Clarence Page: President Donald Trump drives wedges into his own movement
I quickly put that aside as just another example of the New Yorker's outlandish braggadocio, but like other political observers, I have since been impressed by Trump's seeming wall of invulnerability to scandal.
However, as the Jeffrey Epstein scandal boils up around our ears, I have begun to notice some cracks.
The difference is apparent as new questions arise about Trump's relationship with Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide in 2019 while in jail awaiting trial on charges that he had sex-trafficked teenage girls.
Instead of calming the waters, demands from skeptical corners of the public have led to more curiosity, particularly from Trump's most deeply committed 'Make America Great Again' base of supporters.
The irony for Trump is the fervor of the conviction that Epstein's crimes are the rotten core of the U.S. political power structure. It's a belief that Trump and his surrogates promoted when they suggested that Epstein's political associates were Democrats. It was one of a rich array of conspiracy theories that Trump has used to whip up his populist movement.
The MAGA faithful have clung to Trump throughout the many tribulations of his first term and interregnum: the impeachments, the failed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the stolen-documents investigation and the sexual assault lawsuit.
But that steadfast support seems to be weakening. For example, recent polling from CBS News and YouGov found nearly 90% of Americans — including 83% of Republicans — think the Department of Justice should release all the information it has regarding the case against Epstein. That's the opposite of what Trump, already busy with trade talks, warfare in the Middle East and other challenges, wants to talk about now.
After The Wall Street Journal report described a risque drawing that Trump was said to have sent to Epstein decades ago, Trump sued the paper, its owner and reporters. Add to that the Journal's report that Trump was informed that his name appeared in the Justice Department's investigation of Epstein, and it should be no surprise that Americans on all sides of the political spectrum have questions.
You could even say that the Epstein scandal has led to one of the most unified moments in recent political history — unified, that is, against Trump's handling of the mess.
The discontent shows up in the ranks of his own party, which has been a big source of strength. For example, a poll from Quinnipiac University found that only 40% of Republicans approve of Trump's handling of the release of the files on Epstein, while more than a third of them (36%) disapprove.
Quite frankly, if I were advising Trump's campaign, a highly unlikely possibility, I would make a recommendation to which I am confident he would not listen: Stop talking so much.
Sure, he can't seem to help himself. Anyone who has been in a press pool covering Trump will tell you that the man loves the sound of his own voice.
But this time, Trump's critics in the media are not only coming from the center and left. Some of Trump's usually loyal supporters have been outraged by the possibility that Team Trump is holding out on them or outright misleading them.
For example, many were disappointed after the Justice Department said Epstein did not leave behind a 'client list,' contradicting a narrative that has been a mainstay on the right's conspiracy theorists' circuit. Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested in February that the list was on her desk, although she later explained, unconvincingly to many, that she was referring to the overall case file.
Plus, she said DOJ staff were sifting through a 'truckload' of previously withheld evidence. But the Justice Department ultimately decided not to disclose any more material on the case.
That has angered right-wing influencers and other commentators who had been encouraged by no less than the president himself.
In July, influential Trumpistas such as Tucker Carlson, Laura Loomer and Steve Bannon were huffing and fuming over the lack of transparency, and some observers wondered whether anger over Epstein would divide the MAGA faithful.
Well, I wouldn't bet on it. Democrats and others on the left still have a lot of work ahead to get their own acts — and activism — together.
But when I see Trump scurrying around to put out fires in his own MAGA movement, I can't help but wonder how long he can reunite a movement that seems increasingly divided by the array of fears and paranoid notions of which he never seems to get enough.
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