Trump, Epstein, & the GOP’s Self-Inflicted Scandal: How Transparency Backfired

The Epstein follies continue to be an astonishing self-inflicted wound for the Trump administration.

President Trump had the right instincts in trying to make this go away. But he’s too personally undisciplined and, as a manager, incapable of running a tight ship. So the hacks in his camp — in Congress and those who transitioned from the campaign to top federal law enforcement jobs — got the base so spun up that, for the first time, MAGA wouldn’t take the “shut up and move on” directive from its Grand Poobah.

About the Author

Andrew C. McCarthy

Andrew C. McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, an NR contributing editor, and author of Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency.

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The Epstein follies continue to be an astonishing self-inflicted wound for the Trump administration.

President Trump had the right instincts in trying to make this go away. But he’s too personally undisciplined and, as a manager, incapable of running a tight ship. So the hacks in his camp — in Congress and those who transitioned from the campaign to top federal law enforcement jobs — got the base so spun up that, for the first time, MAGA wouldn’t take the “shut up and move on” directive from its Grand Poobah.

About the Author

Andrew C. McCarthy

Andrew C. McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, an NR contributing editor, and author of Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency.