MAGA's new target: Trump
He is the keeper of the secrets. He is the one stealing away people's liberties. He is the one weaponising government and protecting the ruling class.
With Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Government Efficiency, Trump deputised wolf packs to root around in Americans' personal information. He got Republicans to give Stephen Miller his own army. Trump manipulates government to hurt his perceived enemies. He obscures rather than reveals, pushing aside reporters who ask penetrating questions in favour of Pravda-like partisans who take his side.
Trump's supporters thought he would shed light on shady elites protecting their own money and power. Now MAGA is reckoning with the fact that Trump is the shady elite, shielding information about Jeffrey Epstein.
'So the guy who spent his lifetime saying the deep state hides things from you and represses you is now saying, 'We've got nothing to hide, trust me,'' said Trump biographer Tim O'Brien. 'And the people who follow him don't. They think he's just as bad as the people he criticised before he became president.' It's mythic, being devoured by the forces you unleashed. Trump has trafficked in conspiracy theories since the despicable 'birther' one about Barack Obama. Now that whirlpool of dark innuendo has sucked him down. He can no longer control the Epstein conspiracy madness inflamed by his top officials.
Trump always reminded me of Lonesome Rhodes, a charismatic, populist entertainer whose 'candid' patter with plain folks garners him enormous power in Elia Kazan's 1957 movie, 'A Face in the Crowd.' At the finale, Andy Griffith's Rhodes — engorged by flattery and riches — has a narcissistic explosion.
Trump's Truth Social posts backing up Pam Bondi's claim that the Epstein files were much ado about nothing showed that same brutal disregard for his devout fans. They had taken him seriously? What fools! He said that those who are focused on the 'Jeffrey Epstein hoax' are 'selfish people,' 'PAST supporters' and 'weaklings' who had been 'conned by the Lunatic Left.' If his fans couldn't focus on how great he was, better than 'perhaps any President in our Country's history,' Trump pouted in a post, 'I don't want their support anymore!' One 'gal,' a Texan named Rosie, said she was broken-hearted. She replied on Truth Social that she has four daughters and 'can't even begin to comprehend the flipped narrative that 'it was so long ago' 'why are we still talking about this' and 'nobody should care.' These victims were some ones daughters, sisters, nieces, granddaughter. Someone's child. Please reconsider, sir.'
Trump bonded with Epstein years ago, although it's not clear if Trump knew the extent of Epstein's predations.
Trump, who rose to power with the help of Fox News, threatened Emma Tucker, editor of Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal, trying to stop its story about a letter and drawing he allegedly contributed to a 50th birthday book that Ghislaine Maxwell compiled for Epstein.
On Thursday, Trump posted that he had asked Bondi to produce 'any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval.' But judges usually keep such testimony secret. It was hilarious to see Trump hiding behind the judiciary he has tried to sideline.
Natalie Winters, a reporter for Steve Bannon's 'War Room' podcast, told Bannon that the Journal story made her feel 'gaslit' by the administration. 'I thought the DOJ had nothing related to Epstein,' she said. 'Well, this story sort of contradicts that. So why don't we release it? It's maddening.' Twisting conspiracy theories into a Gordian knot of hate, Trump is claiming some Epstein files were 'made up' by Barack Obama, James Comey, 'Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration' and 'Crooked Hillary.' It's tough to blame the deep state when you are the deep state. — The New York Times
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
10 hours ago
- Observer
Oil prices steady amid Trump tariff threats
Oil prices were little changed on Thursday as investors weighed supply risks from US President Donald Trump's push for a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine through more tariffs, while a surprise build in US crude stocks weighed on prices. Brent crude futures for September, set to expire on Thursday, rose 4 cents, or 0.05%, to $73.28 a barrel by 0812 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for September also rose 4 cents, or 0.06%, to $70.04. Both benchmarks gained 1% on Wednesday. "We're looking for more clarity on the nature of new tariffs or implementation of sanctions on Russia," said Harry Tchiliguirian at Onyx Capital Group. Trump's history of imposing policies and then changing them a few days later has led traders and analysts to hesitate in pricing them in, Tchiliguirian added. Trump said he would start imposing measures on Russia, including 100% secondary tariffs on its trading partners, if it did not make progress on ending the war in Ukraine within 10–12 days, moving up an earlier 50-day deadline. The US has also warned China, the largest buyer of Russian oil, that it could face heavy tariffs if it continues buying. On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department announced fresh sanctions on more than 115 Iran-linked individuals, entities, and vessels, stepping up the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign after bombing Iranian nuclear sites in June. Meanwhile, US crude oil inventories rose by 7.7 million barrels to 426.7 million barrels in the week ending July 25, driven by lower exports, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Analysts had expected a draw of 1.3 million barrels. Gasoline stocks fell by 2.7 million barrels to 228.4 million barrels, far exceeding forecasts for a draw of 600,000 barrels. "US inventory data showed a surprise build in crude stocks, but a bigger-than-expected gasoline draw supported the view of strong driving season demand, resulting in a neutral impact on the oil market," said Fujitomi Securities analyst Toshitaka Tazawa.— Reuters
