As the Epstein files resurface, Trumps desperate $15 billion lawsuit reeks of distraction and its not working, writes DrNorm Sanders.

LIKE ANY GOOD con man,Donald J Trumphas mastered the art of Look! Over there!

Now thatJeffrey Epsteinhas risen from the grave, Trump has furiously tried to stamp out the story using his old tactics. HeblastedFederal Reserve ChairJerome Powell(his appointee) for not lowering interest rates. Ho hum. HisstatementthatRosie ODonnellshould have her citizenship revoked caused barely a ripple in the news cycle. (Admittedly, not much of a story anyway.)

No, Epstein dominates the news. Trump made a valiant effort to grab the initiative by filing alibel lawsuitagainst News Corp founderRupert MurdochandThe Wall Street Journal.It comes after the paper published a story about acollection of lettersgifted to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, including a note bearing Trump's name and an outline of a naked woman.

The drawing, depicting a woman's breasts and a Donald signature in the place of pubic hair, surrounded several lines of typewritten text, according to the newspaper, which reviewed the letter.

Elon Musk has accused Donald Trump of being in the Epstein files after first financing his presidential campaign.

The letter concluded with the line:

According to the docket filed in federal court in South Florida, Trump is suing for libel, assault and slander.

Common sense would dictate that it would be best to ride it out while the news cycle rolled on, but Trump is not known to be heavily endowed in that area. Instead, he is seeking$15 billion in damages. It should be noted here that News Corp not only owns The Wall Street Journal, but also a barrel full of other enterprises likeThe New York Post,The Times(London),The Australian,Daily Telegraph,Herald SunandFox News.

So far, Fox News has been keeping up its usual barrage of Trump propaganda. But Rupert may lose patience and dump Trump. After all, Fox News was the mouthpiece of the MAGA movement for years and helped put Trump where he is today. If Rupert pulled the plug, Trump would be in even bigger trouble than he already is.

Another prominent MAGA member has already jumped the fence.Elon Muskhas ended his bromance with Trump and is flooding X with posts attacking him over Epstein.

As reported byABC NewsAmerica:

Using X's AI chatbot, Grok, Muskasked:

The bromance is over between Donald Trumpand Elon Musk but the real loser of their feud is democracy.

Grok replied:

Responding to criticism from Musk earlier this month, Trumppostedto his own social media platform:

Musk was Trumps top donor in the 2024 Election, contributing $US 277 million (AU$419 million). He helped pave Trump's path to victory and led the Administration's effort to slash the Federal Government before departing from the post in May.

It is an indication of Trumps massive hubris that he is willing to make enemies of both the world's richest man and the owner of a global media empire at the same time.

If this wasnt enough, Trump has alsoenragedhigh-profile members of the MAGA base.

Laura Loomer, a former enthusiastic Trump ally and far-right conspiracy theorist,wrote on Xon 9 July:

In an interview withPolitico, Loomer warned that Trumps handling of the Epstein files threatens to consume his presidency.

In the face of President Trumps rising authoritarianism, the Democrats are dithering and history wont forgive hesitation.

Loomer added:

TheHodge Twins, with 3.4 million subscribers to their YouTube channel, are also critical of Trump.

Theyposted on Xon 7 July:

And then, of course, there isAlex Jones.

The conspiracy theorist andInfowarsfounderposted on X:

Jones is remembered for manyconspiracy theoriesover the years, including that the U.S. Government failed to prevent, or was involved in, the Oklahoma City bombing and the 9/11 attacks.

Those with long memories might recall that Jones spent the past three years in federal bankruptcy court after being ordered to pay $1.3 billion to families of the 2012Sandy Hook school shootingvictims in defamation suits in Connecticut and Texas for falsely claiming the shooting was a hoax.

The worlds walking on eggshells around a toddler with nukes maybe its time we stopped playing his game.

Another of the MAGA A-listers is far-right influencerJack Posobiec, whopostedon X on 7 July:

Posobiec is best known for promotingPizzagate, a conspiracy theory alleging that Democratic politicians were involved in a paedophilia ring. The theory picked up steam during the 2016 Presidential Election when Pizzagate theorists alleged that then-presidential hopefulHillary Clintonwas running a child sex ring out of a Pizza Palace.

Conspiracy theories never stand up to close scrutiny, but are red meat to Trumps true believers. And then there are always Trumps old standbys, the Democrats, the Deep State and the Fake News media.

Trump and his tribe launch new distractions with frantic regularity.

A recent one wasan attackonBarack ObamabyTulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, who:

Given the forces arrayed against Trump over the Epstein affair, dont expect the barrage of distraction to end soon. Recently, the Trump camp launched an attack on Barack Obama in anAI-generated video.

The unhinged decisions by the increasingly irrational U.S. President are having surprising global consequences.

The video posted on Truth Social shows the former President and Democratic Party leader being arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Oval Office. The clip starts with Obama saying, No one, especially the President, is above the law, followed by other Democrats, includingJoe Biden, stating, No one is above the law.

Then it shows Obama being handcuffed by two FBI agents, while Trump sits nearby, smiling throughout the arrest. The clip ends with Obama in a prison jumpsuit, sitting inside a gaol cell.

Trump may not be smiling when he learns that no one, including himself, is above the law. If he loses control over a few Republicans in Congress, he could be impeached again. His record of presidential impeachments is reasonably safe already, but three would keep him on the top of the list forever.

Another possibility is a palace coup. Trump has been very successful in orchestrating the destruction of American democracy and the world order so far, but the oligarchs who support him are showing signs of annoyance with the Epstein affair and the Donalds unpredictability. They and the alt-Right might just throw Trump under the bus by actively encouraging impeachment.

After all, Trump is no longer needed now that he has successfully spearheaded the transition to autocracy in America. Even the oligarchs must be suffering from fatigue caused by all the Trump dramas. InstallingJD Vanceas president wont change the autocratic agenda, of course, but at least the noise level will drop.

It is ironic that Trump, who successfully rode conspiracy theories to the White House, is now frantically trying to stamp them out.

Watch this space.

DrNorm Sandersis a former commercial pilot, flightinstructor, university professor, Tasmanian State MP and Federal Senator.

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