Jamelle Bouie

Like someone who, you know, might be addicted to eating ice cream might want to stop.

But like, they don't- Don't talk about me like that.

But they don't have the capability to,

to do anything different.

And so one assumption I'm operating for is that this right now might be the high watermark at this point of Trump's stature with the public.

I don't see it going up in any meaningful sense.

I think it's going to continue to go down because

There's mismanagement of the federal government.

Like, there's the material stuff.

And then there's the fact, as you point out, Michelle, that whenever any kind of scandal comes up, they seem to make themselves look red-handed.

Like, taking Lauren Boebert into the Situation Room and trying to put the screws on her doesn't just make you look guilty.

It makes it look like you published a book titled If I Did It, right?

Yeah.

It puts you into late period OJ territory.

So I don't really understand how things are ever going to get better for them.

I think that's about right.

Like, there's not going to be a flood of Republicans fleeing Trump, but there will be our small calculations here and there, willingness to say, I don't think I'm going to support this.

I think with this bill to force Trump

the White House to release the Epstein files passes the House, I would expect there to be a good deal of pressure on Senate Republicans.

And I would expect some of the Senate Republicans to look around, you know, look around the environment and say, better to just support this than not.