The simple way Democrats should talk about Trump and Epstein
They must highlight how this saga exposes the president for who he has always been.
In the decade Teflon Don has spent on the national stage, no scandal has stuck to and haunted him quite so viscerally as the Epstein affair. He's never before appeared so flustered, forced to answer question after question about the women and girls whose lives were destroyed by his former 'best friend'.
The world may never know what is inside the so-called 'Epstein files.' What is clear is that the contents are damaging enough for the president and his human flak jackets to call the whole affair a 'hoax', recess Congress to prevent a vote on releasing the materials and send the deputy attorney general to visit Tallahassee, Florida, to speak to the convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who was subsequently moved to a 'cushy', celebrity-riddled minimum security prison in Bryan, Texas.
As the conservative pundit Bill Kristol noted over the weekend: '[Richard Nixon] said of Watergate, 'I gave them a sword. And they stuck it in, and they twisted it with relish.' Trump may have given us a sword. We should use it.' Kristol is right, to a point. Liberals, progressives and never-Trump Republicans must not let voters forget Trump's festering, open wound without neglecting the kitchen table, cost-of-living matters that hurt them last fall.
In 2007, a far sharper and far more spry Joe Biden delivered a quip so clever and cutting that it ended another man's entire political career. Rudy Giuliani was never able to recover after Biden observed how it seemed 'there's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, a verb, and 9/11'. The line was funny because it was true; it was lethal because it exposed the emptiness behind the former New York City mayor's tragedy-fueled candidacy.
This is the challenge for Democrats: how do they maintain a spotlight on a scandal that reveals Trump for who he is in a way that finally resonates with his base without appearing to exploit a tragedy , à la Giuliani? They must ground the abstract conspiracy in everyday terms relatable to the average American.
It goes like this: Trump protects elites.
Say it in every stump speech, vent about it in vertical videos and keep it alive as a dominant narrative in the zeitgeist. Do not back away. The modern media environment rewards repetition and omnipresence, so Hakeem Jeffries should promise an Epstein select committee, Chuck Schumer should make Republicans release the Epstein files in return for votes to fund the government, and every leftwing activist in the country should be burying Pam Bondi's justice department in a blizzard of Freedom of Information Act requests.
In doing so, recognize that the response to the scandal is an encapsulation of a deeper truth that voters already feel. The president and the GOP protect the elite at the expense of ordinary Americans.
Savvier Democrats get this. Some of the party's best communicators have already been grasping for a message along these lines, as seen in the focus on Elon Musk's 'department of government efficiency' (Doge) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders's nationwide Fighting Oligarchy tour. But while those efforts have paid some political dividends, they have not come close to capturing the public imagination to the degree the Epstein files have.
For at least some portion of the Maga movement, the past three weeks have finally managed to expose Trump for the hobnobbing, name-dropping, pompous ass that he's always been. Why is this one particular story so effective – especially as most voters have known Trump to be a plutocratic wannabe for decades? Maggie Haberman's hypothesis is noteworthy: New York high society operates in two concentric circles. The Big Apple has a glittering 'elite' with status at the center of a broader ring that wields power.
Trump has always tried to straddle those rings, painting himself as the renegade billionaire. The Epstein affair shatters that mythos. It casts him not as a brash, bull-in-a-china-shop outsider but as the ultimate insider, rubbing shoulders with the very aristocracy his campaign rhetoric promised to upend.
Democrats must lead with Epstein. Then they need to connect it to the president's myriad failures. Why did Trump cut taxes for the richest Americans while cutting Medicaid in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act? For the same reason he is protecting Epstein and his buddies. Why is Trump risking union jobs in auto manufacturing so he can have a trade spat with Mexico and Canada? For the same reason he is protecting Epstein and his buddies. Why is Donald Trump talking about firing the head of the Fed? For the same reason he is protecting Epstein and his buddies.
Mallory McMorrow of Michigan, a Democratic Senate candidate, is already reading from this script. In recent weeks, she has demonstrated mastery in pairing Epstein with broader anti‑elite rhetoric. In one vertical video, she emphatically declared:
This is exactly why there's eroding trust in our institutions, because until we confront the rot that exists in our institutions, until we hold everyone, everyone accountable under the same set of rules and laws, we will keep living in a country where there are two systems of justice, one for the rich and powerful, and one for everybody else. We deserve better. Release the files now.
