Things aren’t going well for Donald Trump.
The massive crowd at MetLife just loudly booed him during the Club World Cup trophy ceremony. He is underwater when it comes to his immigration and economic policies. The masses and especially Independent voters loathe his billionaire bill. His trade wars are disastrous, raising prices and yielding zero deals in favor of American consumers or the economy.
All of his attempts to distract from the Epstein File conspiracy have further brought more attention and outrage from his base, as they demand answers and names that were promised to them. He tried to attack and co-opt Superman, and it didn’t work as the movie soared to a $122 million opening. He tried to attack Rosie O’Donnell and threatened to strip her citizenship, and she, in response, flamed him in a brilliant retort by calling him “King Joffrey with a tangerine spray.”
We break it all down in today’s Democracy-Ish show, which happened to be our most viewed episode of all time. Give us a watch, but first, here’s Danielle with her write-up:
The Streisand Effect: When Distraction Becomes Exposure
The core of Trump's political strategy has always been distraction. When faced with damaging information, he instinctively diverts attention, often by attacking perceived enemies like Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden, or by resurrecting old feuds. However, this time, the distraction tactics are failing, spectacularly. The phenomenon known as the "Streisand Effect" is at play: attempts to suppress or deflect attention from the Epstein files are only making them more prominent.
For years, Trump and the broader MAGA ecosystem cultivated a narrative of a "democratic cabal" involved in child sex trafficking, with Jeffrey Epstein at its center. They promised that once in power, Trump would expose this "deep state" and deliver the truth. But now, with the Epstein files potentially implicating figures close to Trump himself, including former allies like Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, and Dan Bongino, the narrative has crumbled. Trump's frantic attempts to pivot, including a desperate "Truth Social" rant blaming Obama and Hillary, have been met with unprecedented pushback from his own base. Social media posts show thousands of negative replies to Trump, indicating a profound disillusionment.
This is a critical "fissure." Trump's supporters, who were told for years that he was the ultimate "truth crusader" who would expose hidden evils, now see their leader actively suppressing the very information they were promised. As Waj and I mention on democracyish, "they don't like feeling stupid. They don't like feeling like they've been somebody got one over on them." This internal fracturing is far more dangerous to Trump than any external criticism, as it undermines the core tenet of his appeal: his supposed authenticity and commitment to "the truth."
The Monster Turning on Its Master: MAGA's Radicalized Base
The roots of this crisis lie in the deliberate radicalization of a segment of America into believing dangerous conspiracy theories. From Pizzagate to QAnon, a narrative of a global cabal of "devil-worshipping sex traffickers" has been meticulously promoted by right-wing media and politicians, including Trump himself. QAnon, which claimed Trump was the only one who could "destroy the deep state," went mainstream despite warnings from the FBI about its potential to incite violence. The January 6th insurrection, fueled by these very conspiracies, underscored the real-world danger of such radicalization.
The irony now is that those who promoted these conspiracies, like Kash Patel (now head of the FBI) and Pam Bondi, are themselves part of the power structure. The "deep state" they once railed against now includes them, and the promise of releasing the Epstein files has become a self-inflicted wound. The base, promised answers, is now questioning why their "daddy" is withholding the "present" they were promised.
This disillusionment is even trickling down to the "grifters" – the comedians and pop culture figures who leveraged the anti-pronoun, anti-woke sentiment for personal gain. As Trump's popularity wanes, these figures, sensing a shift in the wind, are beginning to distance themselves, signaling a broader weakening of his influence.
Failing Distractions and Fickle Fortunes
Beyond the Epstein files, Trump's attempts at distraction are also falling flat. His decades-old feud with Rosie O'Donnell, resurrected in a recent "Truth Social" tirade, was met with Rosie's eloquent and powerful retort, highlighting his "collapsing head" and her defiance as a "loud woman, a queer woman, a mother who tells the truth." This exchange, rather than damaging Rosie, only amplified her voice, an unintended "Streisand Effect" in itself.
Even attempts to weaponize pop culture against perceived "wokeness" are backfiring. The right-wing's attack on the new Superman movie, labeling the iconic hero as "woke" for his immigrant status and emphasis on kindness, utterly failed. The movie, which prominently features anti-occupation and anti-disinformation themes, opened to record-breaking numbers. The narrative that Superman, an alien refugee who fights fascists and was created by Jewish immigrants, is suddenly "woke" exposed the intellectual bankruptcy of the attack.
Trump's inability to adapt, his reliance on "old hits" that no longer resonate, and his endless "grievances" are catching up to him. He is a "fickle old weak man" whose constant need for praise is never satisfied. The pile-on, from the boos at the FIFA World Cup ceremony to the internal questioning of his base, indicates a significant shift in his fortunes. The Epstein files, a quicksand of his own making, appear to be the one quagmire from which he cannot escape, as his own radicalized base now demands answers that could expose him directly.
The ultimate danger, is the unpredictable nature of a radicalized and now potentially disillusioned base. With "more guns than people" in America and a history of right-wing domestic terrorism, the question becomes: what happens when the "monster turns on you," when the "father" of this movement faces the wrath of his own creation?”
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