Steve Pond's Blog, page 32

Jimmy Kimmel Is Certain Trump Didn’t Have Epstein Killed: ‘He Wouldn’t Be Able to Shut Up About It’ | Video

Jimmy Kimmel explained to his “Jimmy Kimmel Live” audience on Wednesday night why he is absolutely certain Donald Trump didn’t have Jeffrey Epstein killed. Mainly, because his behavior since the billionaire sex criminal’s 2019 death is the exact opposite of how Trump would act if he had.

“He wouldn’t be able to shut up about it,” Kimmel joked during his monologue.

That joke came after the ABC host devoted considerable time during his monologue to the topic of Epstein.

“As you probably know, Republicans forced an early recess over the summer, to avoid having to vote on whether to release the Epstein files, which many of them do not want to do because it would upset Orange Julius Caesar bigly,” Kimmel said. “So, they kicked the can in the hopes that, I don’t know, we’d be hit by a tidal wave or something. It would wash away but it didn’t wash away.”

“So, they tried another dumb idea. Again,” Kimmel said, explaining how the House oversight committee released more than 30,000 pages of Epstein-related documents, the majority of which were already public.

“You would think, that of all the cases, the one for Jeffrey Epstein would get a full release. But no,” Kimmel quipped. He then noted how one new thing included in the released files is a minute of footage from the video camera watching Epstein’s cell on the night he died, that previously had been clumsily edited out.

“That footage, somehow, somehow this footage got re-edited more times than the Zack Snyder Justice League cut. But, and it’s a big problem for Trump, because the push to release the names isn’t just coming from the left,” Kimmel explained. He noted how several “hardcore conspiracy theorists” have joined forces with Democrats to push a vote on releasing everything, though Republican Party leaders continue to resist.

This includes House Speaker Mike Johnson, who insists doing so would be “irresponsible.” This prompted Kimmel joke, “the people who are trying to eliminate the measles vaccine believe it would be dangerously irresponsible to release these files.”

Kimmel did note that Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is on the side of people pushing for the files to be released, prompting him to joke “good job” in disbelief.

Later in the monologue, after noting how Trump keeps complaining that the issue won’t go away, Kimmel continue, ‘Listen, I have an idea of how you can get people to stop talking about releasing the Epstein files. Release the Epstein files… What is he hiding?”

“Like there has to be something in there about him.  I can’t imagine him doing this because he cares about anyone else. This Epstein List, it’s the first time Trump didn’t want his name on something,” Kimmel said. “There’s a lot of speculation, naturally, including from the writer Michael Wolff, who wrote a bunch of books about Trump. Wolff floated the possibility that Trump may have had Epstein killed himself.”

“Which, listen, I know he’s done a lot of things, bad things, but I don’t think Donald Trump ordered a hit on Jeffrey Epstein. And the reason I don’t think he ordered a hit is because if he did, he wouldn’t be able to shut up about it,” Kimmel explained.

“‘He was not a good guy, he’s a bad guy, and now thanks to your favorite President, he’s gone. I had him rubbed out,'” Kimmel joked.”

Watch the full monologue below:

The post Jimmy Kimmel Is Certain Trump Didn’t Have Epstein Killed: ‘He Wouldn’t Be Able to Shut Up About It’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Tucker Carlson Praises Putin as the ‘Most Effective Leader in My Lifetime’ and Less ‘Evil’ Than Biden: ‘Look It Up’ | Video

Tucker Carlson believes Russian President Vladimir Putin has been the “most effective leader” of his lifetime.

The former Fox News anchor-turned-podcast host told Michael Knowles on “The Tucker Carlson Show” Wednesday that he cannot compute how people think the Russian president is more “evil” than former President Joe Biden.

“Why is he more evil than Biden? I can’t even conceptualize that,” he said. “If you think Joe Biden was a better leader or a better man than Vladimir Putin, I don’t even know what to say to you because that’s insane.”

He doubled down, adding that Putin’s constituents are “happier” and at least they like him, which made his guest audibly chuckle.

