The Lincoln Project

• Veterans to Trump: We Don’t Obey Illegal Orders, You Wannabe Dictator

  Rick Wilson breaks down the political firestorm ignited by the viral military veterans ad, reminding Americans—and the armed forces—never to obey illegal orders. This ad (and Trump's subsequent meltdown) is Rick's Elephant in the Room this week. The veterans-PSA ad featuring Elissa Slotkin (Senator and former intelligence officer), Mark Kelly (Senator and former Navy pilot), Jason Crow (Representative and Army veteran), Chris Deluzio (Representative and Navy veteran), Chrissy Houlahan (Representative and Air Force veteran), and Maggie Goodlander (Representative and Air Force veteran) urged U.S. service members to refuse illegal orders. The message was standard constitutional duty; the fallout was anything but. Within hours, Donald Trump detonated across social media, calling the ad “treason,” attacking veterans, and confirming—accidentally—exactly why the video mattered. Rick walks through everything that unfolded afterward: the furious MAGA messaging spiral, the stunned reaction inside the Pentagon, the immediate backlash from veterans’ organizations nationwide, and the growing panic among House Republicans suddenly asked whether they’d support Trump’s demand for total obedience. Rick unpacks the escalating tension, the legal implications of Trump’s statements, and why this episode may mark a turning point in the 2026 national security and rule-of-law debate. Buckle up—this one touched every live wire in American politics. • • • • • Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.  To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit Hims.com/LincolnProject for your free online visit. #ad  Visit ExpressVPN.com/LincolnProject to find out how you can get up to 4 extra months as a Lincoln Project Podcast listener. #ad

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• Club Fed, A Puppy, and a Pedophile Ring: Tara Palmeri on Ghislaine’s Sweetheart Deal

  This week on The Lincoln Project Podcast, Rick Wilson sits down with investigative reporter Tara Palmeri (The Tara Palmeri Show, The Red Letter) for a brutal, no-BS breakdown of the new Jeffrey Epstein emails naming Donald Trump, what they reveal about his long-denied ties to the Epstein sex trafficking network, and why Republicans in Congress are suddenly cracking over the push to release the full Epstein files. Tara walks through how Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump, billionaire bankers, modeling agencies, and elite power brokers all intersect, why survivors see these emails as a “smoking gun,” and how the DOJ, House GOP, and Trump White House tried to spin the scandal as a hoax. With sharp analysis, dark humor, and a relentless focus on the victims of sex trafficking, Rick and Tara unpack the corruption, the cover-ups, the banks, the lawyers, the media enablers, and what could happen next if ALL of the reasonably redacted Epstein documents, emails, and flight-log details finally come to light. • • • • • You can find Tara Palmeri @tarapalmeri on X, on her podcast ‘The Tara Palmeri Show,’ and on her Substack, ‘The Red Letter,’ at www.tarapalmeri.com. Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln. 

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• The Afterlife Has Receipts: Epstein’s Emails Tag Trump

  For this week's Elephant in the Room, Rick Wilson dives headfirst into the bombshell trove of newly unearthed emails—yes, the ones dragged straight from the digital grave—linking Donald Trump to the Epstein network in ways that blow apart every denial he’s peddled for years. These aren’t rumors, whispers, or gossip; these are receipts from the beyond, pulled out of long-buried archives investigators never expected to see daylight again. Rick breaks down what the emails reveal, why Trumpworld is in full panic mode, how these posthumous secrets reshape the Epstein timeline, and what this means for Trump’s optics heading into 2026. With sharp analysis, dark humor, and absolutely zero patience for MAGA excuses, this episode unpacks the grave, cold truth now haunting Trump’s orbit. Buckle up—the dead are talking, and they have the receipts. • • • • • Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.  Visit www.quince.com/lincoln for free shipping and 365 day returns. #ad 

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• “F*cking Do It”: Adam Kinzinger Dares Trump to Prosecute Him

  Rick Wilson sits down with former Congressman Adam Kinzinger, star of The Last Republican and founder of Country First, for a blistering look at what may be Donald Trump’s worst week yet. From the Supreme Court’s tariff showdown and GOP election losses to Trump’s tone-deaf Great Gatsby party at Mar-a-Lago, Kinzinger and Wilson rip into the chaos with trademark dark humor and political fire. They break down Trump’s economic disaster, his narcissism, and how he’s turned the Republican Party into a cult of fear—run by Tucker Carlson, Laura Loomer, and Nick Fuentes. Kinzinger explains why he thinks Trump won’t run in 2028, how neo-Nazis and conspiracy theorists hijacked the movement, and what it will take for Democrats to win in 2026 by focusing on affordability, corruption, and the economy instead of endless culture wars. With hits on Jack Smith’s investigation, AI chips to China, and the collapse of the conservative establishment, this episode is a sharp, darkly funny autopsy of a party—and a democracy—on the brink. • • • • • You can find Adam Kinzinger on X @AdamKinzinger, on his Substack at adamkinzinger.substack.com, & in the documentary ‘The Last Republican,’ streaming now. Also, check out his organization Country First, at country1st.com. Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.  Go to bollandbranch.com/lincoln and use code ‘LINCOLN’ for 25% off + free shipping. #ad

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• While Americans Starve, Trump Throws a Gala 🥂

  For Trump, empathy is like one of his contractors — it never gets paid. Rick explores how Trump’s austerity policies, SNAP cuts, and Medicare rollbacks crushed millions while he partied with billionaires. The 2025 Democratic election surge wasn’t luck — it was justice. • • • • • Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln. 

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