in the form of a pardon, a retrial, a commutation, something like that.”
Maxwell's Conviction and Trump's Actions
10:51 to 14:01
Analysis of Ghislaine Maxwell's conviction and Trump's interference.
“Thank you, Miracle Made, for sponsoring this episode.”
Ghislaine Maxwell's Accountability
14:01 to 15:09
Discussion on Ghislaine Maxwell's role in child exploitation and accountability.
“with Epstein for years, working as partners in crime and causing devastating harm to vulnerable victims.”
Trump's Intimidation Tactics
15:10 to 18:02
Analysis of Donald Trump's pressure tactics on media and political figures.
“And then the other threat that's going out by Donald Trump right now is he sent his FCC, the Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr, to speak with Fox.”
Disaster Relief Rejection
18:03 to 18:38
Discussion on Trump's rejection of disaster relief for Maryland floods.
“No wonder the rest of the world is moving away from America right now.”
Transcript
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2:26Ben Meiselas:Well, the meeting is taking place right now between Donald Trump's Department of Justice and Ghislaine Maxwell at the federal courthouse at the United States Attorney's Office there in Tallahassee, Florida. Donald Trump's former criminal defense attorney, Todd Blanche, who Donald Trump has appointed to be the number two at the Department of Justice, will be the one leading these meetings with Ghislaine Maxwell. Well, you can see him right there with a group of other DOJ lawyers. He'll be meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyer, a guy by the name of David Oscar Marcus. Now, Todd Blanche, Donald Trump's former criminal defense lawyer, who's now the number two at the DOJ, is very close friends with David Oscar Marcus, Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyer.
3:19Ben Meiselas:Now, in the Wall Street Journal article that came out over the past 24 to 48 hours, where they reported how Donald Trump was all over the Epstein files that have not been released, David Oscar Marcus confirmed his discussions with the Department of Justice, with Todd Blanche, by the way, one of his close friends, and said, We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case. Maxwell has been seeking to have her conviction overturned, contending she didn't receive a fair trial. Also, one of the rumors, but on good sourcing that I've heard from people in the legal community, is that Donald Trump actually wanted this guy, David Oscar Marcus, to be Donald Trump's lawyer.
4:08Ben Meiselas:They never formally worked out the deal in connection with the criminal cases against Donald Trump when he was not in office. Now, it should be noted as well that the House of Representatives subpoenaed Ghislaine Maxwell to have her deposition taken on August 11th. So Donald Trump ordered his Department of Justice, his former criminal defense attorney, Todd Blanche, immediately go see Ghislaine Maxwell right away, hear what she has to say before that deposition takes place with the House of Representatives. Now, it seems obvious to me that Ghislaine Maxwell is expecting some sort of deal to be offered to her by Donald Trump right now, whether in the form of a pardon, a retrial, a commutation, something like that.
4:56Ben Meiselas:Well, here's what David Oscar Marcus told CNN. Again, as for the congressional subpoena, Ms. Maxwell is taking this one step at a time. She looks forward to her meeting with the Department of Justice, and the discussion will help inform how she proceeds. As our editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski wrote, which means before she agrees to lie for Trump, she wants an agreement to a sentence reduction or commutation. Maxwell has a lot of leverage over Trump all of a sudden, and she is going to use it to benefit herself. Just so you see how chummy Donald Trump's criminal defense lawyer turned number two at the Department of Justice is with this guy, David Oscar Marcus.
5:37Ben Meiselas:Here they are together on Marcus's podcast. And you can see they're very close friends with each other. They're in the in circle right here. And they're the ones who are working together on this. And And that's why Trump sent Blanche to do this here. Play this clip. OK, I want to welcome Todd Blanche to For the Defense. Everybody knows who Todd is, and he's the first guest on For the Defense to appear twice. So welcome to the show, Todd. That is an honor. Thank you very much, David. I really appreciate it. So, I mean, you were a federal prosecutor. I'm sure you never could have imagined this when you were first starting out as an assistant United States attorney.
6:22How did you get here, Todd? How did you end up representing Donald Trump and and being in trial in the first of its kind case?