“By no measure did Joe Biden’s country the people he solemnly swore to help and defend did they thrive? No, they withered,” he said. “Putin, who’s been there for 25 years, his country’s improved. The people are happier. They like him actually.”

“The war’s been a little tough on Putin,” Michael Knowles replied. “I’d be curious about public opinion today this far into the war.”

“Actually it’s measured a lot,” Carlson said. “Look it up.”

Following Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, Putin has been accused of war crimes for the unlawful deportation and transfer of children. The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Putin “perhaps the most serious war criminal of our time” for his ongoing attacks on Ukraine in an interview Tuesday.

Carlson interviewed Putin in 2024 on the Tucker Carlson Network and Twitter. He was the first Western journalist to be granted the interview after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Carlson has promoted pro-Russian conspiracy theories and disinformation before and since the interview.

“I’m not moving to Russia, but Putin has been the most effective leader in my lifetime,” Carlson added.

Knowles did not blatantly disagree with the comment but clarified that he remains on the side of the United States whether Biden or anyone else is in charge of the country. Both Knowles and Carlson agreed that their values of patriotism outweigh their disdain for the person, specifically Democrat, that is running the country.

Watch the exchange here:

The post Tucker Carlson Praises Putin as the ‘Most Effective Leader in My Lifetime’ and Less ‘Evil’ Than Biden: ‘Look It Up’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Trump Shares Distorted Photo of Rosie O’Donnell in Latest Illegal Threat to Revoke Her Citizenship

Two months after threatening to revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship — something, to be clear, U.S. presidents do not have the power to do — Donald Trump is back at it, only this time pairing the threat with a petty visual insult.

In a post Wednesday evening on his Twitter clone, Truth Social, Trump shared a heavily altered photo of O’Donnell, manipulated to looks extremely unflattering. The image was coupled with the message, “as previously mentioned, we are gicing serious thought to taking away Rosie O’Donnell’s Citizenship. She is not a Great American and is, in my opinion, incapable of being so!”

See that below, shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Yashar Ali:

A new post from the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. pic.twitter.com/dpoQT9qE8q

— Yashar Ali (@yashar) September 4, 2025

It’s unclear what, if anything, prompted Trump to make the statement Wednesday night. But the threat comes amid several ongoing Trump administration controversies, among them the deployment of military forces to cities in Blue States and the ongoing scandal over documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein, as well as the widespread conspiracy theories about his health that spread over the holiday weekend.

Trump previously made this threat in July, which like Wednesday’s remarks didn’t appear to have an immediate cause. O’Donnell and Trump have long publicly feuded however, and in March the comedian revealed she had moved to Ireland after the 2024 election, and that she was attempting to obtain Irish citizenship.

Speaking of that, there are very few circumstances under which a natural born citizen can lose their citizenship, and none of them involve decisions by the president.

A 1967 Supreme Court decision held that people born with American citizenship can only relinquish it voluntarily. And as explained on the official State Department website, this can potentially occur if someone becomes a naturalized citizen of another country after age 18, should duties to that country conflict with their duty as a U.S. citizen. It can also occur if someone swears allegiance to another country after age 18, if they join the military of a country at war with the United States, if they formally renounce U.S. citizenship, or if they accept jobs with a foreign government (under extremely specific circumstances).

In addition, being convicted in court “of performing an act of treason against the Government of the United States or for attempting by force to overthrow, or bear arms against, the Government of the United States” can also count.

But the United States also recognizes dual citizenship with many nations, including Ireland, as long as dual citizens “maintain their obligations to the United States.”

In any event, as we noted, none of the triggering conditions for losing U.S. citizenship involve decisions by the president.

The post Trump Shares Distorted Photo of Rosie O’Donnell in Latest Illegal Threat to Revoke Her Citizenship appeared first on TheWrap.

‘South Park’ Declares ‘Trump Is F–ing Satan’ – Meant Both Ways – While Fox News Celebrates

Wednesday’s new episode of “South Park” had particularly unsubtle criticism of Donald Trump. The president, the show declared, “is f—ing satan” — and yeah, that’s meant in both ways.

