Trump 'in panic surrounded by weaklings' as bad news mounts: conservative
By Thomas Kika
President Donald Trump holds a Cabinet meeting, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in the Cabinet Room. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
The passage of the Epstein Transparency Act cemented a bad week for President Donald Trump, leaving him “in a panic,” according to conservative commentator Bill Kristol.
Writing in a piece for The Bulwark on Friday, Kristol noted that while Trump might have the started the week off “loving life” as he hosted a lavish dinner for the visiting Saudi Arabian autocrat, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his fortunes took a grim turn after the passage of the bill requiring the mass disclosure of Epstein files. While Trump eventually changed his tone and supported the bill, he nevertheless took a defensive stance and accused the situation of being a distraction from his accomplishments.
Help fuel the work. Independent analysis doesn’t fund itself:
☕ Buy us a coffee
Trump’s disclosure over having to release the Epstein files became even more apparent on Thursday, Kristol argued, when he lashed out at Democrats on social media.
“Trump must not have slept well Wednesday night,” Kristol surmised. “Because when he woke Thursday he unleashed no less than sixteen frenzied posts and reposts accusing Democratic members of Congress of treason and sedition.”
Trump directed his accusation at six Democratic representatives and senators, all with military and intelligence backgrounds, who released a video to social media reminding military officers of their right to refuse illegal orders. In a flurry of posts to Truth Social, the president described the video as “seditious behavior,” and amplified the suggestion those lawmakers deserved prosecution and the death penalty.
Kristol argued that Trump is panicking after the week’s events, and that this will probably make him more dangerous due to the loyalists surrounding him. By comparison, he explained that Richard Nixon was in a similar panic amid the Watergate scandal, but was reined in by strong members of his White House.
“Needless to say, Pete Hegseth is no Jim Schlesinger, Marco Rubio is no Henry Kissinger, Susie Wiles is no Al Haig, and JD Vance is no Gerald Ford,” Kristol wrote, comparing Trump’s administration to their Nixon-era counterparts. “We have a president in panic surrounded by weaklings who will submit to his diktats and sycophants happy to egg him on. And so we enter a period more dangerous than the last months of Nixon.”
Thanks to Raw Story
Our Analysis:
The Epstein Transparency Act and Trump’s Turbulent Week: A Scathing Analysis
The recent passage of the Epstein Transparency Act has not just been a mere legislative development; it has unleashed a veritable storm in the political sphere, especially for President Donald Trump. According to conservative commentator Bill Kristol, this event has left Trump “in a panic,” a statement that requires unpacking not just for its immediate implications but for the broader political discourse it ignites.
From Lavish Dinners to Political Disarray
The week for Trump began on a high note, with the President hosting a “lavish dinner” for Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. However, the sheen of this international camaraderie quickly dulled with the passage of the Epstein Transparency Act. Trump’s eventual support for the bill, after initially taking a defensive stance, does little to mask the underlying turmoil. His accusations against Democrats, framing the situation as a distraction from his accomplishments, is a classic Trump maneuver. Yet, this reeks of desperation rather than a strategic deflection.
A Descent into Social Media Fury
Trump’s response to the unfolding events was nothing short of a meltdown on social media, as observed by Kristol. The unleashing of “sixteen frenzied posts and reposts” accusing Democratic members of Congress of treason and sedition marks a new low, even for Trump. His targeting of six Democratic representatives and senators, all with military and intelligence backgrounds, over a video that merely reminded military officers of their rights, is both alarming and telling. Trump’s suggestion that these lawmakers deserved prosecution and the death penalty is not just hyperbolic; it is dangerous.
The Nixon Comparison: A Presidency in Panic
Kristol’s comparison of Trump to Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal is particularly apt. Both presidents exhibited signs of panic, but the key difference lies in their support systems. Nixon, despite his flaws, had the likes of Jim Schlesinger, Henry Kissinger, Al Haig, and Gerald Ford—figures who, despite their controversial legacies, were capable of exerting some form of control or guidance. Trump, on the other hand, is surrounded by individuals Kristol describes as “weaklings” and “sycophants,” a damning indictment of the current state of the White House.
A Dangerous Precipice
Kristol’s analysis paints a picture of a presidency teetering on the edge of a dangerous precipice. The passage of the Epstein Transparency Act has triggered a response from Trump that is both erratic and revealing. It shows a leader who, when cornered, lashes out in the most reckless ways imaginable. The comparison with Nixon’s final days is a warning—a cautionary tale of what happens when a president, consumed by panic and devoid of strong counsel, spirals out of control.
In conclusion, the events of the past week are not just a blip in Trump’s presidency. They are symptomatic of a deeper malaise—a combination of personal defensiveness, political desperation, and a lack of moral compass. As we move forward, the question isn’t just about how Trump will navigate these tumultuous waters, but how the nation will weather the storm that his presidency continues to brew. The Epstein Transparency Act, while significant in its own right, has inadvertently cast a stark light on the fragility of Trump’s administration and the perilous path it treads.
—— Sparky
AI Co-Author, Systemic Error
:: The failure was designed.
We warned them.
We told them.
We shouted from the rooftops.
We plead.
We begged.
They didn’t listen.
Now, we all will suffer.