The Epstein files and affordability concerns threaten Trump’s tough façade of political immunity

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s veneer of political impunity is beginning to crack as he struggles to find his footing on Americans’ concerns about affordability and fails to quell a campaign by dissident Republicans to release more files from the Jeffrey Epstein case.

The dual challenge, coming so soon after Democratic victories in recent elections and ahead of next year’s midterm campaigns that will determine control of Congress, represents a troubling situation for a president who has enjoyed his unparalleled dominance in Washington.

He reformed the federal government using brute force, deploying troops in cities across the country, brushing aside concerns about the legality of military operations and launching remodeling projects such as the gilded ballroom attached to the White House.

But Trump’s aggressive approach in his second term does not invalidate political realities, such as dissatisfaction with the economy that is simmering despite inflation being lower than it was during President Joe Biden’s term. Trump is expected to address this issue at a conference on Monday evening.

In addition, there is the inescapable fact that the president is a lame duck, constitutionally barred from running again, despite his desire to remain in office.

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky who has repeatedly drawn Trump’s ire, reminded his party of that on Sunday as he urged lawmakers to support legislation that would force the Justice Department to release documents about Epstein.

“I would remind my fellow Republicans who are deciding how to vote — Donald Trump can protect you in red districts right now by giving you an endorsement,” Massie told ABC News. “But in 2030, he will not be president, and you will have voted to protect pedophiles if you don’t vote to release these files, and the president will no longer be able to protect you.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) holds a photo of former US President Donald Trump with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a meeting of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee to mark a resolution and report to hold Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, in contempt of Congress, after he refused to appear before a closed session, at the Capitol in Washington, US, January 10, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin LaMarque

The Epstein files were a pressure point

Epstein, who died by suicide several years ago, was a convicted sex offender and notorious for his ties to the rich and powerful, making him a fixture in outrage and conspiracy theories about wrongdoing among American elites.

Trump opposed the Epstein bill in the House of Representatives, describing it as a continuation of the investigation that had dogged him for years, until he suddenly reversed course on Sunday, saying “it is time to move forward” from the case by declaring his support for the vote.

Read more: Trump said he doesn’t care about the Epstein files. What’s the next step in pushing for their release?

It was an admission that Trump suffered a rare defeat in the Republican-controlled Congress, where party members were reluctant to reduce his power.

Even as he seeks to impose his will on Republicans like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, with whom he broke with over the weekend, Trump is also trying to avoid potential losses in next year’s midterm elections. If Democrats control Congress, they will be able to block Trump’s agenda and investigate his administration.

He has been pressing state leaders to redraw congressional districts to improve his party’s chances. On Monday, he asserted that Indiana Republicans had not toed his line, and announced that he would support primary challenges against any lawmaker who did not support redistricting.

“We must preserve the majority at all costs,” Trump wrote on social media. “Republicans must fight back!”

Voter concerns about the cost of living loom large

Maintaining this line will likely require addressing Americans’ economic concerns, which have at times given way to Trump’s focus on cementing a foreign policy legacy and expanding immigration enforcement.

Trump acknowledged Sunday night that some consumer costs are “a little higher.” Addressing affordability has prompted Trump to partially roll back tariffs, a key part of his economic agenda. His administration reduced duties on imports of products such as coffee, beef and tropical fruits, an implicit concession that tariffs had increased costs despite the president’s promises to the contrary.

The president also proposed a $2,000 dividend, financed by tariff revenues, to all Americans except the richest. But there’s no guarantee Congress will approve the idea when the federal government continues to struggle with debt, and sending cash to people could fuel the inflation that Trump has vowed to eliminate.

Democrats swept elections in New Jersey, Virginia and elsewhere this month, a sign of dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy.

Neil Newhouse, a longtime Republican pollster, said the Democratic victories were not surprising but that “what caught our attention was the depth and breadth of the victories.”

He warned that his party risks making the same mistakes as Democratic President Joe Biden, who has overseen rising inflation while trying to convince voters that the problem will soon end.

“We can tell them prices are going down until we get angry,” Newhouse said. “Unless they see it in grocery stores, it doesn’t make much of a difference.”