Quite literally, as the episode ended with the amusing reveal that Satan is trapped at the White House by the darkest magic possible: Being pregnant with Trump’s baby.

The Trey Parker and Matt Stone Comedy Central series also laid into fawning Trump supporters, portraying Fox News and, eventually, Kid Rock, as enthusiastic supporters of the idea that “Trump is f—ing Satan,” with the right wing former rapper weeping tears of joy.

Somehow all of this was framed by an extended satire of the Labubu craze in which the adorable dolls are revealed to be secretly — well, unless you’re on TikTok — relics for use in demonic rituals designed to summon the Prince of Darkness. Who is of course at the White House a lot this season because, as the episode constantly reminded viewers, “Donald Trump is f—ing Satan.”

The A-plot has the Labubu craze hitting the town of South Park hard, as embodied by a brutal fist fight between two girls over the dolls at the start of the episode. They’re taken to the school’s counselor, a very bewildered Jesus Christ, who has no real advice to offer other than to run away from the dolls. Meanwhile, Butters is invited to a girl’s birthday party — and she’s asked for a very specific Labubu doll. He assumes this means he’s going to get to have some kind of sexual encounter with her, if he finds the doll. Naturally that’s not what happens.

After being entrusted with finding a very rare labubu, Butters ran into an expensive problem when he was told the only way to get it was by purchasing a mystery box that was getting pricier due to Trump’s tariffs.

Butters with a labubu in “South Park.” (Comedy Central)

The show then moves to Washington, where Fox News anchors are debating whether the president is with Satan. Episode 3 previously established that Satan had wanted to escape his relationship, but something was stopping him from leaving. He shared the reason for him being stuck with Trump was hidden in a mysterious box, which was later revealed to be a positive pregnancy test during a confrontation between Satan, Jesus and Trump.

After the dark reveal, Jesus decided to ban labubus, phones and TikTok from South Park Elementary. Whether that will help with whatever comes next remains to be seen.

“South Park” will air its next episode on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Past episodes are now streaming on Paramount+.

The post ‘South Park’ Declares ‘Trump Is F–ing Satan’ – Meant Both Ways – While Fox News Celebrates appeared first on TheWrap.

Bari Weiss Set for Top Role at CBS News as Paramount Closes in on Free Press Acquisition

Paramount is on the verge of acquiring Bari Weiss’ right-leaning Free Press news organization, with Weiss set for a top role in running CBS News, TheWrap has learned.

The deal, which is being finalized by Paramount’s lawyers and was first reported by Puck on Wednesday, sets CBS News on a course for a more conservative approach in line with CEO David Ellison’s vision. TheWrap’s reporting suggests it’s likely that Weiss will run CBS News.

Weiss, who founded Free Press in 2022 after leaving the New York Times where she was an opinion columnist, is respected by some for her independent approach and her critique of mainstream media as too woke, but criticized by others for giving a pass to powerful people with whom she agrees such as Elon Musk when he bought Twitter in 2022 and Peter Thiel who she interviewed sympathetically earlier this year on her podcast, declining to push back on non-answers.

Paramount declined to comment. Weiss did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

CBS News has been the subject of a political tug-of-war and a target of the Trump administration, which extracted a $16 million settlement from a lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris. As part of the Skydance merger, Paramount agreed to place an internal ombudsman to ensure that the news organization was even-handed as part of its negotiations with the Trump administration.

In one of its first moves after taking over Paramount, the Ellison-led leadership eliminated DEI initiatives at Paramount altogether.

The tug of war with the Trump administration continued just this week when Kristi Noem, who heads the Department of Homeland Security, accused the network of a “whitewash” when it chose not to air her full remarks on Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an undocumented immigrant who the Trump administration wrongly deported in March and has since tried to remove from the country.

Noem disparaged Abrego Garcia as a “known human smuggler” and “MS-13 gang member,” allegations unproven in court. The network defended the interview on “Face the Nation.”

CBS News has long been one of the most respected brands in journalism, with veterans from Walter Cronkite to Edward R. Murrow as part of the network’s esteemed legacy. A stable of star journalists at “60 Minutes” include Anderson Cooper, Bill Whitaker and Lesley Stahl among others.

