I fear a Maxwell pardon will cost us midterms

[EnergizedLib]

Aside from the fact such a cretin should never see the light of day again, she’ll lie through her teeth, incriminate Dems (and only Dems). She’ll get her pardon, she’ll be believed, the felon will be seen as a hero and Congress stays red.

I’m calling it now.

[Ocelot II]

1. I think the exact opposite.

Everybody but the most hard core MAGAs will recognize a cover-up, and Maxwell has a long history of lying. She's in prison on account of perjury as well as for child sex trafficking.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

47. I also expect that a pardon would hurt the GOP in the mid terms

[LudwigPastorius]

68. Yeah, I don't think there will be a pardon.

She is probably being offered time off her sentence, so she'd get out after Trump is out of office or dead.

If she gets out during a Democratic administration, even better! Most RWNJs won't associate that with Trump. See: Afghanistan withdrawal

Plus, that would track with Trump's general legal strategy: delay, delay, delay.

[thought crime]

77. The pardon will occur after the 2028 election

On Trump's way out. But Maxwell will pay for it ahead of time - now.

[Brainstormy]

51. so do I/nt

[Ars Longa]

57. Quite the opposite! Trump Pardoning her- for favorable testimony

is a REALLY BAD LOOK!!!

Is is also the literal definition of WITNESS TAMPERING!!

And it will LOOK like WITNESS TAMPERING--even to his own
MAGA bunch!!

[gab13by13]

2. A pardon would be political suicide.

This isn't a political issue, it's a sex trafficking of little girls issue.

Maxwell is a monster, why not pardon Jerry Sandusky too?

[madinmaryland]

30. Don't give him any ideas. Fuck Sandusky!

[PCIntern]

37. State conviction. Not federal

[Irish_Dem]

3. It might cost the GOP the midterms.

[DoBW]

23. Pedo in chief

DISTRACTION‼️ EPSTEIN‼️ EPSTEIN‼️ EPSTEIN‼️

— Meidas Charise Lee 💙🌊🌴🥥🫘 (@chariselee.bsky.social) 2025-07-08T15:33:30.979Z

[OrlandoDem2]

4. He is so guilty if he pardons her!

[H2O Man]

5. Not.

[Hekate]

19. Agreed

[D_Master81]

6. Really???

You thinking a presidential pardon of a sex trafficker will be good politics? Yeah not gonna happen.

[EnergizedLib]

8. Never underestimate how duped MAGAts can be

[Phoenix61]

49. What does that have to do with winning the mid-terms?

More people didn’t vote in the last election than vetted for either presidential candidate. We don’t need MAGAT votes. We need Dems and Independents to show up and vote. I think pardoning a convicted pedo will motivate the heck out of them.

[EnergizedLib]

52. And MAGAts wouldn't be motivated in this hypothetical scenario?

We could be talking about splitting hairs here if that happens.

[Phoenix61]

59. They are 30% of the electorate at best. That leaves 70% for us.

There are way more of us than there are of them.

[EnergizedLib]

63. Which sounds terrific on paper

Except that 30% hasn’t swung the election alone.

I hope it’s something our side can campaign on, but let’s also run on tackling the debt, on tackling the deficit, on the fact that inflation has yet to lower, that consumers are being screwed over, that rural hospitals are being impacted with people losing their Medicaid and trying to reign in an authoritarian regime - hold nothing back if we get the House and the power of the subpoena - Bondi, Musk, investigate the deaths of those in ICE custody.

Epstein alone won’t win us the midterms. I hope it helps us. I’m just so scared because I know better than expect nice things at this point.

[Phoenix61]

64. Epstein is the icing on the cake. Everything you mentioned is the cake.

You’re right that we need the cake more than we need the icing but… icing is nice.😀

[Scrivener7]

82. I hate that I agree with you.

[in2herbs]

7. The Ds should include in their discussions that f45's agreement with Epstein was business and ask

if the info in the taxes f45 has never released includes his business connections with Epstein (which helped launder Epsteins income from sex trafficking?)

