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Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Trump's distraction methods fall flat against Epstein uproar
US President Donald Trump wears a 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) hat as he attends the commencement ceremony at West Point Military Academy in West Point, New York, US, May 24, 2025. Photo: Reuters Listen to article President Donald Trump's super powers as a public figure have long included the ability to redirect, evade and deny. But the Republican's well-worn methods of changing the subject when a tough topic stings politically are not working as his White House fends off persistent unrest from his usually loyal base about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. Trump has scolded reporters, claimed ignorance and offered distractions in an effort to quash questions about Epstein and the suspicions still swirling around the disgraced financier's case years after his 2019 death in prison. The demand for answers has only grown. "For a president and an administration that's very good at controlling a narrative, this is one that's been harder," said Republican strategist Erin Maguire, a former Trump campaign spokeswoman. Also Read: Trump seeks to broker ceasefire in Thai-Cambodia border conflict Unlike political crises that dogged Trump's first term, including two impeachments and a probe into alleged campaign collusion with Russia, the people propelling the push for more transparency on Epstein have largely been his supporters, not his political foes. Trump has fed his base with conspiracy theories for years, including the false 'birther' claim that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Trump's advisers fanned conspiracies about Epstein, too, only to declare them moot upon entering office. That has not gone over well with the president's right-leaning base, which has long believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful. "Donald Trump's been running a Ponzi scheme based on propaganda for the better part of a decade and it's finally catching up to him," said Geoff Duncan, a Republican former lieutenant governor of Georgia and Trump critic. "The far right element is just dug in. They're hell bent on getting this information out." The White House has dismissed reporting about Trump's ties to Epstein as "fake news," though it has acknowledged his name appears in documents related to the Epstein case. Trump and Epstein were friends for years before falling out. Read: At least 18 killed in Peru mountain bus crash "The only people who can't seem to shake this story from their one-track minds are the media and Democrats," said White House spokesman Harrison Fields. Before leaving for a trip to Scotland on Friday, the president again urged people to turn their attention elsewhere. "People should really focus on how well the country is doing," Trump told reporters, lamenting that scrutiny was not being given to others in Epstein's orbit. "They don't talk about them, they talk about me. I have nothing to do with the guy." The art of distraction Trump in recent weeks has employed a typical diversion playbook. He chastised a reporter for asking about Epstein in the White House Cabinet Room. He claimed in the Oval Office that he was not paying close attention to the issue. And, with help from Tulsi Gabbard, his director of national intelligence, he explosively accused Obama of treason for how he treated intelligence in 2016 about Russian interference in the US election. On Thursday Trump took his distraction tour to the Federal Reserve, where he tussled with Chair Jerome Powell about construction costs and pressed for lower interest rates. That, said Republican strategist Brad Todd, was more effective than focusing on Obama in 2016, which voters had already litigated by putting Trump back in office. "The Tulsi Gabbard look backward, I think, is not the way for them to pivot," Todd said, noting that Trump's trip to the Fed highlighted the issue of economic affordability and taking on a Washington institution. "If I was him I'd go to the Fed every day until rates are cut." Also Read: Israel kills 25 Palestinians, including 13 aid-seekers, since dawn Democrats have seized on Trump's efforts to move on, sensing a political weakness for the president and divisions in the Republican Party that they can exploit while their own political stock is low in the wake of last year's drubbing at the polls. A Reuters/Ipsos poll this month showed most Americans think Trump's administration is hiding information about Epstein, creating an opportunity for Democrats to press. Trump's supporters and many Democrats are eager to see a release of government files related to Epstein and his case, which the Justice Department initially promised to deliver. "Yesterday was another example of the Trump folks trying to throw as much stuff against the wall to avoid the Epstein files," Mark Warner, a Democratic US senator from Virginia, said in a post on X on Thursday about Gabbard's accusations against Obama. Trump allies see the administration's efforts to change topic as a normal part of an all-out-there strategy. "They are always going at 100 miles an hour. Every department, every cabinet secretary, everybody is out there at full speed blanketing the area with news," Republican strategist Maguire said. Trump has weathered tougher periods before, and his conservative base, despite its frustration over the files, is largely pleased with Trump's work on immigration and the economy. In a July Reuters/Ipsos poll, 56% of Republican respondents favored the administration's immigration workplace raids, while 24% were opposed and 20% unsure. Pollster Frank Luntz noted that Trump had faced felony convictions and other criminal charges but still won re-election last year. "We've been in this very same situation several times before and he has escaped every time," Luntz said.
