The Epstein Files Fallout Will Not Touch Him

And I am very sorry to say that...

When he said he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue, and not lose any voters, he was telling the truth. He’s leading a cult and doing what every cult leader does: whatever he wants, including telling his supporters for years that he would release the Epstein files and the dirt on high-level pedophiles, only to reverse it and tell them to stop talking about the Epstein files.

Here’s the deal: they will stop talking about it. Give it a month.

I have seen several folks on the left post about how angry Trump supporters are about the non-release of the Epstein files. How MAGA will defect because they were lied to.

The right has been frothing at the mouth about a file or list of names of folks who were caught red-handed with Jeffrey Epstein. On his plane or on his island or at his parties or known to frequently be in the company of Jeffrey Epstein.

There is anger on the right about the Epstein mess, but it’s not trickling down to the everyday Trump supporter.

The people who are mad and posting rants and burning their Trump hats and claiming they are done with MAGA are influencers. They are likely angry, but the reason they have such outbursts is because they are paid for views. It’s outrage, but it’s also a paycheck. Don’t think for a minute that the influencer is the regular MAGA voter.

I know because I talk to MAGA voters every day. I am related to them. They don’t listen to influencers if the message doesn’t align with what Trump says.

You know how much Trump likes to post his random thoughts several times a day? That isn’t accidental. He needs to speak directly to his folks to keep them in line. They need to hear from their strongman leader to stay on course. Trump can control their thoughts and emotions when he speaks directly to them. He can pressure them to conform to his lies. He can remind them that there is no questioning him.

No criticism. No critical thinking.

I recently asked a Trump supporter what he thought of the non-release of the Epstein files that Trump promised. He said it was a cover-up. It’s not Trump’s fault, but it is likely Pam Bondi’s fault.

Blame a woman. As old as time.

It’s the deep state. It’s Biden. It’s the Clintons. It’s Soros. It’s the ever-present evil Democratic child-abusing and child-eating cabal.

If your eyes rolled into the back of your head reading those lines, think how hard it was to listen to them and write them verbatim. Makes my head hurt and my fingers numb.

So, what’s going on here? Why would Trump supporters talk incessantly about the Epstein files and his jailhouse suicide and the wealthy men who abused little children and then just shake their heads at the news that the files were no longer files — in fact, there were no files?

They are indoctrinated.

Here is a question I am asked by people who haven’t had direct contact with a Trump voter: Why won’t the Epstein mess change their minds? How can we flip them? What message can we bring to a Trump voter to change their thinking?

I’m going to say this as gently as I can: You can’t. You can’t change a three-time Trump voter.

Think about this: Why can’t you just knock on your Catholic neighbor’s door and convert them to Mormonism? Why can’t I talk my Baptist mom into being an atheist? Because religion is often tied up with someone’s identity.

And so is Trumpism.

While a practicing Baptist, I had a Jehovah’s Witness knock on my door. I opened my door and listening politely and then told her thank you for stopping by and never thought about what she said at my door or the doctrine or the literature she left with me. I was not interested, and I already had my faith and a community behind my faith.

At the time, I knew I was right and she was wrong.

This essay is not to say that religions are cults or mock any faith or make any implication in that manner. Not in the least. I am not trying to offend, nor would I ever make that assumption about a religious faith. I have the sweetest and kindest friends who are faithful and devoted and selfless warriors.

They practice their religion by feeding the poor and standing in front of ICE and marching for justice.

Trumpism is not a religion, but it has become such an identity for Trump voters that it has evolved (devolved) into their de facto religion. They have swapped the basic tenets of their Christian Bible with the Republican agenda and Trump.

They believe in deporting immigrants while their religious text states, “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself,”—Leviticus 19:33–34

They look down on the poor and defund their safety nets while their Bible says, “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” — Proverbs 14:31

They praise wealth and celebrate the 1% while Jesus said, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Luke 12:32-34

They worship and idolize Trump as their savior while their text warns, “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” —Jonah 2:8

Illustration by Marco Ventura for Rolling Stone.

That is why the non-release of the Epstein lists or tapes or files will not sway a true Trump follower. They worship him, and they already know the worst about him.

They know he mocks those with disabilities. They know he grabs women by the p*ssy. They know he said he’d date his daughter. They know he walked in on naked young women backstage during pageants. They know he cheated on all of his wives. They know he doesn’t pay his bills and stiffs those who work for him. They know he lies on a daily basis.

They know he has 34 felonies and a sexual abuse conviction.

They already know all of the worst, and even if the Epstein files were released, and his name were at the top, there would be a reason. Or they would make one up.

The bad news is that even if a MAGA did go off the rails and read a few books and articles and find that they couldn’t support Trump, there is no reason to think they would vote for a Democrat. MAGA supporters have been taught for decades that there is nothing worse than a Democrat — even an atheist is preferable to a Democrat, and that’s saying a lot.

The good news is that MAGA people make up 52% of the Republican Party. Just over half. The other 48% of Republicans and all of the Independents and all of the Democrats combined well outnumber them.

We are the majority.

Breaking someone away from a cult is one of the most difficult things you can imagine. My hope lies in reaching the apathetic.

When knocking doors, for every Trump door I avoid, I knock two more.

I have knocked doors that weren’t on my list to engage with people who weren’t registered to vote. Those who have never participated in democracy. Those who aren’t paying attention or feel helpless and therefore disengage.

These are the folks we can reach.

We have to stop handwringing over people who are lost. The Trumpers aren’t going to vote for Democrats because a list of pedophiles wasn’t released to them.

Focus on the apathetic. Focus on enlarging our base.

Forget the thrice-voting Trump folks.

~Jess