Does Trump understand the words that are coming out of the Epstein files?

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What is this good for?

Donald Trump’s tastes got trapped in amber sometime around 1999.

The president never adapted to the bubbly plastic and chrome look of the turn of the millennium or the faux-Tuscan design sensibility that stormed the suburbs after 9/11. Take a look at his Oval Office makeover. Done in the style of his resort properties, the revamped White House takes its cues from the filigreed, nicotine-stained steakhouses that ruled fine dining in the back half of the 20th century.

An avowed fan of Broadway, Trump’s raves are almost exclusively limited to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work in the ‘70s and ‘80s. He’ll go to bat for “Phantom of the Opera” and “Evita” because their grand numbers and glamorous sets echo his own conception of high-class, and therefore good, art.

Trump’s love of the “Rush Hour” franchise is harder to explain, but no less paleolithic. The president reportedly pressured the Ellison family, new owners of Paramount, to revive the buddy-cop series starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. The series debuted in 1998, and the last of three installments hit theaters less than a decade later.

The action-comedies were extremely successful, but dwindling box office returns and critical shrugs put the series on ice after “Rush Hour 3.” Sexual misconduct allegations against director Brett Ratner in 2017 seemed to spell the end of any sort of nostalgia play, and the 20th anniversary of “Rush Hour” came and went with little fanfare.

Semafor reported earlier this week that Trump was requesting “Rush Hour 4” from the Ellisons. Yesterday, Deadline reported that Paramount would distribute the Warner Bros sequel, returning with Ratner at the helm. The president and his MAGA movement have proved they’re willing to brush aside sexual assault allegations, but the “Rush Hour” revival news could not have come at a worse time for Trump.

Chris Tucker is one of a handful of celebrities who have admitted to riding on Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane. The actor said he flew on the private jet nicknamed the “Lolita Express” as part of a humanitarian trip to African countries along with former President Bill Clinton. He has denied ever taking any trips to Epstein’s private island or having any further connection to the infamous sex offender.

The trip was reported on in a “New York” profile of Epstein from 2002, which largely focused on the mystery that surrounded the well-connected financier at the time. That piece is also the source of the now-infamous Trump quote where the president calls Epstein a “terrific guy.”

“I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years,” Trump told the magazine. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

A quick search of the already released emails from Epstein reveals another tiny link between Epstein chatter and “Rush Hour.” On the day that news of Ratner’s alleged misconduct broke, Epstein sent an email seemingly lamenting another bigwig caught up in a #MeToo scandal.

“Brett Ratner now. Oy,” he wrote.

Don’t get us wrong. We’d all love more fish-out-of-water comedies with incredible stunt choreography in our multiplexes. But should Trump really be expending his political capital to revive a franchise so few degrees of separation from Epstein?

What do you think? Has Trump seen a movie released in the last 15 years? Are you excited for the return of Detectives Lee and Carter? Will Trump’s push for a Ratner-ssance harm him in the long run? Sound off in the comments.

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