The last 24 hours have been among the most chaotic, outrageous, and perilous in Trump’s second term. That is saying a lot! Before turning to the details, we need to step back and take a breath. We will make it through this moment even though we may feel like a government in exile watching our country being destroyed from within by an invading power.
History teaches us that those who fight to preserve their country will outlast those who capitulate in a futile attempt to preserve their wealth, power, and privilege. During World War II, the members of the Vichy regime sought to protect France (and themselves) by surrendering to and collaborating with Nazi Germany. Other French citizens resisted Hitler by organizing an underground armed resistance (the French Resistance), a government in exile (Free France), and an army in exile (the Free French Army).1
History remembers the Vichy collaborators and capitulators as traitors to France. Members of Free France, the French Resistance, and the Free French Army are rightfully remembered as the saviors of France. They resisted in exile for four long years.
Initially, the forces in exile lacked support from most French citizens and the country’s territories. Those in exile watched in horror as France’s political, social, and military elite collaborated with the Nazi regime, including the deportation of French Jews to Nazi concentration camps. Under the Vichy regime, collaborators continued to live lives of privilege, power, and affluence while those in exile lived in tent encampments for four years.
Support for the French resistance grew over time as the resistance and the Allies made advances against German forces. Eventually, the French resistance prevailed because they were fighting for France while the Vichy regime fought to preserve their power, wealth, and privilege.
There are parallels to our present position and that of France in World War II. For inexplicable reasons, vast swaths of America’s social and political elite have capitulated to Trump.
They have entered into corrupt settlements of sham lawsuits as a way of funneling money to Trump.
They have changed their programming and fired on-air personalities as a quid pro quo for governmental approval of mergers.
They have agreed to change their curricula and fire faculty to settle sham claims of institutional antisemitism.
They have offered hundreds of millions of dollars in pro bono legal services to settle sham claims challenging efforts to promote diversity in the legal profession.
They have patronized his private clubs, resorts, and cryptocurrency scams to ingratiate themselves by transferring hundreds of millions of dollars to the businesses of a sitting president.
They write headlines, articles, and editorials that normalize the president and the party seeking to destroy democracy while holding the party seeking to preserve democracy to unreasonable standards of perfection.
Candidly, it feels bad to watch the unfolding capitulation from a place of political exile. However, we should take heart from the lessons of history and our conviction that we are on the right path for the right reasons. Likewise, those who have abandoned democracy to save themselves know what they have done and carry that guilty burden in the smoldering remains of their hearts and souls.
The tide is shifting in our favor. Trump and the Republicans know and fear that truth. They are trying to inflict as much damage and extract as much profit as possible during their shrinking time in power.
Trump’s actions over the last 24 hours viewed as an effort to distract from the Epstein scandal
The actions of Trump and his Republican collaborators over the last 48 hours have been unprecedented. At one level, they are inflicting real damage to the rule of law, democratic norms, and the Constitution. At another level, they are signs of desperation of a man trying to create distractions for his base and the media.
Whatever is in the Epstein files about Trump, it must be worse than we imagine.
Trump is also attempting to create a flood of news that drowns out the Epstein scandal with volume and velocity. In such circumstances, less is more. Below, I set forth the major developments that can be viewed as manufactured distractions—“anti-Epstein” stories. While some of the developments may be more than mere distractions, they are at least part of the frenzied response to Trump’s inability to control the Epstein narrative.
Some outlets (like the NYT) are declaring that Trump’s strategy is working (based on quotes from Steve Bannon.). See Slate, Trump Epstein: There’s a funny pattern in the latest coverage. (“The same assemblage of words, more or less, in the four most important outlets in town. . . . .It seems as if the real “story” here might be that [Steve] Bannon is easy to get a response from via text message.]
Here is a partial list of what Trump and his defenders have done over the last forty-eight hours to distract from the Epstein scandal:
Forced the House into an early recess to avoid having to vote on amendments that call for release of the Epstein files. The Guardian, US House calls early summer recess to block voting on release of Epstein files.
Called a former president and his secretary of state “traitors” and referred them to the DOJ for criminal investigation. NYTimes, Trump Escalates Attacks on Obama and Clinton as Questions Swirl About Epstein (Accessible to all) and ABC News, Trump accuses Obama of ‘treason’ in the Oval Office.
Opened negotiations with convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell about a possible pardon in exchange for testimony (presumably favorable to Trump). HuffPo, Trump Administration ‘Reaching Out’ To Ghislaine Maxwell: ‘What Do You Know?’
Released the entirety of FBI files on Martin Luther King, Jr., knowing that the FBI was part of a smear campaign orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover. See PBS, Trump administration releases FBI records on MLK Jr. despite his family’s opposition.
Announced that late-night comedians Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon were “next” to be canceled. See Seeking Alpha, Trump says Kimmel and Fallon ‘next to go’ days after Colbert’s show gets nixed.