It's been more than 10 years that f45s taxes have been the subject of an IRS audit. Why has it taken this long? Who has been protecting the info in f45s taxes about his business relationship with Epstein all this time from public scrutiny?

[Diraven]

38. His hand-picked cronies run the IRS now

I'm sure they stopped that audit as soon as they could.

[B.See]

9. Can't predict (for now) how it'd all play out, BUT

her making a deal, lying about Trump while incriminating Democrats (and maybe a few Republicans just to make it look authentic),

and getting a pardon (Trump has already FLOATED that, so expect it to happen) is something highly probable, imo, given their track record.

Remember, no low is TOO low for these cretins.

[BootinUp]

10. What kind of weed is that?

[Mike Nelson]

11. I would consider a pardon...

... to be political suicide. But, this is The Donald. It's a possibility. Some of his fans are thinking she was also "victimized" by Epstein. It's incredible. It's unbelievable... what comes after the pardon? TV chat shows? A contract with FOX? Maybe CBS will outbid FOX. After all, a show starring Maxwell could get ratings up for CBS. People like watching repulsive people.

[Gore1FL]

12. I don't see the anger over a Trump pardon being blamed on the Democrats.

I mean, don't get me wrong; someone will come up with a convoluded reason and push it, but a Trump pardon is going to be hard to pin on Clinton, Obama, Clinton, Biden, etc.

[EnergizedLib]

14. If Maxwell were pardoned

Bird brains will believe her lying. I don’t think a single one of us trust her, but because someone said the felon is innocent and Dems are guilty, she’ll be thanked for her testimony, Dems will be prosecuted, the felon will be known as a hero to his base and we’ll lose.

I just have a bad feeling about this.

[Dave says]

36. I share your bad feeling

That’s why Congress adjourned early. It allowed Trump’s goons to get to her and dangle a pardon in front of her before she said anything damaging in front of them.

Gotta’ give it to him, Teflon Don knows how to avoid accountability.

[Diraven]

40. Except

Clinton, Obama, and Biden are exactly who she'll probably name as the "real" villains. The media will love that dramatic twist.

Everyone knows Trump lies. That doesn't sell papers anymore.

[stopdiggin]

13. very, VERY unlikely - - the only ones likely to put any creedence

in a white wash spun by this belly-crawling vermin ...
Are ones already completely beyond the pale.

In addition - there is a fairly decent investigative record already compiled on the Epstein/Maxwell crimes. Pretty hard to slither away from ....

[PSPS]

28. "there is a fairly decent investigative record already compiled on the Epstein/Maxwell crimes"

Bondi will sanitize or disappear them.

[stopdiggin]

53. 'at's the spirit!

let's all just lie down for a good kicking, shall we ?

[mucifer]

15. I'm betting she names a bunch of dems and no republicans

Whoever did this should be in prison.

[Diraven]

16. I, for one, agree

The media will sensationalize this like the OJ trial, reporting on only what Maxwell says for the cameras and drowning out any critical voices.

[Fiendish Thingy]

17. If anything a pardon would increase the size of the blue wave. Nt

[WarGamer]

18. If something like the Epstein/Maxwell issue has that much effect....

Then our politicians have failed at presenting a logical case against an administration lurching close to dictatorship.

It's the National Enquirer topic of the day... but we have a lot more to show to the American people in 26/28.

[Tribetime]

20. I'm so glad you are calling it now....no need to watch the results

Come in next year ...now I can focus on something else like the Browns going 0-17....Sorry but I see the exact opposite.

[EnergizedLib]

22. You have no idea how much I hope I'm wrong

I’m waiting for this to all be one bad dream, all of MAGA to be one big nightmare I’ll wake up from.

Sadly, I haven’t woken up yet.

[Tribetime]

25. Cheer up this can only hurt maga

[Arazi]

21. Definitely plausible but I think the rest of Traitor's bullshit will be a huge drag

His assault on immigrants is killing him.