As a journalist who comes from the opinion columns rather than the trenches of news-gathering, Weiss is sure to raise opposition within the newsroom ranks of CBS News as a top decision-maker, especially in the wake of the departure of venerated “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens and CBS News chief Wendy McMahon, both of whom cited corporate meddling in the news division as the reason for their resignations.

An individual with knowledge of the deal said that Paramount did expect there to be resignations as a result of Weiss’ acquisition.

Weiss has been reported as seeking $200 million for the sale of The Free Press, but the individual with knowledge said the sale price was expected to be lower than that.

Weiss resigned from The New York Times in July 2020, citing what she described as a hostile work environment to ideological diversity. In her resignation letter, which she posted publicly, Weiss accused the paper of fostering an “illiberal environment” where dissenting views were met with open hostility from colleagues. She said she had been subjected to bullying, both in person and on internal Slack channels, and alleged that the newsroom’s editorial decisions were increasingly shaped by Twitter and the opinions of its most vocal online critics, rather than by journalistic independence.

She went on to found the Free Press, which has rapidly grown into a robust media platform that consistently criticizes left-leaning cultural and social views. It is seen as a successful response to progressive media and mainstream outlets that lean to the left. The site consistently publishes pro-Israel writers and also showcases journalists who abandon mainstream media, such as Ari Berliner, a former senior business editor for NPR who left over alleged left-wing bias.

In a 2024 essay, Berliner argued that NPR had shifted from an “open-minded, curious culture” to one dominated by a progressive worldview—claiming that a lack of diverse views had undermined public trust in the outlet.

The post Bari Weiss Set for Top Role at CBS News as Paramount Closes in on Free Press Acquisition appeared first on TheWrap.

‘The Five’ Flex Over US Strike on Venezuelan Drug Boat: ‘This Is What You Call a Message’ | Video

While the deadly strike carried out by the U.S. Navy on a Venezuelan cartel boat was decried by critics as either a deepfake or an overreach, a lack of due process bothered none of the panelists on Fox News’ “The Five” on Wednesday night, who celebrated the maneuver as a “message” to drug gangs and smugglers.

Carried out by the U.S. Navy, the precision attack killed 11 people aboard the speedboat in international waters. Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said separately that “there’s more where that came from.”

“Eleven Tren de Aragua narco terrorists got a one-way ticket to narco heaven,” Jesse Watters said as the widely circulated drone video of the fiery airstrike played. “That drugged-out dinghy was a floating weapon of mass destruction, packed with enough poison to kill countless Americans. And the president says the traffickers will be thinking twice before they smuggle again.”

Co-panelist Greg Gutfeld said the strike was meant to stop a lot more than one boatload of illegal drugs.

“This is what you call a message,” Gutfeld said. “It is well-publicized. It is very clear. There is a certain outcome. If you’re a smuggler, you are starting to rethink the decision to avoid career day at high school – maybe selling trinkets off the beach isn’t a bad idea. Maybe I should call my uncle and see if they’re still an opening at the bodega, who knows?”

Watters called it “an escalation in the war on drugs. I could see this expanding,” before throwing the commentary to Dana Perino.

“Beyond drugs it is a war on terror, right?,” Perino said. “One of the first things President Trump did when he came back to office was to designate them as terrorist organizations. First, even during the campaign, remember, he talked about the Mexican drug cartels and this was a question: Would you actually take military action against them?”

And now, he has demonstrated that he just might.

“What a change from the past,” Gutfeld said. “We are no longer as a country embracing decline. In one video you just saw the solution for drugs, gangs, and late-night boating. Trump just said to America, I hear you. Watch this. The sharks are happy. They just got a big free meal.”

Watch the entire panel discussion in the video above.

The post ‘The Five’ Flex Over US Strike on Venezuelan Drug Boat: ‘This Is What You Call a Message’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

HBO’s ‘The Case Against Adnan Syed’ to Release New Episode Detailing His Release

“The Case Against Adnan Syed” will be reopened by HBO this fall as the fifth and final chapter of the docuseries uncovers the truth behind Adnan Syed’s wrongful murder conviction.

