The Emperor And The Gladiators May 31, 2026May 30, 2026 THE EMPEROR AND THE GLADIATORS What better birthday present for Trump to give himself than cage matches on the White House lawn celebrating raw manhood, violence, combat, domination, submission, bloodlust . . . . . . all the things that make white Christian nationalism (“I’d like to punch him in the face”) something Jesus might have had a hard time embracing but that would have excited Caligula.* “Two Corinthians” notwithstanding, the brand of Christianity practiced by James Talarico and Oral Roberts grad Adam Hamilton — running for the senate from Texas and Kansas, respectively — seems more genuinely Christian than that practiced by Trump and the leaders of MAGA. *”Caligula’s reign is historically associated with extreme indulgence in gladiatorial games, both as a form of entertainment and as a demonstration of power.” — Copilot PUTIN MAY NOT BE WINNING A white nationalist kleptocrat ruler like our own, Putin is winning: He’s got Trump destroying American democracy and the post-war world order, while abandoning Ukraine. But he could be losing, too: America is poised to save its democracy November 3; and the Ukrainians seem to be pulling off the impossible. All this as Fear and distrust grip Russian society: While 36.2% of respondents in October 2025 said Russia was moving in the right direction, this figure plummeted to just 10.5% in May of this year. TALARICO ON VOUCHERS YouTube followed that 1-minute Talarico clip I linked to above with this one (11 minutes). Those who would paint him as “a radical lunatic” might watch and come to a different conclusion. FOILING FASCISTS With regard to Friday‘s item on Hitler in Los Angeles: Bridget S.: “I’m helping on a documentary on Leon Lewis, one of the Hollywood lawyers who organized a Nazi spy ring. It’s such incredible history: Traitors in Tinseltown.” OUR CONCAVE PLANET – II With regard to Friday’s must-see 45-second clip: Peter S.: “Flat Earth idiocy is huge. Join Flat Earth Facebook group just to see how insane they are.” > It has more than 100,000 members. EPSTEIN Any news?