And prices aren’t going to be coming down anytime soon.

Some of his cult will peel off supporting him and the GOP with a Maxwell pardon. I doubt the rest were ever gettable anyway

[Emile]

24. If he pardons her, people will see it's all a cover-up

to protect TSF.

[EnergizedLib]

26. We see through the BS

But we’re not the only who vote, now are we?

[bucolic_frolic]

27. If he pardons her, there will be more pressure to release the Epstein files

and the release had better jive with her provoked testimony, her previous testimony, the interviews with journalists who wrote and didn't write books about her, Epstein, or Trump, it had better jive with court records, news stories, with those mentioned who are still living.

I mean there's only so far they can go.

[Raine]

29. So politics before justice for victims 🙄

I don't care whose names are given, Democratic & Republicans if they participated they deserved to be exposed.

[EnergizedLib]

31. I agree all should be punished

But with this current makeup in Washington, only Democrats would.

[0rganism]

60. What if they're "exposed" by a convicted perjurer with the assistance of known liars?

What if there is a person we know beyond reasonable doubt to be not only involved but also the ringleader who organized recruitment of minors? Should she walk free on a pardon from F47 in return for testimony? Should we take her word for who participated? Do you trust AG Bondi to release unmodified documentation?

[Wiz Imp]

32. No chance of that happening at all.

A pardon for Maxwell will make the portion of MAGA whom are already upset about the non-release of the Epstein files even angrier. The only thing that will satisfy those people is for additional Epstein co-conspirators named and punished.

As for her trying to incriminate Democrats. Nope. Won't work. There is plenty of info known from the Epstein files and there are also a lot of people who are aware of all or part of the info in the files beyond Bondi and her DOJ lackeys. Any accusation leveled would have to be plausible based on the info in the files. It would be very difficult for her to come up with credible yet fake accusations.

If she lies, it will be in one of 2 ways. Either (1) to minimize Donald Trump's involvement or (2) to make accusations/lay blame concerning her prosecution in 2021.

[EnergizedLib]

33. Do you trust her to tell the truth? I don't.

Here’s how I envision it, she negotiates for a testimony for a pardon - the strings attached are she can incriminate Democrats, but not trump. She can even commit perjury and get away with it. People will believe her even if she commits perjury and Dems are prosecuted in exchange for her testimony and she is pardoned.

I hope I’m wrong, I really do. These are not normal times.

[Kingofalldems]

34. Should we give up?

[EnergizedLib]

35. Of course not

But what logic dictates and what will happen aren’t always the same thing. Logic has been defied since 2015.

[Wiz Imp]

42. You apparently didn't read what I wrote.

There is absolutely no chance whatsoever that she can lie to incriminate Democrats and get away with it. Too much is known by too many people. It's just not ever going to happen. No, I don't trust her to tell the truth, but it's clear to me she will not be able to get away with lying about Democrats and She knows that.

[EnergizedLib]

43. What if she truthfully incriminates Dems but lies about trump?

Is that possible? Would she be able to get away with that?

[Wiz Imp]

44. Doubtful but I guess possible (super highly unlikely though)

It depends on what she would say about Trump. There is so much already known about Trump's relationship with Epstein I think it would be difficult to lie about it without being called out on it.

If she would only single out Democrats but no Republicans, no matter how truthful she is being about the Democrats it would raise major suspicions. If she only fingered one side given it is well known that people across all political stripes were mentioned in the files, it would be clear to most that she was holding back information.

[Arazi]

50. lol, you forget a substantial majority believe Hillary is the ringleadwr

And Comet Pizza is a code name for children being used as sex slaves and to harvest their adenochrome etc etc

I may not have the QAnon bullshit exactly correct but these folks have been primed for years to believe Hillary (and Bill and Huma Abedin and Democrats etc) have been running a child pedo ring in DC and that their hero Trump is coming to “drain the swamp”.

