President Donald Trump has new marching orders for his administration: if they get a question they don’t like, bring up how former President Barack Obama “cheated” in the election. He’s now even feeding GOP congress members specific lines that they can use in interviews.
The fallout from Jeffrey Epstein’s case has been impossible for the president to shake. Every attempt Trump has made to divert attention from the topic has backfired. His usual tactic — attacking the media when asked why the Epstein files remain classified — has fallen flat, given how publicly close he was with Wall Street Journal owner Rupert Murdoch until very recently. Trump even attended the FIFA Club World Cup final by Murdoch’s side, where he bizarrely received a medal. He can’t suddenly call Murdoch’s media conglomerate “fake news” just because it’s now covering a story he doesn’t like.
Trump’s next attempt was to release the files on Martin Luther King Jr. instead. It’s unclear why this tactic was ever considered viable, but unearthing “unfavorable” topics about a man still widely regarded as a global icon decades later didn’t work. Both sides of the aisle now view MLK Jr.’s work during the civil rights movement as a necessary chapter in America’s history, and nothing in those files could ever shift the conversation from Trump’s current Epstein woes to a reassessment of MLK Jr.’s legacy. Bernice King, MLK Jr.’s daughter, agreed and challenged the president to release the Epstein letter next.
Trump’s next strategy was a one-two punch: first, urge the ending of House business early to avoid a vote on releasing the Epstein files, and second, attack former President Obama. Trump handled the Obama angle personally, claiming that Obama attempted to commit treason in 2016 after Trump’s presidential election win. Trump urged reporters, “The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold.” Obama formally responded to these new claims through his spokesperson saying:
“Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”
Both Obama and former President George W. Bush have already called out Trump for how he’s been using his office in his second term, but he has doubled down. During a White House meeting with GOP members, broadcast on C-SPAN, Trump was seen coaching them on how to handle tough questions from the press. His message was clear: “Every time they give you a question that’s not appropriate,” bring up Obama. Through jokes, Trump implied that others, like Speaker Mike Johnson, never get accused of ties to Epstein. He urged Republicans to repeat his false claim that Obama tried to cheat in the elections whenever they face questions from the press.
Trump coaches Republicans to say “Obama cheated on the election” every time they’re asked about Epstein pic.twitter.com/gbNZn1FTXN
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 23, 2025
Trump has often managed to shift the conversation from damaging revelations in the media to putting another person on the defensive. He tends to pick easy targets who are already disliked by his base for one reason or another. But oddly, this time, nothing seems to stick. No matter what he brings up to divert attention, people continue to demand the declassification of the Epstein files.
But even with these attempts at diversion and distraction, a few things are clear. Trump’s habit of digging up unrelated political scandals shows he can declassify files whenever he wants. His constant distractions prove he only cares about protecting himself. The only question left is: what is he hiding?
Published: Jul 23, 2025 07:56 am