Trump Is Doing Everything To Distract from the Epstein Affair and the Bad Economy
These days, one can only watch in horror what is unfolding in the U.S. The slide toward autocracy is gaining traction — and Donald Trump is pressing the accelerator wherever he can. To protect himself.
Unfavorable job market statistics? No problem. Dr. Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the responsible authority, just gets fired without further ado. The economist was appointed to the four-year role in 2024 with broad support. The accusation: allegedly falsified statistics. Her successor is apparently supposed to be E.J. Antoni, an in-house economist at the very conservative Heritage Foundation who lacks experience with job market statistics but has an inventive idea: Just end the monthly reports. No one cares about them anyway.
Meanwhile, Washington is becoming another test case for dealing with recalcitrant “blue” states. Trump abruptly put the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and sent 800 National Guard troops — some of whom were recruited from “red” states — onto the streets. Officially because of rising crime. In fact, the Capitol’s crime rate is at its lowest since 2010 — and far below that of other American cities. Instead, the troops are now hunting down homeless people. In the future, it is supposed to be easier to send them to jail or to psychiatric facilities. The immigration agency ICE delights at every immigrant who falls into its hands — its inhumane treatment of refugees and immigrants has long been documented.
With some 1.8 million people in prison, the U.S. is already the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. The two private prison managers, CoreCivic and GEO Group, profit more than anyone from the massive increase of the incarcerated population — and they profit twofold. First, they received contracts from the Trump administration worth billions of dollars for building new facilities. Second, they can employ incarcerated persons as workers with an inhumane wage, a form of modern slavery.
Then, there is the use of the Department of Justice against former officials in the administration of Barack Obama. The attempt to secure five more seats for Republicans in the House of Representatives with an unscheduled redrawing of the electoral districts. Massive punitive tariffs against Brazil to protect populist friend Jair Bolsonaro. Not to mention Trump’s most recent coup: unauthorized negotiations with Vladimir Putin over the end of the Ukraine war. Too bad that he looks like a “loser” in the process.
All these measures have one thing in common: They are supposed to distract — distract from two topics that could become politically lethal for Trump. First, the affair surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. It is no coincidence that he is doing everything to keep the files secret. His name probably appears in them more than once. Second, the economy: chaotic tariffs, cuts and DOGE have caused turmoil that could lead to stagflation. And in the arena of U.S. politics, it is still true that “It’s the economy, stupid!”
Unfavorable job market statistics? No problem. Dr. Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the responsible authority, just gets fired without further ado. The economist was appointed to the four-year role in 2024 with broad support. The accusation: allegedly falsified statistics. Her successor is apparently supposed to be E.J. Antoni, an in-house economist at the very conservative Heritage Foundation who lacks experience with job market statistics but has an inventive idea: Just end the monthly reports. No one cares about them anyway.
Meanwhile, Washington is becoming another test case for dealing with recalcitrant “blue” states. Trump abruptly put the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and sent 800 National Guard troops — some of whom were recruited from “red” states — onto the streets. Officially because of rising crime. In fact, the Capitol’s crime rate is at its lowest since 2010 — and far below that of other American cities. Instead, the troops are now hunting down homeless people. In the future, it is supposed to be easier to send them to jail or to psychiatric facilities. The immigration agency ICE delights at every immigrant who falls into its hands — its inhumane treatment of refugees and immigrants has long been documented.
With some 1.8 million people in prison, the U.S. is already the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. The two private prison managers, CoreCivic and GEO Group, profit more than anyone from the massive increase of the incarcerated population — and they profit twofold. First, they received contracts from the Trump administration worth billions of dollars for building new facilities. Second, they can employ incarcerated persons as workers with an inhumane wage, a form of modern slavery.
Then, there is the use of the Department of Justice against former officials in the administration of Barack Obama. The attempt to secure five more seats for Republicans in the House of Representatives with an unscheduled redrawing of the electoral districts. Massive punitive tariffs against Brazil to protect populist friend Jair Bolsonaro. Not to mention Trump’s most recent coup: unauthorized negotiations with Vladimir Putin over the end of the Ukraine war. Too bad that he looks like a “loser” in the process.
All these measures have one thing in common: They are supposed to distract — distract from two topics that could become politically lethal for Trump. First, the affair surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. It is no coincidence that he is doing everything to keep the files secret. His name probably appears in them more than once. Second, the economy: chaotic tariffs, cuts and DOGE have caused turmoil that could lead to stagflation. And in the arena of U.S. politics, it is still true that “It’s the economy, stupid!”
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