We have an outside shot at getting to $200,000 raised tonight, the second day of the drive. We’re currently at $186,200. That would be 40% of the way there. If you’re considering contributing please consider doing it this evening. I know drives are kind of a necessary evil from a reader’s point of view. We get it. So we want to hit our goal of $500,000, which is really important, as soon as possible and get back to reporting the news 100% of the time. If you’re game, click right here.

I must admit to being a bit perplexed at what Donald Trump is doing with the Epstein story. He went on Truth Social, the family’s vanity social network and corruption vehicle, today and again went off about how his own supporters are fools for not moving on from the Epstein story and how they should just — goshdarnit! — forget about it and move the F on! Trump seems to be demanding, for any of us who thought there was no there there in the Epstein material, that we realize there must be — that we believe there must be. He’s not asking my consent or yours. He’s just doing it. And this is what I mean: When Donald Trump is guilty as sin on something he insists that whatever is out there that you might have thought was incriminating is actually the work of Obama, Hillary and James Comey. And that is literally what he is doing. Here’s today update from Truth Social.

Thanks so much for getting us off to a very solid start with these year’s annual TPM Journalism Fund drive. If you haven’t had a chance to yet, please take a moment to join us this year. As I said yesterday, this is a critical part of our system to keep TPM thriving, resilient and expanding. Any amount is deeply appreciated. We have an outside chance of getting to 40% of the way to our goal on the second day of the drive. That’s $200,000 and we’re currently at $174,737. Thank you so much and as I said, if you haven’t already, please join us in this year’s drive. Just click right here.

Today’s the day we kick off our big ask for the year, the TPM Journalism Fund annual drive. I just called it our “big ask.” But I want to be clear that if you’re a member, you shouldn’t feel any obligation. You’ve done your part to support our work. More than 35,000 of you make TPM possible. But the TPM Journalism Fund plays a critical role in keeping TPM vital, prepared for the unexpected and able to expand our capacity to meet the public crisis of the moment. We truly need your support. What we’re doing today at TPM, responding as we are to public crisis of the second Trump Presidency would not be possible without it. If you’ve heard enough and are able to contribute in any amount, please click right here.