Could Trump have handled the Epstein issue any worse?

November 17, 2025

- YouTube

Could Trump have handled the Epstein files any worse? Ian Bremmer says the former president came close, first opposing the release, then reversing course once it was clear he was losing Republican support in Congress.

“When they’re running you out of town, get in front of the crowd and make it look like you’re leading the parade,” Ian says of Trump’s Sunday-night flip.

Now Republicans can safely vote to release what’s legally permissible, while Trump’s DOJ delays disclosures by launching new investigations into Democrats named in the files.

It caps a rough stretch for Trump: election losses in multiple states, slipping poll numbers, and public feuds with longtime allies. But when it comes to the Epstein documents themselves, Ian is clear: they will likely contain embarrassing details for Trump, but he does not expect they will show illegal involvement, or the Biden administration would have already acted.

What We’re Watching: Anti-graft protests resurface in the Philippines, Polish railway hit, Trump flips on Epstein files vote

Members of the religious group Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) wave their hands during the first of a three-day anti-corruption protest at the Quirino Grandstand, Manila, Philippines, November 16, 2025.

REUTERS/Noel Celis

More than 200,000 people took to the streets of Manila, the Philippine capital, on Monday to protest against suspected corruption in flood-control projects.

Hard Numbers: Bangladesh’s ex-PM sentenced to death, Foreign student enrollment in US plummets, Australian schools shut over asbestos, & more

People celebrate the court's verdict after Bangladesh's fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is found guilty and sentenced to death in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 17, 2025. The International Crimes Tribunal on November 17 sentences fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity in a murder case of the July uprising.

(Photo by Mamunur Rashid/NurPhoto)

The Saudi crown prince returns to Washington

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman reacts next to US President Donald Trump during the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 13, 2025.

REUTERS/Brian Snyder

For the first time in seven years, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is returning to Washington, DC, this week. It is now the great power-chess game between the US and China, rather than oil, that is making the Washington and Riyadh join forces.

Anatomy of a Scam

Mastercard

Behind every scam lies a story — and within every story, a critical lesson. Anatomy of a Scam, takes you inside the world of modern fraud — from investment schemes to impersonation and romance scams. You'll meet the investigators tracking down bad actors and learn about the innovative work being done across the payments ecosystem to protect consumers and businesses alike. Watch the first episode of Mastercard's five-part documentary, 'Anatomy of a Scam,' here.

After a season of upheavals, Chile goes back to the polls

Supporters of Jose Antonio Kast, presidential candidate of the far-right Republican Party, wave Chilean flags as they attend one of Kast's last closing campaign rallies, ahead of the November 16 presidential election, in Santiago, Chile, on November 11, 2025.

REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

This Sunday, close to 16 million Chilean voters will head to the polls in a starkly polarized presidential election shaped by rising fears of crime and immigration.

Could Trump have handled the Epstein issue any worse?

GZEROMEDIA

More from GZERO Media

What We’re Watching: Anti-graft protests resurface in the Philippines, Polish railway hit, Trump flips on Epstein files vote

More than 200,000 people took to the streets of Manila, the Philippine capital, on Monday to protest against suspected corruption in flood-control projects.

Hard Numbers: Bangladesh’s ex-PM sentenced to death, Foreign student enrollment in US plummets, Australian schools shut over asbestos, & more

The Saudi crown prince returns to Washington

For the first time in seven years, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is returning to Washington, DC, this week. It is now the great power-chess game between the US and China, rather than oil, that is making the Washington and Riyadh join forces.

Anatomy of a Scam

Will "AI euphoria" crash the markets?

Andrew Ross Sorkin joins Ian Bremmer to talk 1929, AI euphoria, and the CEOs staying silent.

GZEROMEDIA

Andrew Ross Sorkin says the next financial crisis is coming

Why the next financial crisis might already be underway—and why no one’s talking about it.

Is the AI bubble about to burst?

Ian breaks down the history of economic bubbles–from tulips to tech–and asks whether AI is the next one to pop.

What We’re Watching: Epstein files on the US House floor, Ukraine hits Russia where it hurts, RSF consolidated its grip on Darfur

You vs. the News: A Weekly News Quiz - November 14, 2025

Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.

After a season of upheavals, Chile goes back to the polls

This Sunday, close to 16 million Chilean voters will head to the polls in a starkly polarized presidential election shaped by rising fears of crime and immigration.

Could Trump have handled the Epstein issue any worse?

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

More than 200,000 people took to the streets of Manila, the Philippine capital, on Monday to protest against suspected corruption in flood-control projects.

For the first time in seven years, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is returning to Washington, DC, this week. It is now the great power-chess game between the US and China, rather than oil, that is making the Washington and Riyadh join forces.

Andrew Ross Sorkin joins Ian Bremmer to talk 1929, AI euphoria, and the CEOs staying silent.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Why the next financial crisis might already be underway—and why no one’s talking about it.

Ian breaks down the history of economic bubbles–from tulips to tech–and asks whether AI is the next one to pop.

Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.

This Sunday, close to 16 million Chilean voters will head to the polls in a starkly polarized presidential election shaped by rising fears of crime and immigration.