The new episode, titled “Part Five: The Tree Grew,” will update viewers on the real-life momentum in the case since the docuseries premiered on HBO in 2019. The docuseries, inspired by discoveries made by the “Serial” podcast, told the story of the 1999 death of Syed’s ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee and his subsequent murder conviction. 23 years into his prison sentence, the final installment of the documentary delves into the continued investigation and the new evidence that pushed the case forward.

A year-long investigation led by Syed’s new lawyer, Erica J. Suter, culminated in a reunion with his family when a new suspect emerged from the original investigation. The new development led prosecutors to drop the murder charges against Syed after a new round of DNA testing excluded his involvement in the murder case. Baltimore’s Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn vacated his conviction.

Earlier this year, a judge declared that Syed would remain free, despite the fact that the Maryland Supreme Court upheld a lower appellate court’s decision to reinstate his conviction last year.

Watch the trailer for “Part Five: The Tree Grew” here:

The series is produced by Instinct, Working Title Television and Disarming Films. The documentary was written, directed and executive produced by Amy J. Berg. Rabia Chaudry, Henrietta Conrad, Jemima Khan, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Tina Nguyen all executive produce the HBO series.

The first four episodes of the docuseries are available to stream on HBO Max. “Part Five: The Tree Grew” will premiere on Thursday, Sept. 18.

The post HBO’s ‘The Case Against Adnan Syed’ to Release New Episode Detailing His Release appeared first on TheWrap.

Lady Gaga Cancels Miami Concert Minutes Before Showtime, Citing ‘Extremely Strained’ Voice

Lady Gaga canceled her Mayhem Ball outing in Miami Wednesday night minutes before showtime, citing in an Instagram post an “extremely strained” voice and medical advice.

“Even though this was a hard and agonizing decision, I would be more afraid of the long term implications on my voice,” the singer and “Wednesday” actress wrote in her social media story. She went on to offer her sincere apologies and stated she “tried so hard to avoid this.”

Fans at the live event were informed of the cancellation just around 8 p.m. ET — the officially listed time for the “Lady Gaga: The Mayhem Ball” on Ticketmaster.

Credit: Instagram/@ladygaga

Read Gaga’s Instagram Story post, edited for style and clarity, in full below:

“Hi everyone, I am really so, so sorry, but I need to postpone tonight’s show in Miami. During rehearsal last night and my vocal warmup tonight, my voice was extremely strained, and both my doctor and vocal coach have advised me not to go on because of the risk it poses.

“I want to be hardcore and just push through this for you, but I don’t want to risk longterm or permanent damage on my vocal cords. There is a significant risk based on all our combined experience with a show like ours, and as you know I sing live every night — and even though this was a hard and agonizing decision, I would be more afraid of the longterm implications on my voice.

“I hope you can forgive me and accept my sincerest apologies for any disappointment, let down, inconvenience. I’m so, so sorry. I tried so hard to avoid this. I take serious care of myself to be able to put on this highly demanding show.

“I love my fans so much. Respect you and hope you can accept my sincere, regretful apology. We are trying to reschedule the show as quickly as possible.”

Earlier Wednesday, the Grammy-winning performer made her Tim Burton screen debut twice over with the premiere of “Wednesday” Season 2 on Netflix and the music video for “The Dead Dance,” directed by the “Edward Scissorhands” auteur.

The Mayhem Ball kicked off on July 16 in Las Vegas. Wednesday was scheduled to be her third night at Miami’s Kaseya Center following sold-out engagements on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.

The post Lady Gaga Cancels Miami Concert Minutes Before Showtime, Citing ‘Extremely Strained’ Voice appeared first on TheWrap.

ABC Scores Best College Football Opening Weekend With 8.6 Million Viewers Across 4 Games

ABC scored its best college football opening weekend on record with an average 8.6 million viewers tuning in across four games.

