Six months into his second term, US President Donald Trump is facing renewed pressure over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, following allegations reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The paper claims Trump gifted Epstein a lewd birthday card for his 50th birthday, a revelation that reignited questions about their relationship and increased demands to release the so-called “Epstein file”.
Epstein fallout continues to cast shadow over Trump’s future
On Monday’s episode of The Briefing, we spoke with US political expert Cory Alpert about the alleged top-secret Epstein list, and whether this could be the scandal that finally sticks.
“The lewdness of the letter is what stood out to me…that he was willing to put that on paper,” Alpert said.
“Public officials at that level know these letters can become part of the public record,” he said.
Despite initial concerns about a rift within Trump’s MAGA base, Alpert says the scandal has instead been reframed by Trump’s allies as a media attack.
“Donald Trump has this incredible ability to weasel his way out of thorny situations,” he added.
“This may not help him, but it’s no longer hurting him the way it could have.”
Despite the controversy raising questions about potential political fallout for Trump, Alpert said it is unlikely to threaten his presidency.
Removing a sitting U.S. president requires either impeachment, which would demand support from a divided Congress,or action by the president’s own cabinet.
Given Trump’s strong influence over Republican lawmakers and his continued popularity with a large portion of voters, neither path appears viable at this stage.
“The math just doesn’t work out. He is still very popular among a huge percentage of the American voters, and he has complete control over every Republican elected official in Washington, D.C.”
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