Observer
18 hours ago
- Observer
South Korea reaches trade deal with Trump
SEOUL, South Korea — President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with South Korea on Wednesday, putting 15% tariffs on South Korean goods, much higher than they were just a few months ago but lower than Trump had threatened. Under the terms, South Korea will make $350 billion in investments in the United States and purchase $100 billion of liquefied natural gas. Trump said in a social media post that South Korea's president, Lee Jae Myung, would visit Washington in two weeks to make further announcements. Trump had threatened to impose 25% tariffs on South Korea unless a deal was reached by Friday. In an important concession from Trump, South Korea's car exports will face 15% tariffs, down from the rate of 25% that the president had already imposed on cars from most of the world. The agreement follows other trade deals that have been concluded in Asia. Although many details remain to be hammered out, the White House has announced that goods from Japan and the European Union will face 15% tariffs, the Philippines and Indonesia 19%, and Vietnam 20%. Among the Asian countries still without agreements are Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand. India, a key American ally, is also without a deal, and Trump threatened it Wednesday with a 25% tariff. The Trump administration and China have agreed to a truce after inflicting sharp trade penalties on one another in the spring. Lee confirmed that South Korea had reached a trade deal with the United States. The deal 'removes uncertainty' over the country's export industries, he said in a social media post. Of the $350 billion that South Korea has pledged to invest in the United States, Lee said, $150 billion will be dedicated to helping South Korean companies entering the American shipbuilding industry. 'There aren't that many countries that can restore the shipbuilding capacity of the U.S., particularly given that China is a strategic rival,' said Seungjoo Lee, a professor of political science and international relations at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, South Korea. 'That's why the United States and Japan included cooperation on shipbuilding in the agreement, and in terms of capacity, South Korea is in a better position.' The rest of the funds will be used to help South Korea invest in the semiconductor, technology and energy sectors in the United States. Kim Yong-beom, the chief policy coordinator in Lee's office, said that South Korea had pushed for a 12.5% tariff 'until the very end' but Trump did not budge. 'The president said everyone is 15%,' he said at a news conference. It's been a long road for the South Koreans, who had to restart U.S. trade talks when a new government was elected in June. Lee received a reprieve five weeks into the job, when Trump extended his original July 9 deadline for a deal to Aug. 1. However, the country's negotiators had to compete for time with Trump administration officials who were attempting to conclude dozens of agreements at once on difficult issues such as market access for agricultural goods. Howard Lutnick, the U.S. Commerce Secretary, said in a social media post that tariffs on South Korean automobiles would be set at 15%, a rate that matches the levy recently imposed on cars from Japan and the European Union. He also said South Korea will 'not be treated any worse than any other country on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.' He said U.S. tariffs on imported steel, aluminum and copper would remain unchanged. South Korea's two semiconductor giants, SK Hynix and Samsung, have built factories in the United States with the help of subsidies granted under former President Joe Biden. Some other large South Korean manufacturing investments have seen declining prospects after Congress canceled electric vehicle subsidies. Lee had recently met with the leaders of several of his country's largest companies to discuss what they could bring to the table. Executives from Hyundai, Samsung, and Hanwha were in Washington this week, South Korean news outlets reported. Tami Overby, a partner at DGA Group Government Relations and previously president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, said the promised new investment was a concession to the reality that tariffs would make goods shipped from South Korea less competitive in the American market. 'I don't think they have a choice,' Overby said. 