6:31Ben Meiselas:Now, all of the MAGA influencers are lining up to basically try to say, maybe Ghislaine Maxwell's good. Maybe she shouldn't be viewed as a sex trafficker. Maybe she's the victim here. Because this is how Trump's MAGA influencers are trying to now encourage her to basically join Team MAGA, say nice things about Donald Trump. And then maybe we can move on past the Epstein ordeal. Like maybe the people will all of a sudden forget that we weren't asking to get a statement from Ghislaine Maxwell, who's a known liar and sex trafficker in prison. Maybe what we wanted was the file, the Epstein files that the FBI and DOJ has, which has Trump's name all over it.
7:22Ben Meiselas:The 300 gigabytes, the phone intercepts, the emails. All that's what we want to see. The various lists show us that Newsmax sycophantic Trump supporter Greg Kelly says the following on Ghislaine Maxwell. She just might be a victim. She just might be. There was a rush to judgment. Charlie Kirk proposed offering Ghislaine Maxwell something in exchange for testimony regarding Epstein. Here's what he said. Now, Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyer has confirmed they are in discussions with the federal government about holding discussions. Maxwell is currently sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for sex trafficking, but is pursuing a claim that her trial was unfair.
8:04Since she is still contesting her own case, that may impact what she is ready to tell prosecutors. But maybe some kind of a deal could be reached for information. We will see.
8:14Ben Meiselas:MAGA Republican Congress member Tim Burchett admits that House Republicans may agree to ask the Department of Justice to reduce the sentence of sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for her testimony if they like what she has to say. You can't make this stuff up, folks. Here, play this clip.
8:44her head is if we find out she lies, she goes back to her original sentence. And that's looking at lifetime. And if she's looking at maybe parlaying this into reducing her sentence, then we could have some leverage there. The weather is heating up and your nighttime bedroom temperature has a huge impact on your sleep quality. If you wake up too hot or too cold, I highly recommend that you check out Miracle Made's bed sheets. Miracle Made sheets are inspired by NASA and use silver infused fabrics that are temperature regulating so you can sleep at the perfect temperature all night long. Now using those silver infused fabrics inspired by NASA, Miracle Made sheets are thermoregulating and designed to keep you at the perfect temperature all night long no matter the weather so you get better sleep every night.
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10:54Ben Meiselas:Now, just to remind you, the Department of Justice did deal with Ghislaine Maxwell and her attorneys. She was convicted of a felony sex trafficking and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Donald Trump fired Maureen Comey, the lead prosecutor in the case against Ghislaine Maxwell. Look at the government's sentencing memorandum from June 2022. You'll see on the bottom left, you see Maureen Comey. She was the lead prosecutor, the assistant United States attorney in New York who prosecuted Ghislaine and successfully got the conviction. Trump fired her. Why? Because Trump wants his own criminal defense attorney, Todd Blanche, who's friends with Ghislaine's lawyer, to have that meeting.
11:43Ben Meiselas:Wink, wink, wink. What's she going to say? Wink, wink, wink. Here's what the Department of Justice put in their sentencing memorandum. Ghislaine Maxwell played an instrumental role in the horrific sexual abuse of multiple young teenage girls. As part of a disturbing agreement with Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell identified, groomed, and abused multiple victims while she enjoyed a life of extraordinary luxury and privilege. In her wake, Maxwell left her victims permanently scarred with emotional and psychological injuries. That damage can never be undone, but it can be accounted for in crafting a just sentence for Maxwell's crimes.
12:20Ben Meiselas:The government respectfully submits this memorandum in connection with the sentencing, and they request basically that she go to prison for over 20 years. Given the exceptionally serious nature of defendants' year-long participation, years-long participation in the sexual abuse of minors, then it says you need to have these serious considerations to throw her away basically for the rest of her life. Then it goes on to talk about how the government addresses each of these factors. However, certain aspects of defendant's submissions bear addressing up front. First, the court should reject defendant's request for a reduced sentence in light of conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
13:00Ben Meiselas:The defendant's claims are inaccurate, and in fact, the defendant has enjoyed remarkable privileges in a high-profile inmate that vastly exceeded the benefits accorded to the average inmate. It is unsurprising that a woman who had led a life of incredible luxury should complain about her life as a prisoner. but the fact that does not come close to meriting leniency at sentencing, much less the extraordinary degree of leniency that defendant seeks. If anything stands out from defendant's sentencing submission, it is her complete failure to address her offense conduct and her utter lack of remorse.
