Trump's reckoning could come via a new 'trap of his own making': analysis

Donald Trump might like to hope that he and his allies are now in the clear, but according to a new analysis from The i Paper, he remains in "maximum danger" amid the Epstein files fallout, and his fate could be sealed by testimonies given in the wake of the midterms.

Writing for the outlet on Tuesday, political editor James Ball argued that Trump and his attorney general, Pam Bondi, "will almost certainly find that moving the world’s attention on is easier said than done" when it comes to the Epstein files." Despite Bondi claiming that all of the Department of Justice's files on Jeffrey Epstein have been released, the continuing testimonies from major figures are set to keep the story in the public eye for the foreseeable future.

So far, with Republicans in control of Congress, "Trump’s close associates are probably safe," Ball argued. Billionaire and close Epstein confidant Les Wexner is set to testify next week. GOP leaders are considering a subpoena against Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates if he refuses to testify publicly. Conversely, Bill and Hillary Clinton are fighting to give public testimony as Republicans have insisted on a closed-door deposition instead.

"Hillary in particular is punching back hard on the story, claiming she has nothing to hide and accusing the White House of engaging in a 'cover-up' over the Epstein scandal," Ball wrote.

Despite the efforts of Republican lawmakers to keep a lid on testimonies that might embarrass Trump, Ball argued that things are liable to get much worse for him on that front in the likely event that Democrats take the House majority in November's midterms. With that kind of power once again, the party will be able to compel testimony that could be much more damaging for Trump, and keep the Epstein story in the spotlight for the rest of his second term.

"At the moment, Republicans control the House, and so they have control over the Epstein witness list," Ball explained. No one can be made to testify without Republican say-so, meaning that in the short term, Trump’s close associates are probably safe. But the midterms are just months away, and Democrats are heavily expected to take control of the House – which would give them the power to demand evidence from anyone the Republicans leave out."

He added later: "The White House is caught in a trap of its own making. During the election, it thought it could use the Epstein story to embarrass Democrats, and then drop it without anyone noticing once in power. That hasn’t worked, and their obvious desperation to move the story on only makes it harder for them to do so. That means the story is likely to drag on, not just for weeks, but for months or years. Some of Epstein’s victims have waited decades already for justice. They are not about to let it go."

The Epstein files scandal, Ball noted, is one of the few issues that unites both Democrats and Republicans against Trump. Keeping the story alive, therefore, could continue to erode Trump and the GOP's overall support with voters, helping Democrats gain an edge as they fight to retake the White House in 2028.