Post Reports

Jeffrey Epstein, a well-connected financier, was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 following his arrest on child sex-trafficking charges.  The circumstances around his death, which was ruled a suicide by hanging, and crimes have spurred fringe conspiracy theories, mostly on the far right. Some believe Epstein was actually killed as part of a cover-up; they also believe the “deep state” is hiding information about Epstein’s rich and powerful friends, who they say could also be implicated on sex trafficking charges Trump did nothing to tamp down his base’s Epstein fixation during his reelection campaign. He even hinted he might release secret government documents that his supporters hoped would validate their conspiracy theories. But the Department of Justice said recently that there’s nothing more to reveal.  Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with White House reporter Natalie Allison about how Trump’s conflicting messages about Epstein are unsettling his base [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/12/turning-point-usa-conference-concerns-trump/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports] and causing strife within his administration. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Thomas Lu. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick with help from Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here [https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&p=s_v&s_dt=yearly&utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=podcast-subs].

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is in a moment of reckoning.  In January 2023, after his election loss, thousands of his supporters attacked [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/01/08/bolsonaro-rhetoric-supporters-storm-brazil-congress/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports] the presidential palace, the Supreme Court and the Congress as they protested an electoral defeat that Bolsonaro had baselessly attributed to electoral fraud. Now Bolsonaro is awaiting a criminal trial before the country’s Supreme Court for allegedly plotting to kill his rivals and stay in power [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/02/18/bolsonaro-charged-coup-brazil/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports]. Bolsonaro is barred from running for office until 2030, and he could very well go to prison for decades.   Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on Bolsonaro’s situation. He called the trial a “WITCH HUNT” on social media and in a letter to Brazilian leaders when announcing a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/07/09/trump-tariffs-brazil-jair-bolsonaro/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports]. Reporters Terrence McCoy and Marina Dias, who are based in Brazil, got a rare window into Bolsonaro’s thinking and his desire for a Trump intervention [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/02/jair-bolsonaro-trump-trial-brazil/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports] during a visit to his office this past spring. Today on the podcast, host Elahe Izadi sits down with McCoy and Dias, to learn what their visit revealed about Bolsonaro, about Latin America’s largest democracy and about the United States.  Today’s episode was produced by Elana Gordon with help from Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and Reena Flores. It was mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Jesse Mesner-Hage.

One year ago in Butler, Pennsylvania, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to get onto a nearby roof and take shots at Donald Trump. In the aftermath many wondered — who was this man who shot the presidential candidate, and how was he allowed to get so close to killing him?  Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with investigative reporter Carol Leonnig [https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2025/07/12/trump-assassination-attempt-butler-iran/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports] about the mystifying search for a motive and what she and others have concluded about what went wrong that day, one year later.   Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Rennie Svirnovsky.  If you want to learn more about how the shooting in Butler changed Trump, our colleague Isaac Arnsdorf was on “Post Reports” on Friday [https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/post-reports/trump-ran-to-save-himself-in-2024-he-won-back-america/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports] to talk about that. His new book is “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/754957/2024-by-josh-dawsey-tyler-pager-isaac-arnsdorf/].” Subscribe to The Washington Post here [https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&p=s_v&s_dt=yearly&utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=podcast-subs].

President Donald Trump left the White House in 2021 with a historically low approval rating. After the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, his attempt to overthrow the 2020 presidential election, and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Republicans, and much of the nation, appeared ready to move on from his presidency. Three years later, Trump returned to the White House with a decisive victory.  But his return wasn’t predestined. In “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, [https://sites.prh.com/2024book/]” Post senior White House reporter Isaac Arnsdorf and former Post reporters Josh Dawsey and Tyler Pager reveal how Trump used his public criminal trials to dominate headlines and amass support. Meanwhile, critical missteps by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaigns hampered their ability to counter a Trump comeback.  Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Arnsdorf about the book and discusses exclusive reporting about the Biden, Harris and Trump campaigns.  Today’s show was produced by Arjun Singh. It was edited by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Katy Burnell Evans.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here [https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&p=s_v&s_dt=yearly&utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=podcast-subs].

Artificial intelligence can help you draft better emails, summarize long documents and now it could even be your online dating coach. Dating app companies say generative AI is a great way for people who might be shy or awkward to present themselves better. But others are worried this could make it harder to know who is on the other side of the screen.  Host Elahe Izadi speaks with internet culture reporter Tatum Hunter about the ever-changing dating app landscape and how artificial intelligence could change the way we view romance [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/03/ai-online-dating-match/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports].  Today’s show was produced by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Yun-Hee Kim. Subscribe to The Washington Post here [https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&p=s_v&s_dt=yearly&utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=podcast-subs].