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Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Trump's distraction methods fall flat against Epstein uproar
FILE PHOTO: U.S. 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, U.S., May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo 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. 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. "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 U.S. 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." 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 U.S. 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. REUTERS
The Standard
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Standard
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
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cognitive Decline? Trump Repeatedly Fumbles in Multiple Weird Rants
The president and his speechwriters just had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad weekend. Over the course of 72 hours, Donald Trump droned and dragged his way through stump speeches and interviews with the press, making some critics question whether the 78-year-old was still totally with it. Trump urged the officer class of West Point Military Academy to 'not lose momentum' on Saturday—but while doing so, he went on a long, rambling side note about Cold War-era real estate businessman Bill Leavitt and his 'trophy wife,' his yacht, and how he lost it all. At an Arlington Memorial Day ceremony intended to commemorate fallen soldiers, Trump basically alleged that his second term was a gift from God because the nation would experience both the World Cup and the Olympics during the next four years. 'In some ways I'm glad I missed that second term where it was,' Trump said, apparently refusing once again to acknowledge that he lost the 2020 presidential election. 'Because I wouldn't be your president for that—most important of all, in addition we have the World Cup and we have the Olympics.' 'Can you imagine, I miss that four years and now I have everything,' Trump continued. 'Amazing the way things work out. God did that, I believe that.' (The World Cup and the Olympics are not scheduled by God, as you can imagine. Instead, they are both held every four years, with host countries selected through non-national organizations.) During the same speech, Trump offered another verbal 'covfefe' moment, lazily stumbling over the word 'cryptologist' and instead blurting out 'cryptolologic' while referring to a technician. On Sunday, Trump spoke with reporters on the tarmac in Morristown, New Jersey, only to reveal (while boasting) that he actually did not understand the specifics of a deal between U.S. Steel and Japanese company Nippon Steel. Trump had announced the partnership on social media Friday, claiming that it would create 'at least 70,000 jobs' and add '$14 billion dollars' to the economy. But instead of sharing the specifics of the deal on Sunday, the president mistakenly pitched that Japanese carmaker Nissan was involved in the steel arrangement. 'Everybody seems to want it, and we'll see. We'll see what the final is, but they're going to invest billions of dollars in steel, and it's a good company—Nissan—a very good company,' Trump said. 'It's an investment and a partial ownership but it will be controlled by the U.S.A.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
People Can't Believe This "Disappointing" And "Inappropriate" Clip From Trump's West Point Commencement Speech Is Real
President Donald Trump recently gave the commencement speech at West Point Military Academy, and it was bizarre to say the least. Since Saturday, the 78-year-old has received widespread criticism for sporting a MAGA hat at the graduation and for rambling incoherently about "inappropriate" topics. In fact, Trump's speech was so strange that the White House reportedly erased the transcript from its website. One specific clip has people in utter disbelief, and left many questioning the mental acuity of President Trump. For around 30 seconds, Trump ranted about real estate developer William Levitt and his "trophy wife," whom Trump claims "didn't work out too well." C-SPAN / Twitter: @Acyn Related: People Are Obsessed With Pope Francis's Final, Resounding Message To JD Vance After His Visit To The Vatican "He ended up getting a divorce. Found a new wife. Can you say a trophy wife? I guess we can say a trophy wife," Trump said. "It didn't work out too well. That doesn't work out too well, I must tell you. A lot of trophy wives. It doesn't work out. It made him happy for a little while, at least. He found a new wife." Related: From Kamala Harris Back In '01 To Joe Biden As A Youngish Man, Here's What 11 Politicians Looked Like Back In The Day Since its posting on X, the speech clip has since ramped up over 6.5 million views, and commenters have expressed anger and disappointment about Trump being seemingly unprepared for the moment. "Imagine spending four grueling, incredible years at one of the best universities in the entire world with the goal of serving your country for five more, and this is the commencement address you get," one person wrote. "It's remarkable how many people just accept this as the new normal in a commander-in-chief," another person wrote. This person called Trump's remarks "disrespectful, lazy, and inappropriate." "I guess he can't relate to working hard to graduate he speaks about what he does know. Trophy wives and expensive boats," another person joked. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below. Also in In the News: An Ad Against Far-Right Voters Is Going Viral For Being Both Terrifying And (Kinda) Accurate Also in In the News: People Are Sharing Their Honest Opinions Of Elon Musk, And Boy, This Is Brutal Also in In the News: 15 Extremely Difficult Things People Do Not Understand About The United States, And, Honestly, They Got A Point
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
People Can't Believe This "Disappointing" And "Inappropriate" Clip From Trump's West Point Commencement Speech Is Real
President Donald Trump recently gave the Commencement speech at West Point Military Academy, and it was bizarre to say the least. Since Saturday, the 78-year-old has received widespread criticism for sporting a MAGA hat at the graduation and for rambling incoherently about "inappropriate" topics. In fact, Trump's speech was so strange that the White House reportedly erased the transcript from its website. One specific clip has people in utter disbelief, and left many questioning the mental acuity of President Trump. For around thirty seconds, Trump ranted about real estate developer William Levitt and his "trophy wife," whom Trump claims "didn't work out too well." Trump: He ended up getting a divorce. Found a new wife. Can you say a trophy wife? It didn't work out too well. That doesn't work out too well, I must tell you. A lot of trophy wives. It doesn't work out. It made him happy for a little while at least. He found a new wife. He got… — Acyn (@Acyn) May 24, 2025 C-SPAN / Twitter: @Acyn Related: People Are Obsessed With Pope Francis's Final, Resounding Message To JD Vance After His Visit To The Vatican "He ended up getting a divorce. Found a new wife. Can you say a trophy wife? I guess we can say a trophy wife," Trump said. "It didn't work out too well. That doesn't work out too well, I must tell you. A lot of trophy wives. It doesn't work out. It made him happy for a little while, at least. He found a new wife." Related: From Kamala Harris Back In '01 To Joe Biden As A Youngish Man, Here's What 11 Politicians Looked Like Back In The Day Since its posting on X, the speech clip has since ramped up over 6.5 million views, and commenters have expressed anger and disappointment about Trump being seemingly unprepared for the moment. "Imagine spending four grueling, incredible years at one of the best universities in the entire world with the goal of serving your country for five more, and this is the commencement address you get," one person wrote. "It's remarkable how many people just accept this as the new normal in a commander-in-chief," another person wrote. This person called Trump's remarks "disrespectful, lazy, and inappropriate." "I guess he can't relate to working hard to graduate he speaks about what he does know. Trophy wives and expensive boats," another person joked. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below. Also in In the News: An Ad Against Far-Right Voters Is Going Viral For Being Both Terrifying And (Kinda) Accurate Also in In the News: People Are Sharing Their Honest Opinions Of Elon Musk, And Boy, This Is Brutal Also in In the News: 15 Extremely Difficult Things People Do Not Understand About The United States, And, Honestly, They Got A Point