13:34Ben Meiselas:Instead of showing even a hint of acceptance of responsibility, the defendant makes a desperate attempt to cast blame wherever else she can. On that score, defendants attempt to cast aspersions on the government for prosecuting her and her claim that she's being held responsible for Epstein's crimes are both absurd and offensive. Maxwell was an adult who made her own choices. She made the choice to sexually exploit numerous underage girls. She made the choice to conspire with Epstein for years, working as partners in crime and causing devastating harm to vulnerable victims. She should be held accountable for her disturbing role in an extensive child exploitation scheme.
14:17Ben Meiselas:That comes from the government right there. And then, by the way, in that submission, they talk about her victim, Virginia Giuffre, who was an underage girl working at Mar-a-Lago, and that's when Ghislaine Maxwell found her at Mar-a-Lago intentionally and then brought her to be sex trafficked by Epstein. That's in that submission as well. I think one of the reasons why Donald Trump fired Maureen Comey. Donald Trump also posted the following this morning. Everyone is stating that I will destroy Elon Musk's companies by taking away some, if not all, of the large-scale subsidies he receives from the U.S.
14:52Ben Meiselas:government. This is not so. I want Elon and all businesses within our country to thrive. In fact, thrive like never before. The better they do, the better the USA does. And that's good for all of us. We're setting records every day and I want to keep it that way. Again, that's a veiled threat. It should be obvious right there. And then the other threat that's going out by Donald Trump right now is he sent his FCC, the Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr, to speak with Fox. Now, many people believe that Trump and Brendan Carr forced CBS to fire Stephen Colbert and that they're basically threatening all of these networks.
15:30Ben Meiselas:If you don't get rid of the comics and the hosts, that Trump doesn't like. If you don't get rid of him, we're going to harm your network or we're going to sanction you or we're going to harm your stock price. We're coming after you. So here, Fox asks this guy, the FCC chair, did Trump have anything to do with the cancellation of Colbert's show? To which Brendan Carr responds, basically, Trump did. He basically admits it right here. As our editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski writes, media companies continue to surrender to these authoritarian intimidation tactics to screw over their audience and the American people.
16:11Ben Meiselas:Here, let's play this clip. Thanks. Good to be with you. Let's just go ahead and get it out of the way. Did President Trump have anything to do with the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show? Well, here's what's important to keep in mind is a broader dynamic. When President Trump ran for election. He ran right at these legacy broadcast media outfits in the New York and Hollywood elites that are behind it. And he smashed the facade that these are gatekeepers that can control what Americans think and what Americans can say. And once you do that, you've exposed the business model of a lot of these outfits as being nothing more than a partisan circus.
16:48And so I think there's a lot of consequences that are flowing from President Trump deciding, I'm not going to play by the rules of politicians in the past and let these legacy outfits dictate the narratives in the terms of the debate. And he's succeeding. Just look at what's happening. NPR has been defunded. PBS has been defunded. Colbert is getting cancer. You've got anchors in news media personalities losing their jobs. Again, all of this is downstream of President Trump's decision to stand up. And he stood up to the American people because the American people do not trust these legacy gatekeepers anymore.
17:21And all of this, I think, is consequences of that broader dynamic. Okay. I asked you a very direct question. I did not hear a yes or a no in your answer. I heard a maybe. Yeah. Ultimately, these are business decisions for CBS to make and for these outfits to make. And I'm shocked at the type of stuff that you just played, they don't find to be in their profitable business interests.
17:43Ben Meiselas:Now, finally, I want to show this as well. The White House today has rejected disaster relief that Governor Westmore requested for Maryland floods. The Trump White House, actually yesterday, rejected a disaster relief request from Governor Westmore following devastating flooding in western Maryland. Moore requested$15.8 million in disaster relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, for repairs due to heavy flooding in May. It was just basically a few sentences saying it is hereby rejected because that is the fascist regime in the United States covering up for pedophiles, covering up serious sex trafficking rings, engaging in vile corruption in plain view.
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From the publisher
MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Donald Trump’s Thursday morning as Ghislaine Maxwell meets with Trump’s DOJ.
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