Trump's friendship with Epstein is a proof point for elite favoritism and all of us who oppose the orange god king must use it to condemn inequality and unaccountable power within the GOP ecosystem.
The Epstein scandal has captured our attention not just because it's a lurid horror story, but because it confirms a truth people already believe: the rich view them as objects for exploitation. And if there's one thing Trump has successfully messaged to all Americans, it's that he's very, very rich.
Epstein is the story. But he is also a stand-in for every closed maternity ward in a rural county, for every mom choosing between insulin and groceries and for every veteran battling the Department of Veterans Affairs while Silicon Valley billionaires buy senators. Democrats' message is simple enough, actually: 'Trump and the GOP protect the elite. They abandon you.'
Think this messaging can be overdone? Look no further than Benghazi, a truly made-up scandal, which Republicans turned into a true political liability with Hillary Clinton's emails. That story stuck because of repetition and omnipresence, but also because it struck a chord with something Americans already believed: that the Clinton family viewed themselves as above accountability.
Even Trump's own supporters are asking hard questions. Where are the files? Why is there a two-tiered system of justice? Why is Trump more interested in protecting his friends than releasing the truth? The Democratic response should be a noun, a verb and Jeffrey Epstein, and then the rot at the core of the American system. Deployed effectively, it can be as impactful and as memorable as Trump's cruel but devastating 2024 attack line: 'Kamala is for they / them, President Trump is for you.'
Trump protects elites.
That's why Trump is protecting Epstein's circle.
But who's protecting you?
Peter Rothpletz is a Guardian contributor
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Seven twisted rapists who abused kids in underground bunker could face death penalty for deplorable crimes
Two lawmakers in Alabama are pushing to make child rape cases eligible for the death penalty, after a gang of seven were arrested in a horrific sexual abuse case. Police in Bibb County said the group subjected their victims, one of whom was just three years old at the time, to heinous sexual attacks inside a nightmarish underground bunker. William Chase McElroy, 21; Dalton Terrell, 21; Timothy St. John, 23; and Ricky Terrell, 44, are facing rape charges for allegedly sexually abusing small children. Three others - Andres Trejo-Velazquez, 29; Rebecca Brewer, 29; and Sara Louis Terrell, 41 - were also arrested in connection to the crimes. Rep. Matt Simpson and state Senator April Weaver are organizing a bill that would make those convicted of rape or sodomy of a child younger than 12 eligible for the death penalty. Speaking earlier this week, Rep. Simpson said: 'When you have situations like what happened in Bibb County, that would be up to the Bibb County prosecutor. 'But this would be a tool that they would have in their belt that they could if they decided to use that.' Weaver added: 'I defy anyone anywhere with any conscience or any sense of morals to look at this case and others like it and argue the death penalty is not appropriate.' Rep. Matt Simpson, left, and state Senator April Weaver are organizing a bill that would make those convicted of rape or sodomy of a child younger than 12 eligible for the death penalty The victims in the case, aged between three and 15, were abused with shock collars and raped inside the grimy storm bunker in Brent. At least two of the victims were found performing sexual acts on each other, with some of the victims said to include some of the suspects' own children. Images shared by police of the inside show a lone stained mattress with no sheets or blankets was seen stuffed in a corner of the barren and dirty room. The outside of the bunker, which was located near a family member of McElroy, didn't look any better in repair with a shabby roof and a desolate appearance. The suspects would allegedly arrange and pay for the children and abuse them inside the storm bunker. The group also allegedly used a shock collar as a form of punishment, court documents said. Police began investigating the group in early February after a tip from the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR). After they were discovered, the children allegedly told investigators that McElroy had abused them, taught them sexual acts and what they did to each other. William Chase McElroy, 21, (left) and Timothy St. John, 23, (right) face rape charges, among others Andres Trejo-Velazquez was charged with human trafficking. His citizenship is also being investigated. And at least one member of the group has been connected to a Mexican gang known for using sex trafficking as its main source of income 'He would tie one child to the bed, one child to a chair and one to one of the support poles,' Assistant District Attorney Bryan Jones said of Velazquez-Trejo, whose citizenship is now being investigated. Velazquez-Trejo has also been accused of using a white powder in the children's drinks to drug them. He also allegedly sold nude images of the children. 'As bad as it sounds with [Velazquez-Trejo] drugging them, it may be a blessing in disguise because they don't remember a lot of things,' Jones said. The group also sold the children for up to $1,000 a night to abusers. Dalton paid at least two adults to use the children, who are now three, six, eight, and 10. And at least one of the seven has been connected to a Mexican gang that uses sex trafficking as its main source of income. St. John has also been accused of having sex with a dog. All the children are now in the custody of DHR. And authorities are still investigating how many children were abused. McElroy was charged with rape, sodomy, and human trafficking. Dalton was charged with rape, sodomy, human trafficking, and kidnapping. St. John was charged rape, sodomy, human trafficking, kidnapping, bestiality, and cruelty to animals. Trejo-Velazquez was charged with human trafficking. Brewer was charged with human trafficking, kidnapping, and sexual torture. Ricky was charged with rape. Sara was charged with sexual torture and sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old. They are expected back in court for their arraignment in August.
