Welcome to The Beat. I'm Antonia Hilton in tonight for Ari Melbur. We start with a MAGA reckoning.

Donald Trump ripping his own base in a way we have never seen before, slamming MAGA true believers as, quote,

stupid and foolish for demanding answers about the Epstein files. It's an extraordinary turn of events.

The president known for his cult-like power over his

base, suddenly engulfed by the very conspiracy theory he fueled. Today in the Oval Office, Trump trying

to distance himself from Epstein, falsely blaming Democrats while insulting Republicans for getting,

quote, duped.

It's all been a big hoax. It's perpetrated by the Democrats. And some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net. And so they try and do the Democrats work. I call it

the Epstein hoax. Will you ask Attorney General Pam Bondi to release more documents to finally put this controversy to bed?

Whatever's credible, she can release.

If a document is credible, of the documents there that is credible, she can release.

I think it's good.

But it's just really, it's just a subject.

He's dead.

He's gone. And all it is is the Republican,

certain Republicans got duped by the Democrat.

In a truth social post, Trump calling Republicans who want more information, weaklings,

claiming he doesn't want their support anymore. This all follows a memo from Trump's own

DOJ pouring cold water on conspiracy theories about Epstein's death and his alleged secret client list.

The problem is Trump and his top deputies stoked those very same conspiracy theories. Now, new calls

from Republicans in Congress for testimony

and more transparency. It's a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there

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