Gavin Wax was in full whitewash/defense mode in his Dec. 2 Newsmax column:
Since the conclusion of his first term, and really since he announced his first campaign for the presidency, former and President-elect Donald J. Trump has been subject to an unprecedented onslaught of judicial attacks from activist prosecutors in federal, state, and local jurisdictions across the United States. Through it all, he has emerged victorious and stronger than ever.
A loyal, devoted, and committed legal team has been a huge key to that success. President Trump’s key legal adviser Boris Epshteyn, who coordinated that ever-expanding group of killer lawyers, merits acclaim from every supporter of President Trump for helping keep the 47th president of the United States a free man.
Epshteyn’s role in President Trump’s success is important to recognize, especially as he fends off angry attacks from both inside leakers and biased left-wing press, while having coordinated lawsuits against many of them for defaming and otherwise unlawfully maligning President Trump.
Leading a presidential ticket is never easy. President Trump, though, came off as polished and focused, earnest and attentive to the American people’s needs, even as he faced persecution and selective prosecution unlike anything in modern American history.
Epshteyn’s unconventional thinking and willingness to pursue novel legal strategies were critical to countering the unprecedented barrage of legal attacks. He has been a natural shadchan for President Trump’s legal team, skillfully pairing the right lawyers to ensure the most effective defense strategy.
Wax then whined that Epshteyn is getting criticized for unspecified reasons:
Now, detractors have come out of the woodwork to snipe at Epshteyn. Perhaps they do not appreciate his tough, direct style. Perhaps they underestimated him and his proximity to President Trump.
[…]There is no doubt that fake news media publications would favor President Trump ejecting Epshteyn from his inner circle; they want to see President Trump severed from loyalists so he is forced to rely on RINOs and disinterested third parties attempting to subvert the mandate enacted by the American people on November 5, 2024. This serves their interests, not President Trump’s interests, and certainly not the American people’s interests.
Wax didn’t mention the (current) actual reason Epshteyn is being criticized. As a real news operation reported, the accusations are so serious that Trump’s team had to investigate:
Attorneys for Donald Trump conducted an internal investigation into allegations that one of his top aides, Boris Epshteyn, has sought to gain financially from his influence with Trump and others in the president-elect’s orbit, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The internal investigation, which was confirmed by half a dozen sources and is not criminal in nature, has probed multiple instances of Epshteyn allegedly requesting payment in exchange for promoting candidates for administration positions or offering to connect individuals with people in the upcoming administration relevant to their industries, sources said.
In one instance he requested as much as $100,000 per month in exchange for his services, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Epshteyn’s alleged activities prompted those looking into the matter to make an initial recommendation that Epshteyn should be removed from Trump’s proximity and that he should not be employed or paid by Trump entities, according to two sources.
[…]Part of that investigation focused on claims that Epshteyn proposed that Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary, pay him to promote his name with Trump and others at Mar-a-Lago. Bessent did not make payments to Epshteyn.
Newsmax itself reported another issue. From a Nov. 18 article by Mark Swanson:
The transition team for President-elect Donald Trump is pushing back on a report of a “massive blowup” between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and longtime Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn over Cabinet selections.
Axios reported early Monday that a simmering feud between Musk and Epshteyn exploded last week at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, over the adviser’s influence over Trump’s Cabinet picks.
According to the report, the blowup took place Wednesday over dinner in front of other guests. Musk accused Epshteyn of leaking Cabinet and personnel picks to the press, Axios reported. The heart of the tension is that Trump sided with Epshteyn with many of the appointments announced last week, including Matt Gaetz for attorney general, according to Axios, adding that Epshteyn took umbrage with Musk questioning the qualifications of his picks.
Wax concluded by emphasizing one certain value over others: “Boris Epshteyn has proven both his value and loyalty to President Trump and thereby to all Americans. We must stand with him solidly and without wavering, just as Boris has always stood for all of us and with President Trump.” Most people don’t equate loyalty to competence — that’s usually seen as a hanger-on who’s trying to cynically capitalize on his proximity to power.