This morning, many of us awoke to a jarring juxtaposition of headlines: The Wall Street Journal published a column revealing that Jeffrey Epstein received a birthday album filled with bawdy letters—including one from President Donald Trump. And shortly thereafter, news broke that Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of grand jury transcripts related to Epstein, citing mounting political pressure and intensifying public scrutiny.
Late last night, Trump took to Truth Social, posting that he had requested Bondi release “any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,” framing the controversy as a “SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats.”
This strategic move came after years of speculation among Trump’s most ardent supporters about the Epstein case. Many in MAGA have propagated conspiracy theories suggesting Epstein was murdered in jail, not that he died by suicide. A distrust of government institutions has fed rumors of a secret client list buried by the Department of Justice, painted as evidence of a vast “deep state” cover-up.
With the Journal’s publication of Trump’s letter and growing demands from MAGA loyalists, Trump’s call to release the transcripts isn’t just reactive—it’s a calculated pivot.
To understand why, we need only revisit a similarly critical moment in 2016.
Just one month before Election Day, the infamous Access Hollywood tape surfaced: Trump, caught on a hot mic, made vulgar remarks about women and boasted of sexually aggressive behavior. Many believed it would be his political undoing. Yet after making an apology, Trump went on the offensive—calling his remarks “locker room banter,” invoking Bill Clinton’s alleged indiscretions, and positioning himself as the victim of a media hit job.
It was Trump’s masterful example of narrative control.
And today he’s doing it again.
As the Epstein discourse spirals out of control, Trump is attempting to seize control of the narrative.. On July 16th, he posted on Truth Social:
“The Jeffrey Epstein Hoax... My PAST supporters have bought into this bullshit, hook, line, and sinker... Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats’ work... I don’t want their support anymore!”
As Trump so often does, he reframed the scandal as yet another “Radical Left Democrat scam”—equating it to past controversies like the Steele Dossier, Hunter Biden’s laptop, and the Russia investigation. Speaking to reporters, he reiterated:
“It was a hoax. It’s all been a big hoax. It’s perpetrated by the Democrats and some stupid Republicans...”
This is the standard Trump strategy: deflect, reframe, and dominate the narrative. By casting himself as the target of a partisan witch hunt, using the scandal to reinforce MAGA loyalty and their perception of him not merely as a survivor, but as a fighter against corruption and the deep state.
As grand jury transcripts are released, the media will undoubtedly spotlight prominent names connected to Epstein. This will give Trump the perfect opportunity to switch from defense to offense. He’ll be in control, focusing on what suits his narrative, ignoring what doesn’t, and channeling the chaos into an all too familiar pattern: blaming the media, vilifying the Democrats, and claiming victimhood.
The strategy is not without risk, but when backed into a corner, Trump had little choice. However, as proven so often in the past, Trump's ability to dominate the news cycle, even amid chaos, has proven to be a winning strategy.
Seems implausible? Stay tuned.
David Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.
An Independent Voter's Perspective on Current Political Divides
In the column, "Is Donald Trump Right?", Fulcrum Executive Editor, Hugo Balta, wrote:
For millions of Americans, President Trump’s second term isn’t a threat to democracy—it’s the fulfillment of a promise they believe was long overdue.
Is Donald Trump right?
Should the presidency serve as a force for disruption or a safeguard of preservation?
Balta invited readers to share their thoughts at newsroom@fulcrum.us.
David Levine from Portland, Oregon, shared these thoughts...
I am an independent voter who voted for Kamala Harris in the last election.
I pay very close attention to the events going on, and I try and avoid taking other people's opinions as fact, so the following writing should be looked at with that in mind:
Is Trump right? On some things, absolutely.
As to DEI, there is a strong feeling that you cannot fight racism with more racism or sexism with more sexism. Standards have to be the same across the board, and the idea that only white people can be racist is one that I think a lot of us find delusional on its face. The question is not whether we want equality in the workplace, but whether these systems are the mechanism to achieve it, despite their claims to virtue, and many of us feel they are not.
I think if the Democrats want to take back immigration as an issue then every single illegal alien no matter how they are discovered needs to be processed and sanctuary cities need to end, every single illegal alien needs to be found at that point Democrats could argue for an amnesty for those who have shown they have been Good actors for a period of time but the dynamic of simply ignoring those who break the law by coming here illegally is I think a losing issue for the Democrats, they need to bend the knee and make a deal.
I think you have to quit calling the man Hitler or a fascist because an actual fascist would simply shoot the protesters, the journalists, and anyone else who challenges him. And while he definitely has authoritarian tendencies, the Democrats are overplaying their hand using those words, and it makes them look foolish.
Most of us understand that the tariffs are a game of economic chicken, and whether it is successful or not depends on who blinks before the midterms. Still, the Democrats' continuous attacks on the man make them look disloyal to the country, not to Trump.
Referring to any group of people as marginalized is to many of us the same as referring to them as lesser, and it seems racist and insulting.
We invite you to read the opinions of other Fulrum Readers:
Trump's Policies: A Threat to Farmers and American Values
The Trump Era: A Bitter Pill for American Renewal
Federal Hill's Warning: A Baltimorean's Reflection on Leadership
Also, check out "Is Donald Trump Right?" and consider accepting Hugo's invitation to share your thoughts at newsroom@fulcrum.us.
The Fulcrum will select a range of submissions to share with readers as part of our ongoing civic dialogue.
We offer this platform for discussion and debate.