The Golden Rule, Trump-Style.
There is no doubt in my mind that Bill Clinton was a totally corrupt—but admittedly amiable—douchebag who sold out our country to foreign interests, let his crazy, quasi-communist wife act as co-president on half the significant decisions of the 1990s, propped up the Democratic machine, and couldn’t keep it in his pants long enough to avoid embarrassing the entire nation.
But none of that has anything to do with solving the urgent crises America faces right now.
That’s why Trump’s latest move isn’t just petty, it’s dangerous.
Instead of focusing on inflation, global instability, tech insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, or the utter collapse of public trust, Trump is doubling down on a brand-new commandment: his own twisted “Golden Rule.” Only this one reads: Do unto others exactly what you think they’ve done unto you. And with the Justice Department now bending to his whims, it isn’t a philosophy anymore, it’s policy.
A Demand, Not a Request
Trump demanded that the DOJ investigate Epstein’s ties to Democrats like Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, and Reid Hoffman, even though the DOJ already said months ago that there was no credible evidence connecting any of them to Epstein’s trafficking crimes. Despite that, Attorney General Pam Bondi tapped Jay Clayton to lead a new probe, effectively overriding the department’s prior findings.
Why now? Because a massive congressional data drop raised new questions about Trump’s own history with Epstein. Instead of answering those, he pulled the fire alarm and pointed at everyone else in the room.
It’s a familiar pattern: whenever the heat gets close, Trump redirects it toward his political adversaries. The difference is, he now feels empowered to weaponize the Justice Department in the process.
“That’s Not How It’s Supposed to Work”
Former federal prosecutors are calling this what it is: a disaster for the rule of law. Patrick J. Cotter said it outright—Trump’s directives are “outrageously inappropriate.” Legal scholars warn that any cases stemming from such politically motivated orders could be dismissed as vindictive prosecution, something both James Comey and Letitia James have already raised in their defenses.
This isn’t justice. It’s vengeance in a suit.
Even Republicans aren’t impressed. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll shows only four in ten Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of the Epstein files—a catastrophic number for a party that usually treats him like he walks on water.
The Deflection That Won’t Die
Let’s not rewrite history. Trump and Epstein were friends. They socialized. They traveled in the same luxury bubble. Trump now insists he split from Epstein before Epstein’s 2008 conviction, which may be true, but that doesn’t erase the long shadow of their association. It certainly doesn’t justify turning the DOJ into a political hit squad.
Meanwhile, Clinton, Summers, and Hoffman all deny wrongdoing. And crucially, DOJ investigators already concluded there is no evidence linking them to Epstein’s crimes, no blackmail scheme, and no mythical “client list.”
So what changed? Not the facts, just Trump’s political needs.
Bottom Line: A System at Its Breaking Point
Congress is preparing to force the DOJ to release every Epstein-related document. If the measure passes, Trump will have to choose between transparency and more deflection. His base wants a full release. Trump wants selective illumination. The country wants answers.
But beneath all this noise lies something bigger: a justice system bending under political pressure, inching toward becoming a partisan boomerang, launched at enemies, dodged by allies.
If Trump’s new “Golden Rule” becomes the norm, justice will no longer be about truth, evidence, or accountability. It will be about payback.
And America cannot survive that level of corrosion of our intelligence and law enforcement institutions.
Day by day, I am getting fed up with the slavish ass-kissing of those in the Trump orbit. Just do your damn jobs.
We are so screwed.
— Steve
