Trump Can't Get His Base To Move On From Epstein: From The Politics Desk

Welcome to nan online type of From nan Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you nan NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and study from nan White House, Capitol Hill and nan run trail.

In today’s edition, President Donald Trump struggles to move nan page connected nan Jeffrey Epstein saga while a politically susceptible legislator successful Texas appeals to him for an endorsement. Plus, Andrea Mitchell files a dispatch from nan Aspen Security Forum.

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— Adam Wollner

Trump struggles to person MAGA world to move connected from nan Epstein files

By Matt Dixon and Henry J. Gomez

President Donald Trump can’t get his MAGA supporters to extremity their obsession pinch nan Jeffrey Epstein files. And now he’s taking retired his vexation connected them.

In a blistering station connected Truth Social, Trump continued to push his backers to extremity talking astir an rumor that has driven what appears to beryllium 1 of nan astir important rifts betwixt him and nan governmental activity he built.

“[M]y PAST supporters person bought into this ‘bulls---’ hook, line, and sinker,” he said successful nan post, adding, “Let these weaklings proceed guardant and do nan Democrats work, don’t moreover deliberation astir talking of our unthinkable and unprecedented success, because I don’t want their support anymore!”

Trump’s connection Wednesday was a important escalation, reflecting that his supporters aren’t each pursuing his lead and adopting his messaging arsenic they usually do. It’s besides near MAGA-aligned media astatine a nonaccomplishment for what to do, torn betwixt overmuch of nan guidelines that continues to telephone for much documents related to Epstein, nan precocious financier and convicted activity offender, and Trump, who insists they should driblet nan issue.

“This is simply a awesome problem and could wounded turnout successful nan midterms,” a Republican strategist acquainted pinch Trump’s governmental cognition said. “It signals betrayal to those who believed nan president would expose nan heavy state. His squad made promises, past doubled down.”

On Capitol Hill: A growing number of Republicans are calling for nan merchandise of nan Epstein files.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he recovered it “a small difficult to believe, nan thought that nan DOJ and nan FBI who prosecuted cases relating to this don’t person immoderate thought who Epstein’s clients were.”

“My position is make public, everything you tin make public,” he told NBC News.

Democrats are continuing to effort to thrust a wedge betwixt Republicans connected nan issue. As Julie Tsirkin reports, Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is trying to unit a ballot connected a solution calling connected nan Justice Department to merchandise its files related to nan Epstein probe.

Read much connected nan Trump-MAGA rift →

Related: Ghislaine Maxwell’s family appeals to Trump amid conflict complete Epstein files, by Matt Lavietes

Sen. John Cornyn appeals to Trump arsenic he faces superior headwinds successful Texas

By Bridget Bowman, Ben Kamisar, Olympia Sonnier, Melanie Zanona and Julie Tsirkin

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is making his lawsuit for nan White House to get progressive arsenic he tries to fend disconnected a superior situation from authorities Attorney General Ken Paxton.

But, truthful far, President Donald Trump is staying connected nan sidelines.

“I’ve talked to him astir it a number of times. He is not fresh to make that endorsement,” Cornyn told NBC News. “I deliberation arsenic we commencement advertizing and closing nan spread successful nan polls, hopefully he’ll spot fresh to make that endorsement, but we can’t wait.”

“I pointed retired to him, and he knows this, that if he endorsed me, nan title would beryllium over,” Cornyn later added.

Some Republicans are concerned that Paxton — a blimpish firebrand pinch nary shortage of individual controversies, including immoderate that led to an impeachment push by a number of chap Republicans successful 2023 — could beryllium a problematic wide predetermination campaigner who would unit nationalist Republicans to walk millions to take sides nan longtime reddish seat.

Behind nan scenes: The title came up astatine a White House gathering past week betwixt Trump; Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.; staffers pinch nan ace PAC Senate Leadership Fund; and different erstwhile Trump run staffers. A root pinch knowledge of nan gathering said nan group agreed that Cornyn and friends request to attraction complete nan summertime connected improving nan incumbent’s canvass numbers.

Paxton’s squad has besides been successful touch pinch nan White House governmental squad and sharing polling data, according to a root adjacent to his campaign.

The polls: In nationalist surveys, nan University of Texas astatine Tyler recovered Paxton starring Cornyn by 10 percent points, 44%-34%, while Texas Southern University recovered Paxton starring by 9, 43%-34%. Both polls recovered astir a 4th of voters undecided.

The money: New run finance reports show that Paxton raised $2.9 cardinal from April done June and had $2.5 cardinal successful nan bank. Meanwhile, Cornyn’s run raised $804,000 and ended nan 4th pinch $5.9 cardinal connected hand, while his associated fundraising committee raised $3.1 cardinal and had $2.7 cardinal connected hand.

The Cornyn campaign’s haul marked its second-worst 4th complete nan senator’s past 2 predetermination cycles connected nan ballot (2020 and 2014).

Bottom line: This is acold from nan first clip Cornyn has faced issues connected his correct flank. His astir caller situation came successful 2014, erstwhile he won 59% of nan GOP superior vote. But it whitethorn beryllium nan astir vulnerable infinitesimal of his Senate career.

Read much connected nan Texas Senate title →

Related: 5 takeaways from nan latest run fundraising reports, by Ben Kamisar, Bridget Bowman and Joe Murphy

The impacts of Trump’s retreat from nan world stage

Analysis by Andrea Mitchell

At nan yearly Aspen Security Forum coming — listening and learning from U.S. and overseas experts connected nan Middle East, abstraction defense, power argumentation and world waste and acquisition and aid, among different topics — location is an unprecedented absence of existent management officials. They were invited and only Pentagon officials accepted earlier canceling astatine nan past minute.

Former U.S. Ambassador to China and NATO Nicholas Burns, presently co-chair of nan Aspen Strategy Group, lamented nan decision. Burns, who began his profession arsenic a National Security Council serviceman nether President George H.W. Bush, pointed retired that nan convention has ever been a nonpartisan gathering for nan speech of ideas, and he hopes they will return adjacent year.

The nationalist governmental disagreement is being felt profoundly by heavy cuts astatine nan State Department and different authorities agencies, immoderate of which Congress is formalizing pinch a rescissions package lawmakers are advancing. At Foggy Bottom, location were plentifulness of tears arsenic seasoned diplomats’ and civilian servants’ badges were revoked and they turned successful their laptops and phones.

The ambiance agency to discuss existent and early world agreements was eliminated. The State Department said it was being streamlined to make it much businesslike and relevant. Among those besides cut: elder intelligence analysts connected Russia and Ukraine, hardly irrelevant. The comparatively mini State Department intelligence bureau — numbering a fewer 100 — was 1 of nan only agencies dissenting against nan mendacious conclusion that Saddam Hussein was processing weapons of wide demolition earlier nan U.S. launched nan warfare successful Iraq. And those fired included nan East Asia analysts who had conscionable prepared briefing papers connected nan world title against China’s aggression successful nan South China Sea for Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s travel to nan ASEAN summit past week, a apical argumentation privilege for nan White House.

Occasionally, President Donald Trump whitethorn observe having experts astir tin prevention him from embarrassing moments. One illustration is past week’s luncheon pinch visiting African leaders, erstwhile he praised Liberia’s president for his bid of nan English language and asked, “Where did you study to speak truthful beautifully? Were you educated? Where?”

Briefers would person told him Liberia was settled by Americans successful 1847 and is an English-speaking country. But nan NSC — which had an admittedly bloated 300 staffers — now has astir 50 staffers.

That’s each From nan Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Dylan Ebs.

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