They absolutely will believe it .

[stopdiggin]

54. "a substantial majority .. " of the fruitcake society?

certainly not like a substantive majority of any other collection of souls - (or opinion)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Wiz Imp]

56. Substantial majority? There was never even a substantial minority who believed in that

A poll conducted by Public Policy Polling on December 6–7, 2016, asked 1,224 U.S. registered voters if they thought Hillary Clinton was "connected to a child sex ring being run out of a pizzeria in Washington DC". Nine percent of respondents said they believed she was connected, 72% said they did not, and 19% were not sure.

Nine Percent - at the height of the conspiracy theory.

QAnon never had more than an extreme fringe group of believers. It's even more fringe now.

Sure, there's always a small group that will believe anything, but even a large portion of MAGA no longer believe the most outrageous of the conspiracy theories. The portion of MAGA most upset about the Epstein files has already (surprisingly) shown that they will not buy just any bullshit thrown at them, and so far, at least, they've actually been very perceptive in recognizing everything Trump has done and said relating to Epstein in the past month has been bullshit.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

39. How well did pardoning Nixon work out for Gerald Ford?

Not only did Ford lose in 1976 the Republicans got killed in the 1974 mid terms.

[EnergizedLib]

41. American voters had morals, had standards, back in the '70s?

That’s my guess.

[pinkstarburst]

45. There is absolutely zero chance

that some damning smoking gun is going to be released that incriminates Trump.

None.

He will do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen.

So whatever "Epstein Files" are released will either all be a fake, or they will have 45's involvement scrubbed from them, or they will be doctored to instead include fake stuff on democrats.

This could also include Maxwell testifying against prominent Democrats being involved in Epstein's creepy circle in exchange for a pardon. She has nothing to lose at this point.

There is nothing good that comes from the files being released, IMHO. He is never going to allow something that incriminates him to be released because that would potentially sink him. I am not sure why everyone is pushing for this.

[Renew Deal]

46. Why would republicans go through all the coverup if that's the expected outcome?

[Strelnikov_]

48. It's the economy

Magas, who would never vote D, could be influenced, primarily if they don’t find some chum to feed them, by not voting.

D’s will see it for what it is.

The majority are tuned out. If the economy is seen as good, no change election. If the economy is seen as bad, change.

By fall 2026, I am expecting a shit show. This will be five months after Powell is replaced by a lackey.

[marble falls]

55. meh.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

67. Agree!

[NoRethugFriends]

58. Well, that really doesn't make much sense to me.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

61. You're calling it now?

Thanks for sharing this bleak dystopian prediction.

[EnergizedLib]

62. Yes

As much as I want to be wrong. I so, so hope I’m wrong, our side will somehow manage to lose and this won’t help us.

I would love nothing more than to take both chambers back in 2026, especially to deny any more possible SCOTUS appointments.

[ForgedCrank]

65. I don't

think it is going to make anyone cross over either way.
I do find the entire notion unacceptable. We all know she will say whatever she is told in order to buy a pardon from Trump. And God knows what bullcrap he will conjure up. None of what she says can be trusted.
All that said, we will have the upper hand in mid-terms, but we have GOT to change the party focus away from this tabloid bullcrap and get back to basic politics and policy. Not doing so is what might cost us this opportunity.

[EnergizedLib]

66. This. Issues matter

Epstein is an issue, but it’s not the only issue. Combat the failed promises and the attempted tyranny and run on how we’re the party that consistently reduces the deficit when we’re in power and that there must be accountability and checks and balances in our government.

We can start by funding some of the stuff cut in 2027 and better allocate funds to help people instead of hurt them.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

70. What happened?

Now you're hopeful?

[EnergizedLib]

71. I want to be

Everything is just so unpredictable.

[Jack Valentino]

69. Most people don't even know who Maxwell is, and "most" voters are sick of Trump already.

If he pardons her, after pardoning the J6ers, it won't be a positive for him.


