It’s Tuesday, December 23. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Tyler Cowen on the debunking of Oliver Sacks; River Page on how the Trump team lost its media savvy; and Russ Greene on “Total Boomer Luxury Communism.” Plus: Did J.D. Vance just take a side in the MAGA civil war?
But first: Gabe Kaminsky opens up the pardon playbook.
A round of golf at Mar-a-Lago. A letter delivered by Roger Stone. A lobbyist pal of the president’s eldest son. These are a few of the things that might be useful if you ever find yourself needing a pardon from President Donald Trump.
So far, Trump has granted clemency to more than 1,600 people during his second term, a big jump on the 240 pardons issued during his entire first term. Though he still has a way to go to beat Joe Biden’s 4,245 clemency acts during his presidency—the most by a president in American history.
The power to pardon has long been controversial. What makes Trump extraordinary is the pardon playbook that is being used to great success by those with wealth, or connections to Trump or people close to him, or both. For my investigation for The Free Press today, I dive into that playbook, and report on the ways in which the rich and powerful (and incarcerated) are trying to persuade the president to clear their name.
Trump’s allies deny any impropriety, and refute the idea that pardons are essentially for sale. But I heard from ethics experts and other sources who track the pardon process who say that it is cause for alarm under Trump. Read my full story for this look on how power and influence works in Trump’s Washington.
—Gabe Kaminsky
J.D. Vance has chosen a side in the MAGA civil war, argues Eli Lake. In a speech to Turning Point USA members this weekend, the vice president made clear he will not indulge in “endless, self-defeating purity tests,” but rather, make the GOP as open as possible—even if that means welcoming people who flirt with antisemitism and conspiracy theories. “Open borders for MAGA” is a political calculation, and one that may backfire, says Eli in this report on the latest round in the fight for the future of the right.
Oliver Sacks, lauded as a giant in the study of neurology and beloved by his millions of readers, has been found to have fabricated key details in his landmark studies. Sacks’s deception is not isolated, writes Tyler Cowen. It is yet another revelation of dishonesty that has “shaken science.” So what can you trust—and how do you know what to believe? Tyler offers some tips.
What is the root cause of America’s economic problems? For Russ Greene, the answer is “Total Boomer Luxury Communism.” That’s his term for expensive entitlement spending that funnels money from the young to the old, and is supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. In his essay for us today, he unpacks this generational injustice and explains why the system will have to change—and sooner rather than later.
“I come to you with a mouthful of crow,” writes River Page. Why? Because he was one of the many journalists and pundits who praised the Trump team’s social media savvy after last November’s election. A year on, River argues the administration has lost its touch. From tone-deaf tweets, to ill-judged podcast appearances, MAGA is too online, and turning ordinary people off. How did Trump World lose its media edge?
We failed to include the link to one of our stories in yesterday’s Front Page. We apologize for the mistake, have thrown the intern responsible into the piranha tank, and hope you’ll give it another try:
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President Trump announced plans to build two new “Trump class” Navy battleships, part of what Navy secretary John Phelan called “the president’s golden fleet.” The pair of ships, according to Trump, will feature hypersonic missiles and “high-powered lasers.” Phelan described the initiative as the “return of American maritime-industrial might.”
A senior Russian general was killed in Moscow after an explosive was placed under his car. The officer, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, served as the head of the Russian Army training directorate, a key post for military readiness. Ukraine did not confirm involvement in the assassination.
A federal judge in Brooklyn declared a mistrial after the jury could not reach a verdict in the case of a former Democratic aide accused of working for the Chinese government. Linda Sun, former deputy chief of staff to New York governor Kathy Hochul, and Sun’s husband were accused of doing the bidding of China, in exchange for lavish gifts.
Over a dozen Heritage Foundation officials, including senior staff, have resigned and joined Advancing American Freedom, a think tank started by former vice president Mike Pence. Pence’s policy shop will also add the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law, formerly at Heritage. One official who made the switch called Heritage president Kevin Robert’s defense of Tucker Carlson in October a “seminal moment.”
House Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie said that they will seek to find Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress for not releasing more documents about sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. “Our goal is not to take down Bondi,” Khanna said. “Our goal is to get the documents out for the survivors.” President Trump is backing a primary challenger against Massie in Kentucky.
Japan approved restarting the world’s largest nuclear power plant. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has been closed since the earthquake in 2011 that led to the Fukushima meltdown. The decision could help make Japan a major player in the worldwide energy race.
The Trump administration is removing at least two dozen career ambassadors from their positions around the world. The cuts among these Biden-appointed officials mark President Trump’s latest attempt to reshape American foreign policy. “It is the president’s right to ensure that he has individuals in these countries who advance the America First agenda,” one senior State Department official said.
Marty Supreme, a new movie starring Timothée Chalamet, brought in $875,000 while playing on just six screens last weekend. The film won’t receive a wide release until Thursday, but it won a spot in the domestic top 10. Marty Supreme had the highest average ticket sales per theater since La La Land in 2016.
"Advancing American Freedom, a think tank started by former vice president Mike Pence."
Never did I ever.... think that Pence had such an ego.
By the way shout out to Bari standing up to the “journalists” at cbs.