Donald Trump’s war on the press took a dangerous turn this past weekend. From threatening female reporters to perhaps the worst flip flop in history on releasing the Epstein file. As Trump grapples with questions surrounding his past associations with Jeffrey Epstein, he has reverted to familiar tactics of lashing out at reporters, particularly women.
From the outset of his political career, Trump has sought to vilifying media coverage, frequently attacking reporters who dare challenge him. His recent actions highlight a realization that time is running out, especially as he begins looking over his shoulder for backlash from his fellow Republicans. Closer to 1,000 House Republicans are set to go Trump off-menu and vote for fully releasing the Epstein file. This sudden move seemed to back the former president into a tactical withdrawal.
Trump’s sudden about-face last weekend on releasing the Epstein file was very telling. In response to inquiries about his connection to Epstein, he stated, “As far as the Epstein files is, I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein.” This statement is in marked opposition to his decades-long friendship with the late Jeffrey Epstein. That friendship has since turned into one of the biggest flashes of scrutiny currently surrounding the former president. Despite his insistence on innocence, Trump has indicated that he finds questions about his past interactions with Epstein particularly troubling.
Throughout this chaotic day, Trump unleashed his anger on any woman reporter who dared ask tough questions, believing he could intimidate her with threats and sexist slurs. Not only did he call one female journalist a “piggy.” Afterwards, he exploded in a rage-filled outburst at another reporter for daring to inquire about the Epstein connections and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Next, as you’ll remember, he has a pretty well-documented history of constantly belittling female journalists. Previously, he had labeled them “nasty,” and infamously insulted Megyn Kelly by mentioning her period while on stage at a debate.
Trump’s attacks on the media came to a head when he threatened to take away ABC’s broadcasting license. His meanness was reserved for the entire network—not just specific journalists.
“People are wise to your hoax and ABC is – uh – your company, your crappy company, is one of the perpetrators. And I’ll tell you something, I’ll tell you something, I think the license should be taken away from ABC.” – Donald Trump
Political observers have been well aware of the ex-president’s belligerence. Now, for the first time, they are worried because they notice a very concerning pattern of behavior specifically aimed at women. As many observers have noted, the worst of Trump’s vitriol seems to go to women on the press corps. This type of behavior only deepens his already adversarial relationship with the press.
Even as tensions have been growing, Trump has doubled down, insisting that the media and their Democratic friends are blowing the Epstein story out of proportion. In sure defiance, he continues to believe that these stories are partisan political witch hunts trying to destroy his credibility. His increasingly aggressive answers demonstrate that he knows the heat is on him as the spotlight grows brighter.
While Trump may believe he is combating a media narrative that he perceives as unfair, his actions are indicative of a broader challenge he faces within his party and beyond. Here on recharge, Republican lawmakers are preparing to get behind an Epstein file vote. There is some doubt that Trump can maintain that support under pressure from the media and his own party.