‘There’s Hell to Pay’: Karl Rove Savages Trump Over Epstein, Obama, and Jan. 6 Conspiracy Theories in Scathing WSJ Column
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
Legendary GOP operative Karl Rove savaged President Donald Trump over his promotion of various conspiracy theories in a new column for The Wall Street Journal.
“We’re seeing what happens when conspiracy collides with reality,” began Rove before remarking on how the ongoing scandal over the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case has caused a “break in the MAGA ranks” that “may linger.”
“For years, Mr. Trump raised questions about Epstein… After assuming the presidency a second time, Mr. Trump was obligated to deliver,” continued Rove, who observed that “Many in MAGA reacted with incredulity and anger” when he didn’t.
“There’s hell to pay when those who hyped the conspiracy have closed the books on the case. Team Trump is now in damage control mode. They’ve also fought among themselves. That will leave scars,” he gibed.
Rove went on:
Other conspiracies await action by the White House. Some MAGA leaders believe the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol was an inside job designed to embarrass Mr. Trump. They say government agent provocateurs encouraged otherwise innocent protesters to storm the Capitol, beat up law enforcement and interrupt a joint Congressional session. Moreover, the president and many MAGA followers insist the 2020 election was stolen by Democrats stuffing ballot boxes and discarding Trump votes.
Will the Trump administration now discover the perpetrators of these crimes and bring them to justice?
Team Trump could produce evidence that confirms the conspiracy advocates were right. They could reveal just how the 2020 election was stolen—computers in Europe, miscounted ballots, phony election returns, etc.—and identify the Deep State agents who conceived this crime against our democracy and bring them to justice. Team Trump could also produce the evidence that Jan. 6 was a Deep State plot to discredit the president by causing law-abiding Americans to breach police lines and storm the Capitol.
But in truth there is no “there” in either case. Neither happened. Years have passed, yet there has been no real evidence or successful court case proving the vast conspiracies around the 2020 election or Jan 6.
However, if Team Trump admits the election wasn’t stolen and government agents didn’t organize the Capitol assault, MAGA conspiracy theorists would be furious and the president’s base further weakened and fractured.
“That’s not all. Katie-bar-the-door if National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard doesn’t send someone to jail for what she calls the ‘treasonous conspiracy in 2016’ by top Obama administration officials to destroy Mr. Trump in that year’s election,” added the Fox News contributor before submitting that “Conspiracy theories undermine trust and cause chaos. When they are believed by large numbers of people, truth and reality become subjective. None of that bothers Mr. Trump.”
“What should trouble him,” concluded Rove, “is that recent events may well reduce the number of his supporters who vote in the midterms and beyond. Told their passionately held beliefs are wrong or forced to watch the White House fail to jail their common enemies, many might become discouraged, tune out and drop out of politics.”
Trump is currently pursuing legal action against the Journal over a story it published about a suggestive card he allegedly sent Epstein for the late sex criminal’s 50th birthday.