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Brave 6'4 cyclist who stepped in to stop crazed man harassing kids at train stop is butchered to death
A courageous cyclist was stabbed to death by a crazed man at a San Francisco train stop after he stepped in to protect a mother and her kids who were being harassed. Colden Kimber, 28, was fatally jabbed in the neck with a six-inch blade on July 26 while waiting at a Muni stop in the Ingleside neighborhood with his girlfriend. The couple had just gone on a date before making their way to the stop that was surrounded by children and families when Sean Collins, 29, walked up. As they waited, Kimber decided to bravely get in between Collins and a woman with her children as he shouted: 'Oh you think you are better than me' and 'You are scared of me,' court documents obtained by KGO said. While 6'4in Kimber stood directly in front of Collins as the train approached, the knifeman 'stabbed the unsuspecting victim on the right side of his neck,' records showed. Following the 'completely and utterly unprovoked' attack, Kimber stopped moving as blood gushed out of his neck, the court filing read. He was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital where he died after undergoing surgery. Shortly after the deadly incident, Collins was found covered in blood by police blocks away from the scene and taken into custody. Surveillance footage from a nearby restaurant also captured Collins walking in the area dressed in an all black outfit. Collins has been charged with murder and is due in court for his arraignment on August 14. It is unclear what drove him to stab Kimber, but according to court documents, the Superior Court of California received a report regarding his mental health. The results of the report remain unclear at this time. Cameras at the Muni station captured the attack and two child witnesses, aged eight and 14, saw the horror stabbing occur, according to prosecutors. Now, Kimber's loved ones are trying to make sense of the crime that took the life of someone who was trying to save others. Bradley Woehl, the owner of American Cyclery, where Kimber worked, said he is a 'totally irreplaceable' employee who he will miss dearly. 'I'm going to miss him for his good nature and his kind spirit, and he really lived such an exemplary life. He was a very positive influence on myself and my staff,' Woehl told KGO. He added that Kimber worked at the shop for years, where he would repair and even build new bikes for customers. 'He is totally irreplaceable as a worker, and totally irreplaceable as a friend and person and someone who had a good influence in my life,' his boss added. Kimber discovered his passion for cycling when he took his mother's place in the New York triathlon after she had to drop out while fighting breast cancer, she told the San Francisco Chronicle. 'He had never ridden a bike on a road,' Lara Litchfield-Kimber said. 'The bikes were the things that stuck.' After relocating from New York to California in 2020 with his long-time girlfriend, Kimber joined the Dolce Vita Cycling team as well as a semiprofessional ice hockey team in Vacaville. He previously played hockey growing up, his mother explained. Kimber loved biking so much he would be on his bike for 12,000-13,000 miles some years, per the Chronicle. When he wasn't dabbling in sports, Kimber was studying kinesiology at San Francisco State University. He dreamed of working in sports medicine. Kimber (pictured) discovered his passion for cycling when he took his mother's place in the New York triathlon after she had to drop out while fighting breast cancer Litchfield-Kimber set up a GoFundMe page to help support their family during this difficult time. 'Colden unwillingly leaves behind a loving partner of seven years, his little sister who is just getting into road cycling, friends young and old, beloved cycling and hockey communities on both sides of the country, and his family who was immensely proud of the man he had become,' she wrote. In addition to trying to plan services and memorials for her late son, his grieving mother said his family plans to 'simultaneously navigate a criminal homicide trial from across the country and all the unknowns of this unfamiliar process.' As of Sunday afternoon more than $81,500 was raised to help them out.