Straits Times
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Trump faces uproar from MAGA base over possible Iran strike
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) hat as he attends the commencement ceremony at West Point Military Academy in West Point, New York, U.S., May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo WASHINGTON - The prospect of a U.S. strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Donald Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war. Some of Trump's most prominent Republican allies, including top lieutenant Steve Bannon, have found themselves in the unusual position of being at odds with a president who largely shares their isolationist tendencies. Bannon, one of many influential voices from Trump's "America First" coalition, on Wednesday urged caution about the U.S. military joining Israel in trying to destroy Iran's nuclear program in the absence of a diplomatic deal. "We can't do this again," Bannon told reporters at an event sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington. "We'll tear the country apart. We can't have another Iraq." The anti-interventionist part of the Republican Party is watching with alarm as Trump has moved swiftly from seeking a peaceful diplomatic settlement with Iran to possibly having the United States support Israel's military campaign, including the use of a 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bomb. The criticism shows the opposition Trump could face from his right-leaning "Make America Great Again" flank should he join the fight, a step that Iran has warned would have big consequences for Americans without specifying what that might be. A decision by Trump to enter the conflict would be a sharp departure from his usual caution about foreign entanglements. It could impact his campaign to foster good relations in the Gulf and could be a distraction from his efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine and make tariff deals with countries around the world. The MAGA coalition propelled Trump into office in the 2016 and 2024 elections and remains critically important to him even though he is prevented by the U.S. Constitution from running for a third term. Upsetting that base could erode Trump's popularity and factor into whether Republicans hang on to control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. IRAN CANNOT HAVE A 'NUCLEAR WEAPON' Asked about the rift on Wednesday, Trump appeared unconcerned that some in his base could be turning its back on him, at least on this issue. "My supporters are more in love with me today, and I'm in love with them more than they were even at election time," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I only want one thing: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon." He said some of his supporters "are a little bit unhappy now" but that others agree with him that Iran cannot become a nuclear power. 'I'm not looking to fight. But if it's a choice between them fighting or having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do," Trump said. Marc Short, an ally of former Vice President Mike Pence who served as Trump's legislative director during his first term, called the division over Iran within Trump's party a "pretty large rift." He said he thought Trump's base would stay with him despite the differences, however. "The divisions are obviously coming out in the open in this moment, but ultimately I think that most of the president's followers are loyal to him more so than any worldview," he said. Short said standing with Israel could help Trump politically, too. Traditionally conservative voters favor standing by Israel. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in March, 48% of Republicans agreed with a statement that the U.S. should use its military power to defend Israel from threats no matter where the threats come from, compared to 28% who disagreed. Among Democrats, 25% agreed and 52% disagreed. International experts believe Iran has been intent on developing a nuclear weapon, despite Tehran's denials, and Israel believes it would be at risk as a result. U.S. officials believe if Iran possessed an atomic weapon it would trigger an nuclear arms race in the Middle East. ISRAELIS NEED TO GET JOB DONE Bannon, host of the popular "War Room" podcast, said "the Israelis need to finish what they started" and that Trump should slow down deliberations over U.S. involvement and explain his decision-making. "This is one of the most ancient civilizations in the world, okay, with 92 million people. This is not something you play around with. You have to think this through at this level, and the American people have to be on board. You can't just dump this on them," he said. Other influential MAGA voices with similar messages of worry include former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson and U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and long-time Trump ally. "Anyone slobbering for the U.S. to become fully involved in the Israel/Iran war is not America First/MAGA," Greene said in a social media post on Sunday. "We are sick and tired of foreign wars. All of them." The rift was on full display when Carlson, on his streaming program, clashed with Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas late on Tuesday. A clip from Carlson's interview with Cruz went viral with Carlson strongly criticizing the senator for seeking regime change in Iran, and Cruz expressing support for the president. "You don't know anything about Iran!' Carlson told Cruz. 'I am not the Tucker Carlson expert on Iran,' Cruz fired back. 'You're a senator who's calling for the overthrow of the government,' Carlson retorted. Vice President JD Vance tried to tamp down talk of a rift on Monday with a social media post defending the president. "People are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue," he said. Now allies and opponents are waiting on Trump's decision-making process. The president said on Wednesday afternoon he had some ideas on how to proceed but had not made a final decision. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
