“May every day be another wonderful secret.” The latest developments in the Trump-Epstein affair, and the fracturing of the MAGA base. And, then, E. Tammy Kim on how drastic funding cuts to public-media organizations will harm rural radio. Plus:

Since Donald Trump returned to office, in January, news stories of incredible importance have flashed past without drawing the sustained focus they deserve. So, of course, we’ve all spent the past two weeks talking about years-old conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein. Recently, Trump’s Justice Department, having teased the release of further files in the Epstein case, said that there was nothing more to see here, after all—and Trump himself commanded his base to move on.

But his base—or, at least, many high-profile spokespeople for it—did not move on, and neither, so far, has the news cycle. Last night, the Wall Street Journal reported that, in 2003, Trump contributed a “bawdy” message to an album for Epstein’s fiftieth birthday. (“A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.”) Trump denied having written the message and pledged to sue the Journal, but he also seemed, finally, to cave to the pressure somewhat, ordering Pam Bondi, the Attorney General, to produce “any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony” in Epstein’s case, “subject to Court approval.” But this, still, isn’t everything, so the pressure campaign could continue.

This summer, I’ve been guest-writing the Fault Lines column, doing my best to imitate the inimitable Jay Caspian Kang while he’s been away. Recently, I’ve found myself mining the widening fractures in both the Democratic and Republican parties, the latter emerging around Trump’s strikes on Iran and Elon Musk’s ouster from the Administration and proposals for a new third party. In terms of intraparty tension, Epsteingate, if you will, has blown both of these controversies out of the water; pretty much everyone—from MAGA diehards to nominally apolitical bro podcasters—seems pissed about the lack of disclosure. As I write in a new essay today, the episode has shown that the worship toward Trump from his most ardent supporters “is not unconditional but predicated on the idea that he’s a tribune of the people seeking to expose nefarious élites.” After years of more or less unwavering backing from the base, this feels, in some ways, like a turning point.

Perhaps, anyway. It wouldn’t surprise me if the news cycle once again spins on to other matters, with Trump still commanding strong support on the right. Earlier this week, a poll commissioned by CNN found that while a mere three per cent of Americans are satisfied with how much information the government has released about Epstein, just forty per cent of Republicans reported being dissatisfied—a lower figure than among Democrats, and evidence that parts of the party may be falling in line behind Trump’s Epstein directives, or never cared much to begin with. Yesterday, Harry Enten, CNN’s chief data analyst, noted that Trump’s approval rating among Republicans is, if anything, up compared with his pre-Epstein numbers. This morning, Politico reported that the Journal story has given MAGA influencers the chance to reunite around their shared love of bashing the press.

Yet, in my recent column about Iran, I raised the possibility, at least in the long run, that the air strikes, which appeared to contradict Trump’s “America First” promises, might chip away at the President’s credibility by feeding an impression that he’s just like every other politician—particularly among those who were not MAGA zealots to begin with. The same can be said of his recent conduct around the Epstein story. And for Trump, who has built his appeal on outsider bona fides, being seen on the side of the establishment is highly dangerous.

Even the Iran strikes were one of those news stories that seemed to flash by. But their political impact endures. This week, the podcaster Joe Rogan, an influential Trump booster last year, mocked the Administration’s Epstein stance. Rather than release compelling new information about Epstein’s crimes, Rogan said, sarcastically, Trump could “just bomb Iran. Then, everybody forgets about it.” We’ll see how Trump tries to change the subject—and whether it works.

For more: The journalist Michael Wolff, who recorded hundreds of hours of interviews with Epstein, speaks with David Remnick about the political fallout of Trump’s attempt to close the case. Listen to The New Yorker Radio Hour »

The federal government has been waging a war against higher education, and yet Dartmouth has avoided any direct sanctions from the Trump Administration. Could it be because it has refused to join the resistance? Rob Wolfe reports »

Congress voted to approve a bill that would rescind billions of dollars in previously approved spending for public media and international aid. The package cuts more than $1 billion from organizations such as NPR and PBS.

What do these cuts mean for the future of public media?