'I don't think any country has a choice. This is how the president has decided to do it, and you either get on board or you pay higher tariffs.' South Korea's economy is highly dependent on exports of goods and services, which accounted for 44% of its GDP in 2023. That's twice the rate of its neighbor Japan, another export-driven economy. South Korea ran a trade surplus of $66 billion with the United States in 2024, nearly four times what it was in 2018, when Trump revised the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. The U.S. auto tariffs, previously set at 25% for nearly all imported vehicles, have eaten into the sales of major South Korean car brands. Profits at Hyundai declined 16% in the second quarter compared to the previous year, as the company has largely absorbed the costs of the duties so far. U.S. officials have been pushing South Korea to balance trade with the United States, open its market to U.S. exports, and walk back proposed digital regulations that are seen as benefiting South Korean giants over American tech firms. Trump did not mention anything about digital services. In his announcement, Trump said the $350 billion investment from South Korea would be 'owned and controlled by the United States, and selected by myself, as President,' and that South Korea 'will be completely OPEN TO TRADE with the United States, and that they will accept American product including Cars and Trucks, Agriculture, etc.' However, Kim, a government policy official, stated that the countries had not agreed to any changes to South Korea's rules regarding agricultural imports, particularly beef and rice. Farming is politically sensitive in South Korea, and the government has recently stated that it will draw a 'red line' and remove the country's beef and rice markets as a possible concession in trade talks. South Korea is the largest foreign market for U.S. beef. Still, the American cattle industry had demanded that the country lift its import restrictions on beef over 30 months old, which South Korea has banned since 2008 over concerns that it could introduce mad cow disease. Some of the issues between the allies, such as sharing defense costs, were not included in the deal, according to the South Korean government. The agreement was confined to trade issues, it said. Those other issues are expected to be discussed when the two presidents meet in the coming weeks. Trump, who called South Korea a 'money machine' last year, has spoken about using trade negotiations as a forum for asking the country to cover more of the costs of maintaining the U.S. military presence there, which includes approximately 28,500 troops. This article originally appeared in
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Times of Oman
Rupee slips and hits lowest in 5 months. Will this trend continue?
Muscat: Indian Rupee has fallen sharply against US dollar during the last couple of days. The Rupee slipped to 87.51 intra day, 60 paisa lower on Wednesday and closed at 87.42. The Exchange houses in Oman are offering Rs226.25 against one Omani Rial. As a result high volumes were witnessed on Tuesday and and Wednesday, sources said. Speaking to Times of Oman, R. Madhusoodanan, a financial expert based in Muscat said that the fall in Rupee since the beginning of this month, particularly the sharp fall on Monday on account of domestic and international reasons including geo-political reasons. Recently, Donald Trump had cautioned Russia to stop the war against Ukraine in a short span of 10 to 15 days as against his previous request of 50 days. Failing the ceasefire, he cautioned that additional sanctions including secondary sanctions may be imposed on Russia and nations buying oil from Russia may be exposed to these secondary sanctions. This statement has created some kind of panic in the crude market which pushed the price of oil from $70 to $72 per barrel. India and China are the main buyers of Russian oil as it is relatively cheaper. Also, there is no clarity on the import tariffs on Indian goods to US since the Indo-US trade treaty is still under negotiation and the deadline given by the Trump administration for deferment of the tariffs is 31st July. Domestic reasons include the lower India's Index of Industrial Production (IIP) of 1.5% in June 2025 which is the lowest in the last 10 months, out flow from Indian stocks and shoring up of dollar by banks due to month end demand from importers. The market is going to take cues from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of US Federal Reserve on Wednesday. Experts see no surprise announcements. The dollar index (DXY) is hovering around 98-99 levels, he further said. The forex reserve of India dropped by $1.18 billion to $695.49 billion as on 19/7/2025, a third week straight decline. "Credit off take not taking place the way the policy makers wanted despite 100 bps cut in the repo rates, The sluggish GDP growth, the negative impact of tariffs by US(currently India is trade surplus with US), stress on oil import. repayment obligations etc. due to INR Depreciation against USD are not positives for the Indian economy," he said. "The above domestic and international reasons have impacted the Rupee movement. The weakness continues and even if it crosses the highest level of 88.10 recorded in February this year, I am of the view that there is nothing to worry much. Let the Exchange rate be market driven," Madhusoodanan said.
