• Fox’s Jesse Watters said Trump’s new White House ballroom is necessary so “people like us” can attend state dinners.
• Newsmax’s Greg Kelly said about U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats: “It’s totally legal. It’s pure, it’s good. And it has nothing to do with transgender.”

This week, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a tranche of emails from Jeffrey Epstein. A database of the emails shows some mentioning former Trump strategist Steve Bannon as well as correspondence between Bannon and Epstein. The newly released emails expand on previous reporting that Bannon had up to 15 hours of video footage from interviewing Epstein in 2019. 

Bannon has promised to release that footage in early 2026, and the emails underscore the need for a full release — which observers across the political spectrum have advocated. 

In 2019, Bannon reportedly recorded “12 to 15 hours” of himself interviewing Epstein for a documentary, which The Hollywood Reporter described as “seemingly designed to get Epstein ready for an image-changing sit-down interview with a news outlet like 60 Minutes, with Bannon playing the part of Mike Wallace.” Additionally, according to Business Insider, people who spent time with Epstein and Bannon said “the two acted like friends around each other,” with Bannon advising Epstein on “how to handle his myriad legal and media investigations.” 

Earlier this year, right-wing figures such as Roger Stone, Benny Johnson, and Ben Shapiro called on Bannon to release the footage he taped with Epstein. Following the release of the new emails this week, right-wing figures have continued to highlight Bannon’s connections to Epstein. 

The saga surrounding Epstein has roiled the MAGA universe this year. We’ll continue to keep you updated as the story continues to unfold.

• Fox host Charles Payne said about Trump’s plan for a 50-year mortgage: “I do not like this idea.” 
• Fox News guest Noah Rothman said Trump’s 50-year mortgage plan is “one of those ideas you have when you’re absolutely out of ideas.”
• A Fox News contributor called out Trump’s claims on affordability: “That messaging that it’s not a problem is a problem.” 
• Joe Rogan said about Trump’s 2020 election claims: “I feel like if you say that, you’ve got to have some, like, really good evidence.”

On Tuesday, Fox News aired an interview between host Laura Ingraham and Donald Trump. During the interview, Trump said the United States does not have enough workers to fill certain jobs and defended the H-1B visa program. Ingraham offered some pushback to the interview, saying “We have plenty of talented people here,” but Trump said, “No, you don’t, no you don’t.” 

The H-1B program has been a source of conflict inside the MAGA universe throughout the year. Over the summer, as the Trump administration considered additional restrictions on the visas, many right-wing pundits launched aggressive attacks against the program. With Trump now defending H-1Bs, some right-wing media pundits are doubling down on their antagonism against the program. 

• Podcaster Benny Johnson: “H-1Bs should be banned. There should be no H-1Bs in America.” 
• War Room host Steve Bannon said about H-1Bs: “This program is a scam. Total scam. It’s got to be gotten rid of.” 
• The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh said of H-1B visas: “Personally, I’d like to see the program abolished entirely.”

• The Trump administration’s deepening ties to the data analysis firm Palantir has caused a surge of discontent in the conservative media sphere with many figures warning of a “spy network” and that the country is lurching toward a “police state.”

Tucker Carlson’s friendly interview with white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes has precipitated a right-wing media struggle over the future of the MAGA movement. While many traditional right-wing media figures criticized Carlson for platforming Fuentes and not pushing back strongly enough for his rhetoric, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts posted in support of Carlson. In response, some conservative pundits, including Ben Shapiro and Erick Erickson, criticized the conservative institution and warned against the embrace of Carlson and his extremists — all while the organization faced resignation from staff and distancing by partner groups. 

Additional fractures have emerged within right-wing media, with some conservative media figures claiming Carlson “is not MAGA,” and others calling Fuentes “the face of the future Republican Party.” Some who have defended Carlson have argued against “canceling” him while others have focused their ire on figures like Shapiro and Mark Levin for their criticism of Carlson and Heritage. A smaller cohort within conservative media have, in turn, railed against the infighting and instead proposed continuing to “focus our fire” on the left. 

Carlson fired back at Levin this week, saying, “If you listen to enough Mark Levin, you yourself can become hateful.” 

Meanwhile Steve Bannon indirectly signaled his support for Carlson and those who have defended him. 

This is a fluid situation and we’ll continue to keep you updated on how the fractures are morphing within the MAGA universe.