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
FBI was tipped off about deadly 1995 Oklahoma City bombing but chose to ignore it, new book claims
The FBI received a warning about the Oklahoma City bombing seven months before the 1995 attack took place, but failed to act on the tip-off, a new book reveals. Officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were told by an informant that an attack was coming and that the Oklahoma City federal building was among the targets. The source, Carol Howe, had impeccable credentials and had infiltrated a white supremacist compound which had ties to Timothy McVeigh, who carried out the deadly truck bombing, which killed 168 people and injured around 700. But according to Blowback: The Untold Story of the FBI and the Oklahoma City Bombing, by journalist Margaret Roberts, the federal government ignored the intel, allowing McVeigh to carry out his evil plot. She says the FBI hushed up Howe's story after the bombing because it contradicted their own narrative that McVeigh was a 'lone wolf'. In fact he had significant links to white supremacist groups who could have been to blame, writes Roberts, a former news director of the true crime TV series America's Most Wanted. The bombing was, at the time, the deadliest terrorist attack on US oil and remains the third most serious by loss of life. On April 19, 1995, McVeigh parked a rented Ryder truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in downtown Oklahoma City. It was packed with fertilizer, diesel fuel and other chemicals and exploded just after 9am, carving out a massive chunk out of the building. Among the dead were 19 children. McVeigh, a former Army soldier, was arrested days later with prosecutors arguing he acted alone. But Roberts claims that this was not the case and in fact a witness could point to disturbing links to a group of white supremacists. In her book she said Howe had infiltrated a white-supremacist enclave called Elohim City, on the Oklahoma/Arkansas border, after being taken there by Dennis Mahon, a member of a group called the White Aryan Resistance. She was undercover in Elohim City for eight months leading up to the bombing and after falling out with Mahon – she claims he sexually assaulted her – the ATF offered her $120 a week to spy for them. Howe became known as CI-183 and spied on Mahon and others who were suspected of illegal firearms and explosives crimes. Known as 'The Blonde Nazi', Howe later said she filed between 50 and 150 written reports to her ATF handler, Angela Finny, in exchange for cash payments and expenses. Rather than McVeigh acting alone, the plot Howe uncovered involved what she called 'The Big Three' white supremacists in Elohim City: Mahon, who is currently in federal prison for another bombing, convicted bank robber Michael Brescia and his roommate Andreas Strassmeir, a German national who DoJ tried to interview about the bombing, but found he had returned to his homeland. German authorities refused to make him available without a guarantee he would not face the death penalty. In September or October 1994 Howe told her handlers that the three men wanted to 'blow up federal buildings' Roberts writes: 'The bomb plot was already entering its decisive phase. According to Howe, the terrorists had developed a list of three potential bombing targets including Oklahoma City's Murrah Building. 'Howe said the conspirators made three separate scouting missions there in 1994 and 1995 including one accompanied by Mahon and Strassmeir in December 1994'. Howe knew of McVeigh by his alias 'Tim Tuttle' and that he operated a 'satellite cell' outside of Elohim, which he had visited more than once in 1994 including at a Ku Klux Klan rally. In yet another twist, McVeigh called Elohim City asking for Strassmeir on April 17, 1995, the day the bomb truck was rented in Kansas. The FBI is said to have been given another warning about the bombing five days before it happened but again did not act, Roberts writes. The Oklahoma City Fire Department's dispatch chief received a phone call from the FBI on the Friday before the bombing, warning of a possible terrorist threat. Roberts calls Howe's testimony 'astonishing' and points to the involvement of up to 20 domestic terrorists in the bombing. But all of these lines of inquiry were shut down as McVeigh was portrayed as the sole suspect. Rather than being the 'mastermind', McVeigh could have been a 'satellite figure who followed orders as a good soldier', Roberts writes. Howe's story was due to be reported by ABC News but the TV network allegedly worked in 'cooperation' with the Justice Department and 'suppressed the biggest news story of that year'. 'The fix (was) in', Roberts writes. Howe had been prepared to testify at McVeigh's trial but Judge Richard Matsch of Federal District Court in Denver refused to let her do so. Instead she was put on trial on charges she threatened to blow up buildings in 15 cities: she was acquitted. McVeigh was executed by lethal injection in June 2001 at the age of 33. Two of his accomplices, Michael Fortier and Terry Nichols, were charged and jailed over the bombing but Roberts argues that the plot went far beyond them.
