Trump, Epstein, and the Collapse of Legacy Media with Katie Phang

At the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Katie Phang joins Terry Moran for a powerful, unscripted conversation about the future of independent journalism, Donald Trump’s expanding exposure in the Epstein scandal, the failures of legacy media, and the stakes for American democracy.

Phang explains why she left MSNBC, how corporate media softens language to avoid upsetting advertisers, and why this moment demands clarity, courage, and honesty. She and Terry break down newly released Epstein documents, the political panic they’re causing, and why Republicans are now trapped between political survival and moral accountability.

This episode also covers the shutdown, healthcare, immigration, and Katie Phang’s personal story of patriotism, family, and fighting for the country she wants her daughter to inherit.

⏱ Chapters

00:00 – Live from the Texas Tribune Festival

00:25 – Katie Phang on leaving MSNBC and joining independent platforms

01:15 – Why legacy media avoids strong language

02:00 – Terry Moran on the urgency of naming authoritarianism

02:30 – Katie Phang on authenticity, emotion, and calling Trump a convicted felon

04:00 – Epstein’s darkness and Trump’s connection to him

05:15 – What the latest Epstein documents reveal

06:00 – Why the corroborating emails matter

07:00 – Republicans, denial, and the political danger of the Epstein files

08:30 – The Situation Room pressure tactics

09:30 – Trump’s enablers and the infrastructure of corruption

10:45 – Why December will be a political breaking point

11:10 – Bipartisan support for releasing the Epstein files

12:10 – Trauma, survivors, and the ongoing revictimization

13:30 – The shutdown fallout and Democratic strategy

14:45 – Missed opportunities during the shutdown

15:30 – Healthcare, affordability, and political messaging

17:00 – Immigration, tariffs, and economic pain

18:15 – Katie Phang on patriotism and her family’s immigrant story

19:20 – Fighting for her daughter’s future

20:10 – Real Patriotism and the stakes for democracy

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