Has the price of Doritos gone down yet? NO, it HASN'T....

Other prices are bound to go UP, especially the price of health insurance
when the Biden benefits expire at the end of this year!

[EdmondDantes_]

72. Can you point to a historical precedent for this?

When has pardoning a sexual predator directly connected to the person doing the pardoning ever created a boost for the person giving the pardon?

This mostly just sounds like fear on your part, not something based on a solid theory. There's a lot of ifs and maybes to this.

[EnergizedLib]

73. What historical precedent is there for any of this?

[EdmondDantes_]

79. So that's a no then.

There's no logical reason to think what you're afraid of. Pretty much everything Trump does causes his approval to go down. Why would this be different? Go outside, touch grass, volunteer where you can see good. This is needless fearmongering that none of us are going to be able to talk you out of, because reason didn't get you into it. Trump isn't an infallible deity. His party lost in 2018, he and his party lost in 2020, he edged out a small win in 2024 due to a variety of factors, they are historically very likely to lose in 2026, and at the latest on January 20th 2029, he's going to be gone. Sooner if his habits catch up with him.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

75. I believe that trump will pardon maxwell

There is a pattern. Such a pardon will be a mistake

Link to tweet

[TBF]

76. So much concern, so little time.

A pardon would be fantastic - then all of our ads are "the pedophile had to give Maxwell a pardon to get out of this". Everyone already suspects he's guilty, but a pardon would just be icing on the cake. "Felon says what?" should be the response to any bad-mouthing of democrats.

[GoodRaisin]

80. Giving her a pardon won't get him out of this if it's the files they want.

They raised such a stink over the cover up and now they are going to drop it because “Ghilaine the lying Pedophile” says? Don’t think so.

Krasnov got the media speculating over this as a trial balloon. . He knows the M$M will yack about it for weeks non stop, then he can look at polls to see if his support improves by pardoning her or just simply getting her to say he wasn’t involved. I don’t think it will.

[TBF]

84. I'm not concerned about his base -

the nutcases will vote for him regardless. Our hope is independents, new voters, and swing voters (not dedicated cult members, the folks who were truly concerned about the price of groceries).

[thought crime]

78. If she gives testimony favorable to Trump now, she'll get a pardon on Trump's way out.

After the 2028 election. Jan. 29. That is a vastly reduced sentence.

[Lets Go]

81. NOT if we post more items like this everywhere:

I joined DU (after lurking for years) just to post this. I can't create a thread because I don't have enough posts yet.

We've all seen the latest Snopes-verified creepy pedo pics of Trump with his daughter Ivanka when she was maybe 14 or so, sitting on his lap etc. But what about THIS one, where he is pictured on the phone actually IN BED with her as she kisses his cheek, her legs draped over him, wearing a short black negligee? Why is THIS especially incriminating and Snopes-verified pic not posted all over the internet??? There isn't a person on the planet who could normalize this picture, and I'm sure most MAGAs following the Epstein story haven't seen it. Sorry I can only link:
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/fact-check-photo-trump-daughter-130000718.html

Also, equally disgusting is his pre-election interview about 8 years ago, with Ivanka on the Wendy Williams show, where when asked what he and Ivanka have in common he actually replies "sex". WTF! Around :20 mark:

These 2 items to me are far and away more shocking/disturbing than any of the other items posted about his pedo tendencies toward his OWN DAUGHTER. Like, way beyond the pale. Can we please begin to distribute these to others at every opportunity? Who can deny this guy is a pedo after seeing these? I wish someone would create a post, in any appropriate forum, since I can't yet.

Again, sorry for the links. It's all I know how to do. If you don't want to click you could do a Google search of either, and definitely have your barf bag ready.

[Torchlight]

83. Trump woke up to horse's head at his feet, and it's dragging him down. Fast and hard

Regardless, it's too far out from the mid-terms, and there are too many blind corners between then and now to do anything other than our idle guesswork.