Protest Too Much

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks”  – Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 2)

FLOTUS

Yesterday, the First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) Melania Trump, delivered a “stern” message to America.  She firmly denied that she was in any way involved with Jeffrey Epstein.  She claimed that she was aware of him and they spent a lot of time in the same social circles in both New York City and in Palm Beach.  But that was it, just over-lapping social circles.

Yesterday, the President of the United States (POTUS) Donald Trump, said he didn’t know his wife was planning on speaking publicly.  There was no statement from POTUS, supporting FLOTUS.  Instead of “standing” by his wife, Trump used his universal excuse to the world:  “I didn’t know”.  

So why did Melania feel the need to address the Nation?  It’s all about longtime Trump nemesis, author Michael Wolff.  He’s the guy who wrote the “tell-all” near the beginning of Trump’s first term, Fire and Fury.  I remember reading it in 2018, lounging on the beach in Florida when Jenn and I were doing our “snowbird” thing.

Getting Ahead

Wolff is a compelling author, but isn’t particularly wedded to the facts.  The story comes first.  And the story he’s working on right now, is about Jeffrey Epstein.  It’s rumored that Wolff will claim Epstein “had” (in the Biblical sense) Melania first, then introduced her to Donald.  Melania threatened to sue Wolff for a billion dollars.  Wolff counter-sued. He claimed that she was denying his First Amendment rights, using the courts and huge numbers to suppress publication.

Melania is trying to “get ahead” of the story, before Wolff publishes.  Of course what she really did is guarantee Wolff’s book pre-publication sales will put him on the New York Times bestseller list.   Still, it’s an astute political move, claiming the high ground before Wolff gets the lower fields plowed.  At least that’s good for her.

But it’s really NOT good for Donald Trump, who has, amazingly, managed to temporarily dampen the EPSTEIN FILES furor.  It took a war, thousands of civilians dead, Billions of dollars spent, and shutting down 20% of the world’s oil supply to change the subject.  Oh and that whole thing about wiping the Persian civilization out, “Sending them back to the Stone Age”.

EXTRA-EXTRA

Melania brought it all back, right to the front of the line (and the lead in the newscasts).  That can’t be what her “Donald” wanted.  And on top of that; Melania called on Congress to take the victims, place them under oath, and make them testify to the world.  In other words, force the victims to be re-victimized.  She said nothing about the perpetrators of the Epstein bacchanals, the now older white men who used their wealth and influence to get what they wanted from Epstein:  sexual pleasure with under-aged girls (and even under-aged boys).  

Here comes another round of victim statements, more calls from House Democrats for investigation and depositions, and probably longer Congressional recesses so that Republicans can “keep a lid on it”.  Sure, bombs and death deflected from the EPSTEIN FILES for a while.  But over two million documents are still hidden from public view.  

FILES

Todd Blanche is the Trump attorney who interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell. She told him that the Trump’s weren’t involved. Blanche is now the Acting Attorney General of the United States.  Maxwell is now housed in a minimum security prison, violating Bureau of Prisons policy for someone sentenced with her crimes.  Any testimony by her is “tainted” by what looks from the outside like a corrupt bargain.  She got her “quid pro quo”.  Maybe a full pardon is next.

In the end, the EPSTEIN FILES won’t go away.  Four dollar a gallon gas, Americans fighting abroad, the old Attorney General fired (and told not to testify to the House Committee):  the appetite of the American people for Epstein information and justice does not stop.   Melania might try to cover, and Michael Wolff try to profit; but in the end, America will know what happened.  Justice will be done for the victims of Epstein, and to those who “benefitted” from his actions (that includes you Mr. Wexner!!).