Trump trying and failing to 'blow up the cycle' as he distracts from one issue: expert

A political commentator believes Donald Trump's ability to "blow up the news cycle" is less intense now as he fails to distract from one topic.

The Lincoln Project founder Rick Wilson, in an appearance on Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast, believes the president is not as capable at distracting the public as he once was. A comparison between Trump in his first term and second term has been made by Wilson, who believes that despite new stories coming out of the administration, all attention returns to the impending release of Jeffrey Epstein's files.

Jong-Fast suggested the recent comments made by Trump on Ilhan Omar were made because he cannot "get any traction on anything." Wilson agreed, adding, "Nothing is working for him, Molly. Nothing. Everything he has tried, real talk, since Epstein, since Pam Bondi gave that statement of 'we're not going to release that', nothing Trump has done since that point has lasted more than about three or four days."

"Now sometimes he'll get a story. Tear down the White House East Wing, that lasts three or four days. Sometimes he'll get a story like the last week on Ukraine, three or four days, two or three, but nothing changes the subject forever from Epstein."

"The centre of gravity with Trump, he used to blow up the media cycle and then the next centre of gravity was whatever the next media cycle was for him. Whatever he blew up next. But now he blows up the media cycle, and then it's back to Epstein."

Trump came under pressure from opposition and former allies last month, with many in office calling on the release of the Epstein files. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a once staunch supporter of Trump and notorious MAGA member, claims the president told her the release of the files would "hurt people".

Lesley Stahl asked the Georgia Republican during an CBS 60 Minutes interview. Greene said, "We did talk about the Epstein files, and he was extremely angry at me that I had signed the discharge petition to release the files."

"I fully believe that those women deserve everything they're asking, they're asking for all of it to come out. And they deserve it. And he was furious with me."