Writes Shawn McCreesh, in "Trump Says First Lady ‘Had a Right’ to Talk About Epstein/President Trump said in an interview that he had known his wife wanted to address rumors about the late sex offender at some point, but that he had not known exactly what she would say" (NYT).
My search of the NYT archive included a term that wasn't in the article: Ungaro. I was looking, as I usually do, for elite media coverage of a story I am seeing in lowlier media, which I generally eschew. In this case, that would be things like "Amanda Ungaro Arrived in the U.S. on Jeffrey Epstein's Plane at 17 — Now She's Going After Melania Trump From Brazil" (Yahoo!news). I guess you can say I'm just seeing one of those things the NYT deems not "fit to print."
Anyway... I enjoy Shawn McCreesh's writing at the NYT. I love the coverage of Trump's enigmatic responses. "I never get upset" — what a perfect answer to the question whether you are upset. It can't be true, but one appreciates the sang-froid.
Great word, sang-froid. Lord Byron used it in Don Juan:
In the mean time, cross-legg'd, with great sang-froid,Among the scorching ruins he sat smoking
Tobacco on a little carpet....
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49 comments:
You call that "elite" journalism? This sentence is a lie "Was he upset that she had single-handedly thrust this story that had so bedeviled him back onto front pages around the globe?"
Melania didn't thrust the story back onto the front pages. The person, Ungaro, who you couldn't really find in the story put the topic in the news. Actually, the "elite" tabloid journalist put it there when they found someone to come up with "a new angle" on the story. Melania simply said she had no relationship with Epstein. That's the amount of "thrust" she put behind the story.
Garbage media.
I looked at some stuff online about what Ungaro is alleging about Melania Trump.
The most I can come up with is that she was formerly acquainted with the Trumps through her longtime relationship with Paolo Zampolli, a modeling agent who introduced the Trumps to each other, and that she's pissed that ICE dported her when she was arrested for fraud, and it was discovered her visa had expired.
That's it?
I loved the French translation of that Truman Capote book, "En Sang-Froid"
Epstein has “bedeviled” him? They’ll never stop trying to make this happen, will they?
"All Skate!" (pop a move...)
Rick James - Cold Blooded
"I never get upset." —DJT
Translation: "It's important for people to believe that I never get upset, no matter how ridiculous the proposition is."
Once you learn to read Trump, it's not that hard. You just have to get past the idea that he cares one whit about whether anything he says is true. It's hard for normal people to process the words of a liar as prolific as Donald Trump. The biggest problem is the sea of disinformation that is put out there to make analysis of the government's true motives, especially, and even its actions, impossible.
There are just too many logical terms in the question left undefined or unknowable, so that makes painting whatever story they want very simple. It's like Feynman said, "give me one free parameter, and I will draw you an elephant, give me two, and I will make it wiggle its tail." So basically I have no idea what to think of this story, but my instinct, which I can't really trust due to their manipulations of the information space, but my instinct is to take her at her word.
A lot of people would consider it very bad form to try to get someone to talk trash about their spouse.
My search of the NYT archive included a term that wasn't in the article: Ungaro. I was looking, as I usually do, for elite media coverage of a story I am seeing in lowlier media, which I generally eschew
holy carp…
Somehow, I missed this entire story. I was busy.
As they say, you don't hate the media enough. JFC
Mccreech is another silly chimp
Trump ought to be upset at Israel for talking him into this goddamn mess.
Get upset about other things
Why is the author quoting himself?
“ imTay said...
"I never get upset." —DJT
Translation: "It's important for people to believe that I never get upset, no matter how ridiculous the proposition is."
Once you learn to read Trump, it's not that hard. You just have to get past the idea that he cares one whit about whether anything he says is true. It's hard for normal people to process the words of a liar as prolific as Donald Trump. The biggest problem is the sea of disinformation that is put out there to make analysis of the government's true motives, especially, and even its actions, impossible.”
Pretending to be able to read minds is the ultimate admission of total stupidity. I hate this idiot tactic more than any other idiot tactic on social media.
