Politico broke out the worry beads and furiously began rubbing them in deep concern over whether the Wall Street Journal's story about President Donald Trump supposedly sending Jeffrey Epstein a bawdy letter over twenty years ago would end up tossing Trump a "lifeline."
In fact Politico was so concerned about this that their angst session was carried out in public via FIVE, count 'em, FIVE stories on whether the WSJ story would cause MAGA to rally around him. Of course, their real concern should be if the WSJ story even has any credibility at all.
Friday's morning Politico Playbook by Adam Wren with Dasha Burns was chock full of worry over whether the Wall Street Journal ended up uniting MAGA behind Trump. Playbook started out on what for them would be an upbeat note:
THE NARRATIVE: For 10 days — ever since the Justice Department released a memo saying there was “no incriminating ‘client list’” among the Epstein files and that no further disclosure of the investigation’s files “would be appropriate” — Trump has been in an unfamiliar spot: unable to change the topic of conversation in Washington, facing down an issue that was badly fracturing the MAGA movement and on the receiving end of questions that cut to the core of his political identity.
Their joy over Trump's support among MAGA "fracturing" appeared to be short-lived since the very next thing on their page was this:
Then came the Journal story, which has offered Trump the chance to steer the conversation away from his administration’s non-release of the Epstein files and instead toward the media’s treatment of him.
Suddenly, after days of division, a profoundly fractured MAGA coalition came together in opposition to the press.
Their next Friday worry wart story, "Why Trump Is Struggling to Change the Narrative on Epstein," actually used the word "lifeline" twice. The first time in the subtitle, "The president seems to have lost his talent for shaping the story of the day. Or did the Wall Street Journal just throw him a lifeline?" And the second time in the body of the text in which Politico senior staff writer Michael Kruse worried about the unintended effect of the WSJ story:
It was quite striking watching over the course of the last week and a half no small number of devotees turn on Trump over his administration’s non-release of the Epstein files — and it also was not at all surprising watching the reemergence of a more loyal, pliant and unified front as MAGA seemed to coalesce and come to his defense Thursday night in the wake of the revelations in the reporting from the Wall Street Journal — the return of the balm of the common enemy of the so-called “fake news.” It’s a fast-moving dynamic that was familiar to the point of predictable (right down to his threat to sue Rupert Murdoch that’s part of his larger and ongoing effort to cow the press): Trump and the media — always his lifeblood, and sometimes a lifeline.
Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing was also among the Politico disappointed with this glum observation of MAGA standing with Trump because of the WSJ story in "Trump rails against ‘NOTHING’ Epstein case after WSJ report."
Many MAGA figures were quick to jump to the president’s defense after the WSJ report — including several voices who have been critical of his administration’s handling of the case, like right-wing activist Laura Loomer and onetime Trump confidante Elon Musk.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had previously split with Trump on Tuesday,calling for the DOJ to release all information in the Epstein files in the name of “transparency,” decried the existence of the letter in an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Friday morning after he said he spoke with the president.
Aaron Pellish was already worrying about the veracity of the WSJ on Thursday evening especially since he quoted Vice-President JD Vance's reaction to it in "WSJ says Trump wrote racy birthday letter to Epstein. The president says it never happened."
Vice President JD Vance quickly came to the president’s defense shortly after the story was published, calling the story “complete and utter bullshit.”
“Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it,” Vance said in a social media post. “Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?”
Finally, later on Thursday, Politico's worrying over the truthfulness of the WSJ story went into even higher gear with Seb Starcevic noting something very worrisome (for liberals) in "MAGA world leaps to Trump’s defense over alleged Epstein letter":
Even Elon Musk, whose relationship with the president has recently appeared to sour, said the letter “really doesn’t sound like something Trump would say” and “sounds bogus.”
Other high-profile MAGA figures and far-right activists, including Charlie Kirk, Jack Posobiec and Laura Loomer, deemed the letter — which The Wall Street Journal did not publish in its entirety — a fabrication.
“I’m calling bullshit on this Trump ‘birthday letter’ to Epstein,” Loomer said. “It’s totally fake. Everyone who actually KNOWS President Trump knows he doesn’t type letters.”
The only media people more worried about the ultimate veracity of the WSJ than the reporters and management of the WSJ would have to be the Politico folks. If this story turns out to be FAKE NEWS yet again, major egg on the faces at both media organizations.