Following a weekend where Donald Trump helped to promote a conspiracy theory that points the finger at Hillary and Bill Clinton successfully ordering the death of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, a columnist for the conservative Bulwark dropped a hammer on the president for sinking to that level -- even though it is nothing new for the president.
According to Andrew Egger, Trump has a long history of rumor-mongering and this the Killer Hillary slur is just the latest chapter.
"Pizzagate. Wealthy Jewish families controlling the weather. QAnon. Seth Rich’s murder. In our current moment of rampant political paranoia and institutional suspicion, conspiracy theories have become as outrageous as they are easy to debunk," he wrote. "But then along comes the suicide of Jeffrey Epstein, a story seemingly plucked from the depths of some internet fever swamp."
Noting that conservative Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) had a perfectly appropriate response to the announcement Epstein's death while in federal care, writing "heads must roll," and Attorney General Bill Barr called the news "appalling," Eggers scorched Trump for his wildly inappropriate response.
"Neither Sasse’s nor Barr’s response to the Epstein news is designed to fan the flames of baseless speculation. But they suggest that the two men have reached a similar conclusion about the story," he wrote. "Donald Trump—who, it is worth noting, is president of the United States—took a somewhat different approach. As far as Trump’s concerned, there’s no need for a bunch of furrowed-brow investigations into Epstein’s death: It’s obvious to anyone with a brain that the Clintons had him murdered."
"The world, as Donald Trump sees it, is simple," he accused. "Whatever happens, the correct explanation for it is not which explanation is likeliest or most supported by the evidence, but whichever one is best for him or worse for his enemies. This outlook is helpful for a few things: sowing national chaos and confusion, whipping up his supporters, demoralizing his enemies. Perhaps if you asked him, Trump could name yet more benefits."
"You know what that outlook’s bad for, though? Actually getting to the bottom of what happened to Epstein, and ensuring such an egregious miscarriage of justice never happens again. Unlike Barr and Sasse, Trump hasn’t bothered to call for an investigation. After all, why look into what everybody already knows?" he sarcastically concluded.
You can read the whole piece here.