When the President is about something, its in 18 point font
Just when you cant hate the Times enough
Leland could have gone farther. The story has not “bedeviled”
Trump at all. Every bit of factual evidence has exonerated Trump but tumbled many of his enemies out of their lofty positions.
And Shouting is absolutely correct. Trump “mind readers” are a pestilence in the media and the hallmark of pondscum level discourse among TDS inflamed commenters.
Look at the straw mannikin that threatened to beat up random people. Which the Times were fine with
The actual and expected result of the First Lady’s well calculated comments is that the grifters currently surfing social media under the laughable Epstein Victims banner immediately and forcefully said they want no part of Confressional Hearings under oath. They would have to admit recruiting actual victims if under oath.
All of which reminds me that the J6 grifter Cassidy Hutchison, a hero to the lower thinkers here, is back in the news, also for claiming to be a truth teller and also like the “Epstein Victims Tour” being unable to back up their story with reliable witnesses.
Which the times has been vouching for said grifteers so
Ya’ll realize “lowlier media” had sarcastic flavors with a distinct ube undertone.
I, for one, heard this story on NPR driving home yesterday. Their breathless analysis emphasized that Melania was embroiled, albeit in a totally undefined and unspoken manner, with the Epstein scandal. One cannot hate the news media enough.
Pretending to be able to read minds is the ultimate admission of total stupidity. I hate this idiot tactic more than any other idiot tactic on social media.
If only it were an "idiot" tactic. The problem is that it works - it's the basis of the commentary of, like, every "expert" on every "news" show: "I Know Things - you can count on it because I tell you so - and will now pronounce upon this person/situation." The ordinary people who don't steep themselves in the subject matter (as many of us do here) have no idea that they're listening to someone playing Zoltar for fun and profit.
Now, it is pretty odd that Little E would waste his time on it here, where he doesn't have a prayer of persuading anyone. People have fun different ways, I suppose.
Oh, I do apologize - that was imTay, not Little E!
imTay said...
"I never get upset." —DJT
Translation: "It's important for people to believe that I never get upset, no matter how ridiculous the proposition is."
Once you learn to read Trump, it's not that hard. You just have to get past the idea that he cares one whit about whether anything he says is true. It's hard for normal people to process the words of a liar as prolific as Donald Trump. The biggest problem is the sea of disinformation that is put out there to make analysis of the government's true motives, especially, and even its actions, impossible.
The actual translation: Tim is a cretin that has no emotional control and has no idea what Trump is actually doing because he is too busy crying in a fantasy he created to make sense of all of the cognitive dissonance.
The other darrell brother (or the twins from compulsion)
"bedeviling Trump"
It's bedeviling the media who desperately wish there was anything there linking Trump to the Epstein scandal.
wild chicken said...
Trump ought to be upset at Israel for talking him into this goddamn mess.
LOL! The joooos did it!
I wonder why Warren Buffet never ran a "modeling agency"? Anyone else ever wonder why Warren Buffet never ran a modeling agency? Just me.
Actually, I'm lying. Serious businessmen don't "modeling agencies" because its not a serious business. It is usually something ran by ladies and gay men and people really into fashion...and creeps like Epstein and Donald Trump.
Call me a cynic, but I don't think these "modeling agencies" (from which Trump plucked Melania) have anything to do with making money and only exist as high end sex rings. Melania is a yacht girl and everyday Americans are about to get a glimpse into what that means. I don't believe that Melania was with Epstein specifically, but you'd have to be pretty naive to think that he's the first billionaire that had her on retainer.
I like that the NYT puts the idea that Trump's wife has the right to speak in scare quotes, signaling the let's disdain for women
Wouldn’t Melania’s career as a model, appearing nude at times, make her a model for women “breaking barriers” and for being “daring and courageous?”
Another slow news day Zzzzzzzzzz
@Shouting Thomas, that would depend upon the wider circle of her affiliations, which in her case, is unfortunate.
The Progressive Left treats all such matters transactionally, for both sides. They think that this approach makes them appear consistent and even-handed, apparently not realizing that it ultimately means that they view all others as mere creatures occupying a rung somewhat lower in their hierarchy, and thus not worthy of the same privileged respect they reserve for themselves.
