Interesting Times: She Exposed Epstein and Shares MAGA’s Anger

The Ezra Klein Show

New York Times Opinion

Society & Culture, Government, News

4.6 • 11K Ratings

🗓️ 2 December 2025

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

My colleague Ross Douthat talks to the journalist who exposed Jeffrey Epstein. This episode of “Interesting Times,” with the Miami Herald investigative journalist Julie K. Brown, came out back in July. But since Epstein has very much stayed in the news, I wanted to share it now. The conversation is such a fascinating and helpful explainer of the whole case, and the questions that remain unanswered — with the woman whose reporting led to Epstein’s re-arrest. If you haven’t had a chance to check out “Interesting Times” this year, you really should. The team has produced so many great episodes, especially with leading thinkers and activists on the right. You can find them on the NYT Audio app, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I wanted to share an episode for my colleague Ross Douth's podcast, Interesting Times.
0:04.2	Back in July, he spoke to Julie K. Brown, the investigative journalist who's reporting led to the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein and Galane Maxwell.
0:11.7	I remember thinking at the time it aired that it was such a great booking, one of those ones I wish I had made, and it remains a helpful explainer of all the intrigues surrounding Jeffrey Epstein
0:22.3	while we wait for the release of the Epstein files.
0:25.9	And if you haven't had a chance
0:27.1	to check out Interesting Times, you should.
0:29.0	It has just become an essential listen
0:31.3	during the second Trump term.
0:33.0	You can learn more in the show notes.
0:35.8	From New York Times opinion,
1:01.0	I'm Ross Douthad, and this is Interesting Times. Forget about the political drama for a moment.
1:04.8	What is the actual truth about Jeffrey Epstein?
1:08.4	Are there real secrets that haven't yet been revealed?
1:11.4	And what's it like to try to pull back the curtain on one of the 21st century's most mysterious villains? My guest today brought Epstein's story
1:18.0	fully into the public eye with her dogged reporting for the Miami Herald in 2018. And she'll
1:25.3	be our guide through the big unanswered questions that are still with us today.
1:31.0	Before we dive in, I just want to note that we recorded this conversation just before, as in hours before,
1:38.8	the Wall Street Journal reported on a birthday letter sent by Donald Trump to Epstein, and before the president
1:46.3	then authorized the Justice Department to seek the release of grand jury testimony in Epstein's
1:52.1	case. So you won't hear us discuss those developments, just everything else. Julie K. Brown,
2:00.1	welcome to interesting times. Thank you.
2:05.8	So for the last couple of weeks, ever since the Trump administration decided it was a good
	...

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