The president is attempting to keep calm in front of the cameras, but behind the scenes he’s fuming.
Donald Trump is reportedly getting more and more fed up with his administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein drama that has consumed headlines for weeks.
Trump is frustrated that the scandal has overshadowed his agenda and dominated the news, two people familiar with his thinking told The Washington Post in a Sunday report.
Nearly a dozen sources close to the situation spoke to the Post about the issue, painting a picture of an administration adrift, lacking a clear strategy and blindsided by the intensity of the backlash—particularly from Trump’s own base. Many officials had reportedly hoped that Americans would move on from the unreleased Epstein files, underestimating the sustained outrage.
His political protection has cracked and faded slightly over this, and he’s upset that if it keeps up he will become exposed.
Exposed to what?
To reality like the rest of us
Whatever that means. I don’t see any real consequences for anyone but us.
He isn’t worried about reelection but GOP members of congress are. If he loses their support, he’s toast. This the only issue on which they have ever wavered, because exposing an elite pedophile cabal is a foundational belief of some of their base.
But like you say, we’ve been in similar situations before and Teflon Don has so far always slipped between the fingers of justice. We’ll see.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Too much butter.
It means congressional Democrats would find it easier to flip Republican votes against his appointees and against him personally with impeachment and removal from office, amongst other things.
Doubtful since many Democrats and their funders are likely in the Epstein files, and the expectation in your scenario would be that they would be released. Remember, Christina Pelosi said “it’s likely that some of our faves are implicated”.
So they won’t.
The Democrats will do what they always do: Feign opposition, if something actionable develops, they will find some mechanism, a parliamentarian, a “blue slip rule”, to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.
He is afraid of any kind of consequences. Public embarrassment, etc.
You think the most embarrassing man on earth, this guy:
You think he’s afraid of embarrassment?
Absolutely. He hates being booed or, worse, laughed at. He does this dance in front of adoring fans who love him no matter how cringe he looks to others.
Not really a “consequence” in the statutory sense
No, agreed. However, this issue is bad optics for him and he hasn’t so far been able to distract the media like before (partly because some of them have finally wised up to such tactics). He doesn’t like the situation and the media know it, so they are keeping the pressure up to see what happens.
It’s bad for him, but he and anyone else paying attention knows that it’s also bad for a lot of people pretending to oppose him as well. This is something endemic to both parties. The Democrats making these symbolic gestures to “release the list” are doing kayfabe.