Stay Frosty. Of course I had to look it up. Thought maybe it was a shortened version of schadenfreude.
Trump just buys into the overarching philosophy of Alfred E. Newman
DDD: "Melania is a yacht girl and everyday Americans are about to get a glimpse into what that means."
First off, she's over 50 and she can still get on my yacht anytime. And by 'yacht,' I mean....
Second, MAGA don't care. The labor faction of MAGA sees Trump's lifestyle, including hot yacht girls, as something to aspire to, not something to tear down. The national-security faction doesn't give a rat's ass. The gay faction of MAGA worship her as an icon. And the evangelical faction just sees Don and Melania as David and Batsheva: acceptable sin from the guy who is going to make the country safe for religious people.
Dedicated lefties will hate Trump even if he were a eunuch with a vow of celibacy and a welded-shut chastity belt, so no damage here.
And swing voters have a choice between a MAGA movement with a few louche characters, and a Dem party with a lot of louche characters of their own. Don't think it really enters into their calculations. CC, JSM
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that Trump released a series of deranged Truth Social posts right after Melania did a surprise “press conference” on Epstein without telling him.
It's like being caught in a terrible episode of Dallas. Melania should make a sequel to her Amazon hit.
john mosby writes: "And swing voters have a choice between a MAGA movement with a few louche characters, and a Dem party with a lot of louche characters of their own. Don't think it really enters into their calculations."
Trump's polling among independents (often treated as a proxy for swing voters) is quite negative, with recent surveys showing his job approval rating in the mid-20s to low-30s and disapproval in the 60s. This represents a notable decline from his stronger standing with this group around the time of the 2024 election and early in his second term.
• Quinnipiac (March 19–23, 2026): 25% approve, 68% disapprove (net -43).
• CNN/SSRS (recent): Record low of 26% approve among independents.
• Fox News (March 2026): Around 25% approve, 75% disapprove.
This is a sharp decline from early 2025 (when he was in the 35–41% range with independents).
Independents have turned strongly against Trump, which is a major warning sign for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms. Polling can shift, but the trend is clearly negative right now.
One has to hand it to Trump -- to campaign on a platform of ending foreign wars and lowering inflation and ending up driving up inflation because of starting a foreign war….that would be too much winning for even the most accomplished MAGA script writers on Althouse.
Agree - Garbage Media.
I'll ad the (D) - Soros-- to it.
Your terms are not acceptable. So Melania Trump is supposed to remain silent while all kinds of garbage is written about her. And when she does defend herself an NYT reporter “worries” that her speech might hurt her husband politically - a man BTW the NYT has been trashing for the past 10 years. The reporter is a joke.
MSM - Melanie knew Epstein. She was his friend!
Melanie - Nope. Didn't know him at all. Show me the proof.
MSM - Why so angry? Why are you obsessed with Epstein?
⬆Before anyone accused her of anything. The old pre-emptive denial. Always a good sign.
Fun fact: Ungaro was bourn while climbing a killer tree on the way up the Kilimanjaro
Like the plants in the happening
@Little Excursion 10:37: See RCOCEAN II at 10:36 and stop with the bullshit.
The institutionalized stupidity in the US fueled by mediaswine is disheartening (See: Little Excursion post at 9:54.). LE and other amoral trolls prefer a nuclear Iran, open borders, Bidenflation, men dominating women’s’ sports and restrooms, Democrat grifting and other Democrat ills to giving up TDS.
Little Ex, your big excursion into polls and Trump's substantive policies actually reinforces my point that no one for, against, or indifferent to Trump cares about the loucheness. CC, JSM
I had never seen more of "Don Juan" than isolated snippets a la the Prof's selection, and on greater acquaintance it's nothing like whatever I thought it was. That's a serious flaw in my knowledge of a period I have been interested in all my life, and even studied.
Don Juan's rescue of the Muslim girl survivor of siege and sack reminds me of the story of Major Harry Smith's similar rescue of a Spanish teen at Badajoz (or was it Ciudad Rodrigo?) in 1812.
In that case, Smith married her, and after he was promoted and became a honcho in South Africa a town was named "Ladysmith" in her honor.
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