Heartlanders continue to demand the release of the infamous “Epstein list,” and President Donald Trump is listening – but the supposed files from Attorney General Pam Bondi’s desk still have not been made public. As news broke that late-night host Stephen Colbert and his show were canceled, rural folks celebrated, and urbanites recoiled in horror. It was a peculiar week, complete with one Democratic lawmaker creating a parody of the song “Dreamsicle” and posting it on X, which caught the attention of Scott Jennings, who asked why Democrats can’t be normal.
Trump: Did He Win or Acquiesce?
It doesn’t matter who you are – trying to outsmart someone ten steps ahead will rarely work. Donald Trump plays to win, and he doesn’t mind embarrassing opponents or giving everyone a nickname just out of sheer spite – it’s just how he does politicking.
“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?” Trump questioned. “This guy’s been talked about for years. You’re asking … we have Texas, we have this, we have all of the things. Are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable.”
But it appears Trump finally caved to the demands of the media and the electorate. Yes, the adage that a squeaky wheel gets the grease is in play. The Department of Justice filed a motion to have grand jury testimonies relating to convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein unsealed.
The biggest complaint from Midwesterners is that a lot of hands have been passing around the information, which may not be reflective of the truth, as Louis Spheeris in Chicago warned: “By now the Democrats have altered the documents many times, so don’t expect much.”
In Stirling Heights, MI, Jason Sobieck was suspicious as well: “Or they could just release everything in regards to the case, considering there is nothing to hide.”
So, the people wait – not holding their collective breath – and wonder: Did the president cave, or is it all just part of the art of the deal?
King of Hectoring Colbert
Stephen Colbert is out of a job come May 2026. After running for nearly 33 years, The Late Show is being retired due to serious financial problems. Liberals have lost their ever-loving minds in full belief that Donald Trump managed to get rid of the host, who has focused on nothing more than bashing Trump since 2016. Apparently, viewers have grown weary of the nightly political tirades. Or so that’s what columnist Maureen Callahan told SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly this week.
“He is such a hectoring, humorless lecturer,” Callahan said. “Hardworking people at the end of their night do not want to be lectured by the likes of a bespectacled Stephen Colbert projecting from his diaphragm.”
“This is amazing for so many reasons, but culturally, it’s so indicative of, it’s another nail in the coffin for legacy media. It’s not just that they’re canceling Colbert. They’re killing the show altogether. Now, late-night talk shows have been in America’s living rooms basically since the birth of television,” Callahan said.
There was no argument from flyover folks regarding Callahan’s “hectoring” comment. And the advice rolled in: Alberta Thomas Newell of Springfield, IL, commented: “He should take some lessons from Johnny Carson.” Kent Collins in Duncan, OK, was relieved and irritated at the same time: “Got paid millions for his propaganda. Utterly failed.”
And in Indianapolis, Anita Gutmann Jones had a great idea for a replacement: “I think Trump is the best comedian.” Hey, why not? After 2028, he’ll be looking for something to do.
Just Be Normal
Scott Jennings appeared Tuesday on CNN’s News Night With Abby Phillip and asked why Democrats couldn’t be “normal.” His question was sparked by the latest stunt by Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson (D), who posted a song on X crooning about the Epstein files. Johnson sang: “Epstein died by suicide. Believe that and you must be blind. You’ve been telling us you’d release the files. But where are they? We’ve gone along with what’s been told. You’ve had plenty of time. You’re in control. But now you say you will withhold the Epstein files. Dreamsicle on a summer night in a folding lawn chair. Trump’s howling at the moon. Release the Epstein files soon.”
“These Democrats are weird AF. I’m not going to say it like Gavin Newsom did,” Jennings said. “Newsom, Cuomo, this guy, why can’t they just act like normal people?” The question echoed in flyover states.
Mike Maher in Winona, WI, commented: “That is a GREAT question!! Nobody knows?” And Cliff Jackson in Texas said: “Because that’s what Trump-derangement does – it deranges people.”
Jennings had to remind folks just who Johnson was as the short video was played: “Now, some years ago, you might remember that the folk singer on your screen, Hank Johnson, said in a congressional hearing that he was concerned that Guam was going to tip over if too many Marines got on one side of the island,” Jennings said. “So, we’re not dealing with a super genius here.”
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Editor’s Note: From the Back Forty is Liberty Nation’s longest-running and most popular weekly column.
