From birtherism to the “Deep State,” conspiracy theories have been key to Donald Trump’s political career. But as the controversy over the Jeffrey Epstein files plagues the administration, Ali Velshi argues that the same fringe Trump welcomed into the Republican Party has now become “a big headache” for the president.
On Saturday, Velshi traced how, from the beginning of Trump’s foray into politics, he “carefully cultivated an alliance with America’s conspiracy-minded fringe.” According to Velshi, the president signaled early in his political career that he was “willing to go wherever the fringe’s paranoia would take him.”
He’s lashing out at some of his most loyal supporters, calling them ‘stupid,’ ‘foolish,’ ‘weaklings’ — all because they’re pressing him on one issue: the Epstein files.
Ali velshi
“He didn’t just tolerate them for his political purposes,” Velshi said. “He brought them out of the shadows, he fed their fears, he made them feel seen.”
“But now, he’s president again, and those same conspiracists are becoming a big headache for him,” the MSNBC host continued. “They’re out of control, and he’s poised to toss them aside. He’s lashing out at some of his most loyal supporters, calling them ‘stupid,’ ‘foolish,’ ‘weaklings’ — all because they’re pressing him on one issue: the Epstein files.”
This ongoing conflict between the president and his base, Velshi said, marks a “significant rupture” for Trump: “For all his authoritarian instincts, Trump has always relied on one illusion: that he was one of them. A truth-teller. A rebel. A man fighting The Man.” But that illusion is no more. In recent weeks, usually MAGA-friendly voices such as Joe Rogan, Andrew Schulz and Theo Von have all turned on the president over the Epstein issue.
“Trump’s once-invincible MAGA machine is glitching,” Velshi observed. “This is the same base from which Trump once bragged he would not lose any voters even if he were to stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody. Well, now he’s aiming at them — mocking them, gaslighting them, calling them names. And guess what? He’s losing them.”
Velshi said that separation is what makes this scandal so different for the president. “The hush money, the tariffs, the authoritarian power grabs — even Jan. 6 — through it all, many of his followers convinced themselves it was all part of the plan, that Trump was still one of them,” he said. “But the Epstein files have shattered that myth.” According to Velshi, the scandal has exposed an ugly truth for the MAGA base: “Now, even his most loyal supporters are seeing Trump for what he has always been: Not a crusading outsider, just another rich guy in power now, protecting himself.” You can watch Velshi’s full analysis in the clip at the top of the page. On Saturday, Velshi traced how, from the beginning of Trump’s foray into politics, he “carefully cultivated an alliance with America’s conspiracy-minded fringe.” According to Velshi, the president signaled early in his political career that he was “willing to go wherever the fringe’s paranoia would take him.”
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW.
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