How the GOP stopped Hillary exposing Epstein links — and more notes from a Trump resister

• The idea that lawmakers should have been deposing Bill and Hillary Clinton over the past few days is particularly ludicrous given how loudly, and absurdly, Donald Trump is claiming complete exoneration with regard to the Epstein Files despite having his fingerprints all over them. Hillary testified to the House Oversight Committee that she had no information for them and couldn’t recall meeting Jeffrey Epstein. Bill obviously met him. But what is it Republicans are fishing for? It feels like the Clintons are a step ahead of them, maybe two or three.

• I think Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) leaked photos of Hillary in her closed-door deposition in order to shut down the charade and prevent her from speculating about things the Republicans didn’t want discussed — like, everything being hidden from view. Hillary argued that reporters should be let in to make the proceedings open and transparent: the two words those running the deposition feared most.

• Meanwhile, the massive coverup of Trump’s involvement with Epstein — or more specifically, his alleged sexual assault of a young girl, per her accusation — continues apace. The files are suddenly missing several key records about the claim in question. This is puzzling only in that the disappearance of these documents has turned such a vivid spotlight upon them. It’s something you might do if you were purposely trying to, I don’t know, make the Department of Injustice look like it was hiding something.

• Elsewhere, the unqualified bozo the administration is pushing to be the next U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Casey Means, doesn’t hold an active license to practice medicine and identifies as a “wellness influencer.” By that definition, anyone who recommends Ibuprofen for a headache is a wellness influencer — including me. Once again, Trump and Co insist on choosing the worst imaginable candidate for a once-respected position.

• Why does Trump choose such imbeciles to be in charge of everything from medicine to law to the military? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was hellbent on destroying the country. Or to put it another way, I’d say he was doing Vladimir Putin’s bidding by purposefully demolishing our institutions.

• One of the most annoying things regularly spouted by the MAGAsphere is, “Well, Obama deported a zillion people, and you didn’t care.” Actually, we didn’t know about it because Obama didn’t turn it into a national embarrassment. It was a necessary action, not a sadistic spectacle.

• Oh, and another difference between Obama and Trump in the current Homeland Security/ICE horror show: the former president opened no detention camps. What is the point of these? One strong suspicion is that they’re designed to line the pockets of Trump’s billionaire cronies and provide kickbacks to the Trump Crime Family too.

• I believe Trump is determined to launch strikes on Iran, no matter what talks designed to tamp down nuclear fears may produce. If the president claims to prefer diplomacy to war, I take that to mean the precise opposite is true.

• The fallout from Trump’s State of the Union monstrosity continued throughout this week. The general consensus in my admittedly completely biased circle was that he appeared to be doing everything in his power to reduce Republican chances of winning the midterms.

• In fact, I think Trump has long since given up on winning the House and Senate in November through playing by the rules and is putting all of his energy into the most effective ways to cheat.

• I’m questioning if the resignation of Larry Summers — a Harvard University economist and a former school president — due to his past relationship with Epstein could also have been tied to the Trump administration’s lawsuit against the school and attempted extortion. Specifically, I wonder if Summers’ situation could help explain Harvard’s initial capitulation.

• Every time I look at House Speaker Mike Johnson’s face, I’m reminded of the kid in middle school who regularly reminded our English teacher about the homework assignment — and who paid for this unforgivable transgression during recess.

• Headline: “New A.C.A. Plans Could Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000.” Reaction: This is Dr. Mehmet Oz’s genius solution to the health care affordability crisis. Thanks, Doc.

• The Democrats better figure out a way to pare down the number of Dems running for governor of California. The fact there are nine creates a perfect vote-splitting storm that could well end up with a pair of Republicans facing off in November. Having a Trump disciple running the nation’s most populous state would be disastrous.

• I’ve never seen anyone with crazier eyes than FBI Director Kash Patel. If this were a sci-fi flick, they would fire beams that made heads explode.

• Speaking of Patel and heads exploding, why is it OK that the man leading the nation’s foremost criminal investigatory agency openly drank and partied while in Italy on “official business”? Oh yeah, because he can do whatever he wants because the rule of law doesn’t apply to some.

• Never has the phrase “Everything Trump touches dies” been truer than with the gold medal-winning USA Olympic men’s hockey team, who tumbled from conquering heroes to partisan morons within days after permitting themselves to become Trump’s eager pawns.

• I loved James Carville’s expletive-laden and utterly disrespectful takedown of Trump in a Tuesday video, starting with telling the president he’s a “sorry sack of s—t.” It’s precisely the kind of crude and obnoxious attack Trump deserves.

• All of the places and things currently being renamed to honor Trump will revert after he leaves office and certainly after his death. It will be just like in Germany after the fall of Hitler.

• Don’t judge me, but I’m briefly feeling more optimistic. I’m sure it’ll pass.

Ray Richmond is a longtime journalist/author and an adjunct professor at Chapman University in Orange, CA.