Analyst Says Epstein Scandal Leaves Trump With a Lingering “Political Wound”
Former President Donald Trump may survive the political fallout from renewed scrutiny over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, but according to political analyst Jonathan Alter, the damage is already done—and it may not go away anytime soon.
Despite Trump’s recent attempts to distance himself from Epstein, new reports continue to surface. The Wall Street Journal recently revealed a letter Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein on his 50th birthday, while The New York Times highlighted a past party Trump hosted where Epstein was treated as a VIP guest.
Appearing on MSNBC’s Alex Witt Reports, Alter, a longtime journalist and D.C. insider who also attended Trump’s criminal trial, likened the situation to a wound that won’t heal.
“This won’t be fatal,” Alter said. “He’s not going to resign or get impeached over it. But it’s going to keep bleeding—drip, drip, drip. It’s a festering wound.”
The controversy has already sparked visible cracks within Trump’s base. Some loyalists are pressuring him to follow through on his earlier campaign promise to release the full Epstein files. Others seem content to move on, following Trump’s lead in downplaying the issue.
“Either way, it weakens him,” Alter noted. “He’s already significantly down in the polls.”
Alter suggested that the scandal could carry political consequences into the 2026 midterm elections, especially for Republicans closely aligned with Trump.
“This affects people like JD Vance and others who’ve tied themselves to Trump,” Alter explained. “As his credibility erodes within his own base, that base becomes a lot less dependable.”
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