Trump, unraveling, digs himself in deeper with Epstein

Trump, unraveling, digs himself in deeper with Epstein
His numbers are sinking. And now even the QAnon Shaman thinks he's a "fraud"

By Brian Karem
White House columnist
Published August 1, 2025 9:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) There is political blood in the water.

Donald Trump caused it. He fed it. And now the political blood is his own.

Last week the “Moose Lodge Guy” — otherwise known as Jacob Chansley, the QAnon Shaman who showed up at the Capitol on Jan. 6 adorned in an outfit Fred Flintstone might have worn to a lodge meeting — turned on the president. Among the usual incoherent stream of gibberish he spews on X was this masterpiece: “Oh yeah & F**k Israel! And F**k Donald Trump!”

....(snip)....

The president’s bid for total control, coupled with his inability to stop lying as often as he draws breath, now pits him against some of his most, ahem, fervent supporters. It’s just another weekly edition of “SmackDown” in Don’s demented mind. But if “Moose Lodge Guy” will storm the seat of our democracy for you because he thinks the government is a fraud, what will he do once he thinks you’re a fraud? The answer to that question will unfold over at least the next few weeks, but I can’t imagine Trump cares. He has far greater concerns than “Moose Lodge Guy.”

The president spilled his own political blood on Air Force One during a gaggle on Tuesday. That’s when he served up his latest episode of “Why I Left Jeffrey.” In this episode, Trump got upset that Epstein “stole” some of his “employees.” When push came to shove, Trump got around to admitting that one of them was a teenage girl named Virginia Roberts (later Virginia Giuffre). He said Epstein, on at least two occasions, was “taking people from the spa,” before remembering to plug “one of the best spas in the world,” which is — no surprise here — “at Mar-a-Lago.” As for Giuffre, “[Epstein] stole her,” Trump said of her fate, before reminding everyone she had no complaints about Trump. “None about us,” he said. “None whatsoever.”

....(snip)....

This is now the fourth or fifth iteration of why Trump and Epstein broke up their bromance. About six years ago Trump said, “I had a falling out with him a long time ago.” Then he claimed Epstein was banned for hitting on the teenage daughter of another member — which means Trump knew then what Epstein was. It was also reported that Trump kicked Epstein out for being a creep. Then the story became that Epstein was attempting to hire Trump employees and “he stole people who worked for me.” .................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/08/01/trump-unraveling-digs-himself-in-deeper-with-epstein/