meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Breaking History

How Clinton, Trump, and Epstein Rewired America’s Moral Compass

Breaking History

The Free Press

History

4.81.1K Ratings

🗓️ 26 November 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We revisit the scandal-soaked 1990s—Packwood, Thomas, Clinton—and explore how failing to enforce norms around abuse of power helped create the world in which the Epstein scandal could flourish. This episode traces the unraveling of political accountability from the Clinton impeachment to the Trump Access Hollywood moment, and finally the global Epstein reckoning. We show how feminists in the ’90s and evangelicals in the 2010s made parallel bargains—each excusing their champion’s abuses for political gain. The result is a culture that normalized impunity for the powerful, and primed America for a populist revolt against a ruling class that protects its own. ----- CREDITS Executive Producer: Poppy Damon Associate Producer: Adam Feldman Sound Designer and Composer: Tony Peer Original theme songs by Eli Lake Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hi, everyone. Barry here with a really exciting announcement that I want to share with you.

0:05.2

For a limited time, and this happens like truly once a year, we have a very special offer at the free press.

0:12.0

You can get 25% off, unbelievable deal, an annual free press subscription by going right now to

0:20.0

VFP.com slash subscribe.

0:23.7

Don't worry. We're going to add the link in the description of this episode.

0:27.5

If you've been wanting full access to everything the free press does, essays, investigations,

0:33.7

live streams, early access to ticketing, and more, now is the perfect time to upgrade to a paid

0:40.6

subscription for 25% off your first year. Paid free press subscribers now also get bonus podcast

0:48.3

episodes and reduced ads. If you're already a paid subscriber, this is the perfect opportunity

0:54.0

to gift a free press subscription to someone you love. To unlock the already a paid subscriber, this is the perfect opportunity to gift a free press

0:55.5

subscription to someone you love. To unlock the full free press experience and join our community

1:00.7

or to share that community with someone in your life, take advantage of this limited time deal.

1:06.3

It's available right now, so go to thefp.com slash subscribe.

1:12.1

Hello, listeners. I want to thank you again for all of your five-star reviews. Keep it coming,

1:18.4

by the way, because it does make a huge difference in terms of getting it out. Well,

1:22.0

anyway, we've got a good episode for you because in this episode, we examine the defining

1:26.5

scandal of our populist era, Jeffrey Epstein.

1:30.9

Unlike most lurid sex affairs, the target is not a single public figure. Epstein indites

1:37.9

the entire ruling class. So how did America get here? Well, the story starts with one of Epstein's former pals, Bill Clinton.

1:47.8

What the naughty 90s tell us about the Epstein Scandalabra next.

1:54.1

Sayy to fall and back, loud, babel,

1:58.4

the part you got this next year's model,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Free Press, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Free Press and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.