Donald Trump speaks to the media after arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, July 15, 2025 (Evan Vucci/AP)
EA on Deutsche Welle: Trump’s Supporters Split Over Epstein Files
UPDATE, JULY 21:
I joined Times Radio on Monday to evaluate the latest developments and diversions over Donald Trump’s relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein, and the Administration’s refusal to release the files of the sexual abuser.
I highlight Trump’s lie over a lewd, crude drawing he sent to Epstein in 2003, and explain why this deception — rather than those over Trump’s connections with Russia, his blackmail of Ukraine, and his coup attempt in 2021 — is different because of its effect on his supporters.
Trump played up the idea that these files implicated his political opponents, that they were connected with wider conspiracy theories.
At the end of the day, it’s put up or shut up. Many people are entrenched, tied into this belief that these conspiracy theories are true.
When he can’t produce the file, it causes discontent.
I summarize, “It’s one thing to follow your Dear Leader when he attacks other people. It’s another to attack your Dear Leader when he attacks you.”
ORIGINAL ENTRY, JULY 18: I joined Dublin NewsTalk’s Pat Kenny Show on Friday to analyze the latest from Donald Trump’s dystopia, beginning with the split among his supporters over the Administration’s refusal to release the files of the late Jeffrey Epstein.
I consider the latest twist, with Trump threatening to sue the Wall Street Journal over the revelation of his lewd, crude drawing and inscription for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003.
This story isn’t going away until the Trump Administration: either it comes clean, releasing the files that Donald Trump played up for years to feed conspiracy theories, or it finally proves that those files do not exist and they make up those stories.
I discuss the latest Administration damage to US institutions, pressing Congress to revoke $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting which includes vital announcements, news, and Sesame Street.
In between, I review the diagnosis that Trump is suffering from chronic venous insufficiency. I explain why if the condition is not serious, provided it is not linked to deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.
US public broadcasting condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, peddling Washington’s narrative on the conflict. It used that narrative to shape public discourse. I think public broadcasting is a very important service for a democracy, as it keeps the general public well-informed and critically engaged on issues domestic and foreign. Sadly, when it comes to foreign affairs, it doesn’t always serve the public in the way that it should.