Trump Threatens Republicans Who Want to Release the Epstein Files & How the NFL has Deflated Their Integrity
September 9, 2025
What I’m Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: Free speech is in danger—but that’s because we don’t think enough about what is being said.
We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health: Nine former leaders of the CDC—Republicans and Democrats—issue a dire warning about the dangers of RFK Jr.’s leadership. It’s worse than you thought.
Justice Department talks about banning transgender gun owners spark fury across political spectrum: This kind of twisted lawmaking is how we destroy America. Who’s next?
Frantic Trump Tries to Kill Vote to Force Open Epstein Files: Trump threatens Republicans who support releasing the Epstein files. You figure out why.
Video Timeout: This simple demonstration reveals the depth of the love these parents have for their daughter.
Notes from the Sidelines: The Brady Exception is another case of the NFL jettisoning objectivity and integrity: The NFL has recently made some questionable decisions that compromise their reputation.
Beyond Borders: Why the World Matters: Car rides and hand-holding: Putin, Modi and Xi send Trump a pointed message, & Xi, Putin and Kim show united front at huge Chinese military parade: Trump bullied India into China and Russia’s arms. That’s going to hurt us economically and politically.
What I’m Watching on TV: The Thursday Murder Club movie is great fun with a great cast, and The Marlow Murder Club is mildly entertaining.
Magical Moments in Sports: How long can you hold your breath under water? Prepare to be shocked by what this man did.
Dave Brubeck Plays “Take Five”: The best-selling jazz single of all time.
Kareem’s Daily Quote
People demand freedom of speech as compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.
Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), existentialist philosopher
In part, Kierkegaard meant that people often confuse the right of freedom of speech with the responsibility to say something rational and insightful. Freedom of speech does not require the speaker to be articulate, truthful, or logical—they are free to lie, bloviate, and misdirect the audience. It’s up to the listener to critically analyze whatever is being said. Unfortunately, as of late, that last part has too often gone missing.
In the past few months, we’ve seen evidence of the Trump administration lying to the public about the bombing of Iran, about sinking approval ratings, about crime figures in D.C., about vaccinations, about economic figures, about the death penalty, about climate change, and so forth. Yet, Trump is never held accountable. Why? Free speech and all that. But I wonder if politicians who lie shouldn’t be held criminally liable for misleading the public because the repercussions of those lies can be catastrophic. They affect the health, lives, jobs, and safety of people.
Lying to the public is one example of the abuse of free speech. Another is the administration’s efforts to curtail the free speech of those who criticize them. Trump has filed lawsuits and withheld money—sometimes illegally—to punish anyone using free speech. Comedian Rosie O’Donnell has criticized Trump’s performance, and this week he posted renewed threats: “We are giving serious thought to taking away Rosie O’Donnell’s Citizenship.” How is it not illegal to even threaten to take away someone’s citizenship for using their free speech rights? [Trump previously threatened Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and Al Sharpton with legal action for supporting Kamala Harris.]
Last week, I reported on Ron DeSantis having over 400 crosswalks painted over—despite all having been pre-approved by the state of Florida—because he thinks art as free speech should be silenced (remember, he cut the state’s entire art budget this year). The National Guard was unnecessarily sent into Los Angeles to quell legitimate protests. Protests are one of the oldest traditions of political free speech in this country. America would not exist if it weren’t for protests.
On August 25, Trump signed an executive order “requiring the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute people for burning the American flag, an activity that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled is legitimate political expression protected by the U.S. Constitution.” (“Trump moves to ban flag burning despite Supreme Court ruling that Constitution allows it.”) Trump explained, “You burn a flag, you get one year in jail. You don’t get 10 years, you don’t get one month. You get one year in jail, and it goes on your record, and you will see flag burning stopping immediately.”
His statement presupposes that we as a country want flag burning to stop. But flag burning isn’t the issue: the causes that create the people’s frustration that result in flag burning is what must be stopped. Flag burning is merely a symptom that forces us to pay attention to the disease. One of those frustrations is having a president defy the U.S. Supreme Court (not for the first time), which already ruled that flag burning is a protected form of free speech. Therefore, Trump’s executive order is in direct violation of our free speech. If seeing a flag burn infuriates you more than seeing this executive order, you are contributing to the downfall of free speech in America. Understanding that difference is the freedom of thought Kierkegaard was referring to, because it means putting aside the patriotic brainwashing to be sentimental about symbols and instead fighting for the liberties that are actually being threatened.