Inside Trump’s Wild West Wing Pardons
Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Vanity Fair contributing editor Willem Marx, who is based in London, has tackled some dark matter for the magazine: London's oligarch obsession, Roman Abramovich's quest to become Portuguese, the horrific allegations against the Alexander brothers. For the March issue, Willem has dug deep into Donald Trump's wild, wanton pardon system (though I'm not sure "system" is the right word) for the details on how all manner of criminals—from Todd Chrisley of reality-TV fame to Carlos Watson of fake-media fame to Stewart Rhodes of J6-insurrection fame—genuflect before the president. The avenues to mercy could sometimes include Giuliani, Bannon, and Dershowitz (which sounds like a subway ad for a legal firm from hell). And Willem's story is a real romp.
Meanwhile, Vanity Fair's Dan Adler also dips into the intersection of spooky + elite, with a report on how Jeffrey Epstein's quarter zip has become a fringe fashion obsession. You read that right. Now check out his story. |
CLAIRE HOWORTH, DEPUTY EDITOR |
Willem Marx speaks to Donald Trump's pardoners, pardonees, and the as-yet-unpardoned, from a Bush-era CIA leaker struggling for salvation to reality TV's favorite criminal couple. |
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Charles Porch's newly created role as OpenAI's VP of global creative partnerships signals the AI giant's new focus on the entertainment industry. |
The sweatshirt—a hallmark of Epstein's sociopathic insouciance—can now be purchased from an array of eBay and Etsy entrepreneurs, Nick Fuentes's web store, or a dedicated fan site. |
George art director Matt Berman remembers the first son's dedication to the publication, and the cover photo he absolutely refused to pose for with Carolyn Bessette: "He said, 'Come on, I'm not gonna whore out myself and my wife for the magazine!'" | |
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The archetypal diva details her rise to the top—and how "with every achievement, with every move I have made, no matter how great or small, someone was always there to try to bring me down." |
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posted by Francis Dwight at 2:23 PM

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