Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s recent attempt to shift the media’s focus from the burgeoning Jeffrey Epstein scandal to a renewed investigation of Barack Obama backfired spectacularly. Just a week after Gabbard, seemingly trying to appease President Trump, demanded a full-scale prosecution of the former president, Trump himself admitted Obama’s immunity thanks to a Supreme Court case he initiated. This left Gabbard’s efforts looking less like a strategic maneuver and more like a desperate, and ultimately unsuccessful, attempt at damage control.
The Epstein scandal, ignited by Elon Musk’s now-deleted X post alleging Trump’s involvement, continues to dominate headlines. Despite Trump’s attempts at rebranding the narrative and even engaging with the issue by ordering the Attorney General to release Grand Jury testimony and sending a former personal attorney to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, the story refuses to die down. The Wall Street Journal, in particular, has relentlessly pursued the story, publishing reports that further implicate Trump. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer even noted that the story is “growing louder by the hour.”
Gabbard’s attempt to revive the “Russiagate” narrative by declassifying a 2020 House Intelligence Committee report, alleging Obama’s involvement in undermining Trump’s 2016 election, failed to gain traction. Major news outlets largely dismissed her claims, with the Associated Press and other publications highlighting the lack of evidence supporting her assertions. Even Fox News, a staunch Trump ally, gave the story minimal coverage, despite Gabbard’s appearances on several of its programs.
While Gabbard’s efforts to distract from the Epstein scandal were clearly unsuccessful in terms of shifting public attention, Trump’s public praise of her – calling her “hotter than everybody” – suggests a different kind of success. While the Epstein story persists, other significant actions by the Trump administration, such as a bill weakening labor protections and an executive order potentially harming the homeless, received significantly less scrutiny. This suggests that despite the failure of Gabbard’s overt attempt at distraction, the overall effect might still be a win for Trump’s agenda.
The Epstein genie is out of the bottle, and the media’s relentless pursuit of the story continues. Yet, the lack of attention given to other crucial issues under Trump’s administration raises the unsettling question: was Gabbard’s failure a success in disguise?
