Donald Trump has repeatedly attempted to divert attention from the Jeffrey Epstein case, but his usual 'look over there' strategy is losing its effectiveness. The president, facing backlash from his supporters over the lack of released Epstein files, has pivoted to attacking Barack Obama and promoting baseless conspiracy theories.
In the Oval Office, Trump dismissed the Justice Department's Epstein investigation as a 'witch-hunt' and accused Obama of 'treason', claiming a plot to rig the 2016 election. He warned, 'It's time to go after people.' This comes as his base, which views him as a slayer of the 'deep state', grows restless.
Trump's distraction machine has been in overdrive, including posts about revoking Rosie O'Donnell's citizenship, a fake AI-generated video of Obama being arrested, and threats to block the Washington Commanders' stadium unless they revert to the racist name 'Redskins'. The White House also released over 6,000 documents on Martin Luther King Jr's assassination, apparently to shift focus.
But analysts note a breakdown. Biographer Gwenda Blair compared it to 'massive whiplash' after a crash. The Epstein saga cuts into Trump's core identity, and his typical distractions—from Clinton emails to Obama conspiracies—are no longer sticking as they once did.
