By Dan Rather
It would be the irony to end all ironies if Donald Trump’s ultimate undoing came not from a criminal conviction or impeachment but a revolt of the voters who elected him: the MAGA faithful. It seems impossible, but we’ve learned that head-spinning happenings in Trump-world are the norm, not the exception. Pull up a chair, because we’ve never seen a week like the last one.
To be sure, all Trump time periods — weeks, days, and months — are riddled with disinformation, flip-flopping, and face-palming decision-making, but even so, his base has never deserted him. As recently as last week, he was doing a victory lap after signing his “big ugly bill” when suddenly all hell broke loose. MAGA went into meltdown. And as we begin a new week, something feels different. Some of Trump’s key supporters have been downright nasty toward their dear leader, like never before. Their issue is the non-release of files from the Jeffrey Epstein case. And they are some kind of mad.
But that’s just one part of a wacky week. Trump also did a 180 on FEMA (now he likes the agency) after his administration’s delayed response to the catastrophic flooding in Texas. That and his increasingly brutal targeting of immigrants are plummeting his popularity and his polling numbers, even among Republicans.
The Epstein Conspiracy Theory
To refresh your memory (because who wants to remember this one), Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted child sex offender who died in jail. He was also a high-level financier who befriended a lot of powerful people, from Trump himself to Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton.
MAGA believes there is a massive government cover-up of the Epstein case, claiming the Biden administration hid details of a child sex-trafficking ring that involved big names, including Hollywood “elites.” They also believe that Epstein was murdered to protect unnamed Democrats. These conspiracy theories were happily promoted by Trump & Co. during the 2024 campaign. And Trump promised to release Epstein’s client list when he returned to the Oval Office.
But last week, Attorney General Pam Bondi said there was no client list and that the case was closed. Not so fast. The shutting down of the most salacious and popular conspiracy theory among Trump’s base did not go over well, to say the least. The MAGAsphere went ballistic, seeing the hoped-for release of the supposedly damning information as “draining the swamp” and exposing corruption in Washington. Politico has dubbed it a “fast-metastasizing MAGA rebellion.”
A great part of Trump’s strength, if you can call it that, is speaking aloud politically incorrect beliefs held by his base. He is a self-styled fighter and disruptor. By backing away from the Epstein case, he diminishes this stature and looks like a weak and frail politician who gave in. But maybe the files contain something Trump doesn’t want the world to see.
At a summit for young conservatives last weekend, MAGA leaders did the unthinkable: They openly criticized Trump both on stage and on social media. Even Fox “News” pushed the White House for more information. Trump loyalist Steve Bannon told a crowd of student activists, “It’s deeper than Epstein! It’s about who governs us.”
Far-right influencer and self-appointed MAGA spokesperson Lara Loomer pulled no punches. “There should be a special counsel appointed to do an independent investigation of the handling of the Epstein files so that people can feel like this issue is being investigated.”
To no one’s surprise, Trump remains defiant and undeterred, calling on MAGA to just calm down. “We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump posted. It backfired. His supporters want Bondi gone.
Charlie Kirk, the organizer of the youth summit, predicts that all this will translate to some Trump voters staying home next election, calling Trump’s inaction a “huge risk.”
Trump needs his far-right voters for the fast-approaching midterms.
The Future of FEMA
Over the July 4th weekend, torrential rainfall led to flash flooding that ravaged the Texas Hill Country. To date, 120 people have been confirmed dead; many more are still missing.
Before Trump, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would have pre-positioned search and rescue teams. But because Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem now requires that she personally approve any spending exceeding $100,000, it didn’t happen.
While she wasn’t available to sanction the expenditure, she was asking her social media followers to vote on which Western-themed portrait of her riding a horse should hang in the South Dakota Capitol.
Noem finally authorized money to dispatch rescue crews, shoot aerial footage of the area, and staff a disaster call center on Monday, July 7 — 72 hours after the flooding hit.
FEMA, created in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, is the cornerstone of the country’s response to natural disasters. As the planet continues to warm and extreme weather activity increases, FEMA is needed more than ever. Last year the United States experienced 27 $1 billion-plus disasters, an increase from 2023. Seems like the perfect time to gut the agency.
Since Trump took office, FEMA has fired or laid off 25% of its staff, including 600 people at the National Weather Service (NWS). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is set to close 10 labs that research the effects of climate change, including an office in Miami that deploys hurricane hunters and one in Norman, Oklahoma, that created a tool that predicts flooding like that in Texas.
The NWS did issue flood warnings for the Guadalupe River, but because of the cuts, the San Antonio office was without its warning coordination meteorologist, who handles communicating with local authorities.
Back in January, Trump said, “I think, frankly, FEMA is not good. The FEMA thing has not been a very successful experiment.” Now Trump is backtracking on his promise to “get rid of it,” claiming he was never going to eliminate FEMA but that the agency simply needs a “rebranding.”
Immigration Adjustment
Immigration has been the No. 1 issue Trump could rely on to energize his base. Until recently, he had consistently positive poll numbers around his handling of immigration.
But Nate Silver’s polling average now has him at -4 on his signature issue, and a new Gallup poll conducted during the month of June shows a huge shift in American attitudes toward immigrants. Perhaps the change is an inadvertent consequence of shining a spotlight on how essential immigrants are to the American economy — or maybe it was deploying U.S. Marines on American streets.
Either way, 79% now say immigration is a “good thing,” which is a record high. And 62% give Trump negative marks for his management of the issue. Even Republicans are not enamoured with Trump’s harsh policies. Today, just 48% say they want fewer immigrants — way down from the 88% who said so last year.
So far, public opinion has not swayed Trump’s intention to carry out the largest mass deportation in our history, nor has it pushed him to employ more humane tactics.
Over the weekend, Democratic lawmakers were finally given a tour of Alligator Alcatraz, the hastily erected tent city–immigrant detention center in a Florida swamp. What they reported seeing is barbaric.
Detainees are confined to cages enclosed by chainlink fencing with three unhygienic, open-air toilets for 32 people. There is no escape from the oppressive heat, humidity, and swarming mosquitoes. Though lawmakers were not allowed to meet with any of the detainees, they could hear them begging for help.
And Trump plans to build more detention centers like this one, doubling capacity across the U.S.
Trump’s poll numbers have long been headed downward. But increasing numbers of people are beginning to see what inexperience, incompetence, and intolerance can do to our beloved country. One would imagine that the Jeffrey Epstein saga is far down your list of things to care about. But the rising revolt on the far-right is something to watch. Trump is finally being challenged from all sides. It’s time to redouble our efforts and pay close attention. Knowledge is power.
