Will the Epstein Firestorm Be Trump's Undoing?
A Saturday Prompt
Donald Trump is panicking. You have heard that often from some pundits, but I think this time is different. In the last day—as House Republicans get ready to vote this coming week on releasing all the Epstein files within 30 days—Trump has ignored reporters seeking to ask questions. And when he’s communicated via his ironically named social media platform, Truth Social, his sweaty desperation practically pours off the digital page.
As more facts emerge about Trump’s involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, he’s doing whatever he can to shift the spotlight to others who were connected to the convicted sex trafficker and child molester. Trump calls the story “the Epstein Hoax.” He ridiculously claims this is “another Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, with all arrows pointing to the Democrats.” And he’s asking the compliant Pam Bondi, armed with the title of Attorney General, “to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan Chase, and many other people and institutions.” As per his usual impulse, he’s trying to aggressively deflect attention from his own wrongdoing by ranting about the possible wrongdoing of others.
Trump thinks that—once again—he can turn the tables, hold up shiny new objects, perform his usual carnival barker routine to convince the public to ignore the man behind the curtain. Yes, he can expect many of his MAGA cultists will be satisfied to feed on hated Democrats. But an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll from September found that just 20 percent of adults approved of Trump’s handling of the Epstein files—and that’s not just Democrats surveyed. That poll found that 77 percent of adults, including 67 percent of Republicans, said all the Epstein files should be released.
We are learning that the public really doesn’t like the idea that rich and powerful men may have exploited their positions to rape young girls—and that the public has the right to know whether their president lied when he said he didn’t know about and wasn’t involved with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal activities. In other words, we want to know what’s in the Epstein files. We want to know if Donald Trump either stood by while these terrible crimes were committed or participated in these crimes himself. And that is obviously panicking Trump, whose intense effort to cover up the files, deny their contents and distract attention makes him look increasingly like a guilty man.
Of course, within hours of Trump’s frightened post, sycophantic AG Bondi promised to investigate the aforementioned Democrats, a complete turnaround from the Justice Department claim in July that they “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.” Bondi announced she had assigned Jay Clayton, the interim US attorney for the southern district of New York, to lead an investigation into Trump’s political adversaries and their Epstein connections.
But I suspect such investigations focused on Democrats and ignoring the role of Trump will only increase the public’s appetite to know the truth about the man who never belonged anywhere near our Oval Office. Contrary to Trump’s imagination, this may be one story he can’t make go away, which isn’t to say he won’t try his hardest to do so, even by “wagging the dog” and accelerating a war against Venezuela in the coming days.
So what do you think? Will the Epstein firestorm be Donald Trump’s undoing? Or do you think he will slither away again and avoid accountability for his actions? Might this be the story that convinces a growing number of Republicans to finally separate themselves from Trump and stop giving in to his every demand? Or will he once again succeed at striking enough fear and intimidation in them so they sheepishly stay in line? Do you suspect that foreign adversaries such as Russia know what is contained in the files and are using that intel as leverage against Trump? And lastly, do you think the files will ever be released?
As always, I look forward to reading your observations and the opportunity for this community to hear from each other. Please do be respectful in your remarks. Trolling will not be tolerated.
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I think that if it isn't, and the public lets him slide, that we are a country not much worth saving. But - it will be the undoing - for a couple reasons. The hardest calls for transparency are coming from within the house - the GOP faithful want that promised kept. and unlike their leaders, they don't seem to care where, or to whom, it leads. I think most Republicans, like Dems, are repulsed by the idea of old white men abusing young girls. And by the way, Megyn Kelly's comment about -15-y.o's not as bad as 8 y.o's --- why does this woman still have a job? At any age under the legal limit (16 in a few states, 18 most places) it's statutory rape.
and also I think it has now gotten too big to be squashed down. I can't see how this just fades away - even it trump attacks Venezuela - which he might do just as a distraction. the man is dangerous.
Final thought. I wonder about all the people in his circle trying to make all this go away - Vance, Miller, and especially Susie Wiles. Are they so morally bankrupt that they work to make all this sordidness go away? Guess so. Remember the good old days when staff resigned because they disagreed with the head honcho? I guess there really is no bottom any more.
Thanks Steven for yet another stimulating piece. Cutting to the chase … The salaciousness of “le affair Epstein” will bring Trump down in the end. I do not celebrate. I have profound sadness for the victims and I worry constantly about the effect all of this is having on the young.Those whose world knows nothing but Trump and Trumpism.