Is the Epstein Scandal Trump’s Kryptonite?

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

The New Yorker

Politics, Obama, News, Wnyc, Washington, Barack, President, Lizza, Wickenden

4.2 • 3.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 November 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Washington Roundtable discusses the trove of Jeffrey Epstein correspondence released by Congress this week, the fractures it has caused in the Republican Party, and the potential political ramifications for President Trump. Their guest is the investigative reporter Michael Isikoff, who has spent decades reporting on major scandals in American politics, including the affair between President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, and Russian interference in the 2016 election. The panel considers the factors that made other scandals in the past, such as Watergate, break through the public consciousness and change the course of Presidencies.

This week’s reading:

“The Epstein Scandal Is Now a Chronic Disease of the Trump Presidency,” by Susan B. Glasser
“Did Democrats Win the Shutdown After All?,” by Jon Allsop
“Socialism, But Make It Trump,” by John Cassidy
“Governments and Billionaires Retreat Ahead of COP30 Climate Talks,” by Elizabeth Kolbert
“Laura Loomer’s Endless Payback,” by Antonia Hitchens
“J. B. Pritzker Sounds the Alarm,” by Peter Slevin

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the political scene from the New Yorker, a weekly discussion about the big questions in American politics.
0:11.9	I'm Jane Mayer, and I'm joined by my colleagues Evan Osnos and Susan Glasser. Hi, Evan.
0:18.1	Good morning, guys. Hi, Susan. Hey there. Great to be with you.
0:24.6	Well, all right. This week, some of the Jeffrey Epstein emails have been released, and a vote on the
0:31.4	release of the full Epstein files is expected in the House next week. Unlike Trump's previous scandals, the Epstein story lands differently,
0:41.3	revealing cracks in Trump's otherwise loyal Maga Base
0:44.7	and creating fractures in the GOP.
0:47.9	Could this finally be the scandal that breaks through?
0:52.1	This question got us digging into the bigger picture. How have
0:57.1	political scandals evolved in America? What scandals have caused real political consequences and what can
1:05.0	past political scandals tell us about today? So to help us unpack this, we are lucky enough to be joined by a guest
1:14.2	today, Michael Isakov, an investigative reporter who has broken some of the biggest stories
1:20.3	in American politics, including the Clinton Lewinsky affair and Russian interference
1:26.7	in the 2016 election.
1:29.0	Michael also happens to have been a colleague of mine going all the way back to the now
1:33.5	defunct late-great Washington Star in 1981.
1:37.7	So I can attest personally to the fact that he is an amazing reporter, I would say,
1:43.6	with an unparalleled nose for scandal.
1:47.3	Welcome, Michael, and thanks for joining us.
1:49.9	Good to be with you, and you've just informed the world how old we are.
1:55.3	Hey, we're into transparency.
1:58.1	This is why we don't have video on our podcast.
	...

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