New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman stated Friday that a significant rift between Donald Trump and his MAGA base emerged last year due to his actions regarding the release of Justice Department files concerning Jeffrey Epstein, his former acquaintance.
Speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival, Haberman suggested that Trump's promise to expose corruption in Washington, D.C., was undermined when he appeared to dismiss public interest in his past ties to Epstein. "That was the moment, by the way, last year, with how Trump handled Epstein and the files," Haberman said. "That was when, according to his own top allies and advisers, that was when they could start seeing his own base stop believing him quite as much."
Haberman recalled this as the first instance she and co-author Jonathan Swan observed Trump telling his base to trust him over external information, a tactic that proved ineffective. Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in 2018 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide, and his known associations with influential figures fueled speculation about a "client list."
Trump's Department of Justice met the legally mandated deadline to release the files, but with numerous redactions. This action, combined with Trump's public pronouncements calling interest in the case a "hoax," reportedly led to a break between him and some core supporters. Haberman noted that Trump referred to former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) as a "traitor" for demanding transparency on the matter.
Haberman argued that Trump's handling of the Epstein case was one scandal too many, particularly as he campaigned on promises to boost the economy, avoid foreign conflicts, and "drain the swamp." She contended that voters perceived a failure to uphold these commitments, compounded by what she described as Trump's penchant for self-aggrandizement, including projects like a new White House ballroom and a proposed triumphal arch, which she suggested contributed to disastrous approval ratings and could impact the Republican Party in upcoming elections.