What’s going on with my “boys” and, in some cases, “gals?”
Zoom Today, Sunday, Noon PT / 3PM ET
Hello friends,
Another week, another set of societal norms and governmental guardrails shattered.
However, Donald Trump is in very serious trouble. This isn’t hopium or schadenfreude, it’s just a fact that, at least right now, he‘s losing his base, and they are not buying what he’s selling to try to win them back.
This “Truth,” ICYMI, has gone over like a lead balloon with everyone, including MAGA.
I asked ChatGPT for a brief analysis of Trump’s objectives in his post to get a sense of how obvious what he’s doing is to a robot. Here’s what it said:
Trump’s Objectives in the Post:
Deflect from Epstein Investigation
Frames renewed Epstein focus as a leftist smear campaign to divert attention from himself or allies.Protect Pam Bondi
Shields her from scrutiny, possibly due to fears she may be implicated or pressured.Delegitimize Institutions
Ties Epstein docs to familiar enemies (Obama, Hillary, FBI) to erode their credibility.Redirect Law Enforcement
Demands FBI investigate his political enemies and 2020 election fraud instead of Epstein.Rally His Base
Uses populist slogans and conspiracies (“Russia hoax,” “Laptop from Hell”) to activate followers.Reassert Loyalty and Control
Warns insiders (“my boys and gals”) not to break ranks, implying consequences for disloyalty.
The post serves as a multipronged strategy: defend allies, attack enemies, and tighten his grip on the MAGA narrative ecosystem.
ChatGPT’s analysis is correct, but skips over the crucial question of why, which I will fill in for you. Trump is a rapist, credibly accused of rape by multiple women who were children when he raped them. He and Epstein were very close, personal friends for over a decade while Epstein was in his heyday of trafficking and abusing children.
The problem Trump has is the inescapable logic that everyone knows regardless of whether there is a “list” or not, that people are getting away with hurting kids. And they know Donald Trump has the power to do something about it.
This is what he said a year ago:
FOX: Would you declassify the Epstein files?
TRUMP: Yeah, yeah, I would.
FOX: All right.
TRUMP: I guess I would. I think that less so because you know, you don't know. You don't want to affect people's lives if it's phony stuff in there 'cause there's a lot of phony stuff with that whole world. But I think I would or at least--
FOX: Do you think that would restore trust? Help restore trust?
TRUMP: Yeah, I don't know about Epstein so much as I do. There's certainly about the way he died. It would be interesting to find out what happened there 'cause that was a weird situation and the cameras didn't happen to be working, et cetera, et cetera. But that would go a long way toward that one.
So, for an increasing number MAGA-QAnon believers, this kind of blatant unconstitutional targeting of Trump’s enemies just doesn’t hit the same way anymore. They know that he’s doing everything in his power to distract them, and they don’t like it. There is still a red line for most people.
As a reminder, if you feel safe in doing so, this is a good time to reach out and check in with people you know who have been captured by Trump’s personality cult and the conspiracy theories that prop it up. As the veil falls around them, they will be looking for an exit. They can go further down the rabbithole, or find the way home.
Zoom today at Noon PT / 3PM ET. If you haven’t upgraded, please consider it! We’ll discuss the events of the week, and it’s an open, friendly forum for any and all questions, comments, or topics on your mind. Hope to see you! Details below.