Provoked a constitutional crisis by firing an interim US Attorney appointed by district court judges in New Jersey pursuant to a congressional statute and Article II of the Constitution authorizing such appointments. See Law & Crime, A court had the legal authority to boot Alina Habba from top prosecutor role, but Pam Bondi didn’t waste any time blasting ‘rogue judges’.
The EPA announced that it would rescind a 2009 landmark legal opinion stating that greenhouse gases pose a risk to human health. See WaPo, EPA drafts rule to strike down landmark climate finding
Announced that SkyDance had entered into a secret side deal to provide the Trump administration with $20 million in free “public service announcements” after the merger with Paramount / CBS is completed. See Daily Beast, Trump Touts Secret Paramount Side Deal After Colbert Ouster.
There is more, but you get the point. Perhaps the most egregious action is forcing Congress to shut down all legislative activity to prevent the people’s representatives from introducing measures to force disclosures relevant to possible criminal culpability by the president. With the cooperation of Republicans, Trump has effectively engineered a “hostile takeover” of Congress.
The above actions inflict real damage on the rule of law and democratic norms. But they reek of desperation and fear. Democrats must continue to push for complete transparency and accountability for the perpetrators of the decades-long sex trafficking of girls by rich and powerful men.
Kudos to Rep. Ro Khanna, who has been at the forefront of bringing a discharge petition to the floor of the House. And a great big Bronx Cheer for Hakeem Jeffries’ performative pearl-clutching-do-nothing leadership on this issue. And if anyone knows where Chuck Schumer is, send up a flare. Democrats deserve stronger, more decisive action from their congressional leaders.
Opportunities for Reader Engagement
Conversation with Adelita Grijalva: Lessons from the July 15th AZ-07 Special Election
I will be moderating a special livestream conversation with Adelita Grijalva and Latino Victory President & CEO Katharine Pichardo this Friday, July 25 at 4:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM PT.
We’ll dig into the dynamics of the July 15th special election, where Adelita won a crowded primary to succeed her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva. It was a closely watched race that offers a window into the future of the Democratic Party — from generational change and Gen Z challengers to the power of Latino voters, the importance of grassroots organizing, the role of social media, and the push and pull between progressive and moderate forces. (Adelita earned endorsements from Bernie Sanders and AOC as well as Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly.)
We’ll also introduce Adelita — likely the next Congresswoman from AZ-07 — and talk about her story, her father’s legacy, and what she hopes to accomplish in Congress in this pivotal moment for our democracy.
I hope you will tune in, and I would also encourage you to subscribe to Latino Victory’s substack for free as they work to build a platform to uplift Latino candidates running in important races this election cycle.
Force Multiplier event on the effectiveness of protests
Join Force Multiplier to hear from scholar and author, Professor Erica Chenoweth. on Thursday July 24th at 7 pm ET on Zoom. Prof. Chenoweth, political scientist and author of Civil Resistance: What Everyone Needs to Know will speak about Why Protest Matters Today.
Prof. Chenoweth’s research is the basis for the "3.5% rule - no government around the world has ever withstood a challenge of 3.5% of their population mobilizing against it during a peak moment. Donations will support the Right to Protest Fund which supports critical work to oppose the governments attacks on protests and protect our fundamental rights.
This fund is part of a 501 c3 so your contributions are tax-advantaged. Please Register and Donate here and tell your friends
Concluding Thoughts
I was initially skeptical that the Epstein scandal would be a political liability for Trump and a political advantage for Democrats. But Trump’s reaction—shutting down Congress, accusing President Obama of being a traitor, and dangling a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell—suggests that he believes it is a major political liability. Still, the primary focus should always be on the fact that the victims have never received justice. The perpetrators (including possibly Trump) have, so far, escaped accountability.
The chaotic and noisy news environment makes it difficult to discern battlefield momentum through the “fog of war.” But the most reasonable inference from the events of the last 48 hours is that the political momentum has shifted in favor of Democrats for many reasons, including Trump’s attempt to cover up the Epstein scandal.
As always, we cannot rely on Republicans to defeat themselves, but we should also be realistic about the political advantages at our disposal. While Trump believes actions like pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell will shield him from accountability, they serve only to further alienate members of his cultish base. See The Hill, Candace Owens: ‘Trump thinks his base is stupid’.
While we cannot allow the Epstein scandal to overwhelm other urgent issues, neither can we ignore it. We must be strategic, biding our time for the right moment to press our advantage on the issue. The issue will remain top of mind during the entire six-week congressional recess because of Trump’s frantic push to send Congress home early.
Like the Free French in exile, we are on the right side of history. Resisting from exile is hard, but it will strengthen us for the battles to come!
Stay strong, everyone! Talk to you tomorrow!
Daily Dose of Perspective
“Free France” and the “Free French Army” evolved during the war by combining various groups in exile. Their names changed frequently from 1940 to 1944.]
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