Of the four games, three drew in over 10 million viewers, marking the first time ESPN networks have reached that milestone in a single weekend. The Sunday matchup between Notre Dame and Miami drew 10.8 million viewers and peaked with 11.8 million viewers — also marking ABC’s second-best Sunday Opener on record — while Saturday’s Alabama-Florida State game averaged 10.7 million viewers and the LSU and Clemson game scored 10.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen big data + panel figures.

The Alabama-Florida State game, which peaked with 12.9 million viewers, was the most-watched Week 1 game in the mid-afternoon window on record.

When including Saturday’s Syracuse and Tennessee game, which averaged 2.6 million viewers, this Saturday marked the network’s most-watched kickoff Saturday triple header on record with an average 7.8 million viewers.

Strong viewership for the opening weekend also boosted ESPN to score its best week 1 across, with the Sunday game between Virginia Tech and South Carolina scoring 5.4 million viewers and peaking with 6.5 million viewers and the TCU-North Carolina Labor Day game averaging 6.1 million viewers with a peak of 8.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen fast national numbers.

On ESPN, Friday’s Georgia Tech-Colorado game averaged 3.7 million viewers while the Nebraska-Cincinnati game averaged 3.3 million viewers and Thursday’s matchup between Boise State and South Florida scored an average 2 million viewers.

Additionally, College GameDay scored its most-watched show to date as it brought in 4 million viewers. The show peaked with 5.7 million viewers during its final 15 minutes from 11:45 to noon ET, when Lee Corso’s made his headgear pick, marking the highest quarter-hour peak ever for the Saturday morning program.

The post ABC Scores Best College Football Opening Weekend With 8.6 Million Viewers Across 4 Games appeared first on TheWrap.

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3 Episode 9: Who Is Benito?

As “The Summer I Turned Pretty” Season 3 shifts Belly’s journey from Cousins to Paris, Episode 9 introduces Benito, a character that fans who have read creator Jenny Han’s books might recognize.

Belly (Lola Tung) comes face-to-face with Benito (Fernando Cattori) once she arrives in Paris after calling off her wedding to Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). More specifically, while on her quest to locate her stolen bag, Belly provides a girl code service to a young woman named Gemma (Corinna Brown), who then introduces Belly to her friends, including Benito, who seems immediately taken with Belly after watching her reclaim her backpack from the thief.

Fans were eagerly awaiting Benito’s introduction during Belly’s Paris romp after first hearing of the character in Conrad’s letters to Belly at the end of the third book in Han’s trilogy, “We’ll Always Have Summer.” And fans even got a look at who they correctly assumed was Benito in the final trailer of the season.

In the book, Conrad mentions Benito by name in his third letter to Belly as she is studying abroad in Spain (which is swapped for Paris in the Prime Video series), and Conrad mentions he heard about Benito from Laurel.

“She told me you met some Spanish guy named Benito, and he rides around on a scooter. Really Belly? A guy named Benito with a scooter?” Conrad writes, scoffing “he probably wears leather pants and has a long stringy ponytail” and “probably looks like a model and weighs 100 pounds and writes you poetry in Spanish.”

“I don’t know what you see in a guy like that, but I don’t know what you ever saw in me either, so I guess there’s no accounting for taste, right?” Conrad’s letter continued.

By his fourth letter, however — which Conrad notably sends without hearing back from Belly — Conrad mentions he heard she isn’t “hanging out with that guy Benito anymore,” saying “don’t say I didn’t warn you…”

Despite subbing out Spain for Paris, Han didn’t change the character of Benito, and found her Benito in Cattori, who has also been featured in “Untamed Royals” and “With You in the Future” and can soon be seen in “Padre Tierra” and “The Follies.” It seems like we’re in for a tad of romance between Belly and Benito, but likely not anything that would distract her enough from Conrad (Christopher Briney).

Cattori joins the cast for “The Summer I Turned Pretty” Season 3 as a recurring character alongside Brown, who is best known for starring in “Heartstopper,” as well as Isaline Prevost Radeff (“Ceux Qui Travaillent,” “Haute Mer”) and Jahz Armando (“Gangs of London”).

“The Summer I Turned Pretty” releases new episodes Wednesdays on Prime Video.

The post ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3 Episode 9: Who Is Benito? appeared first on TheWrap.