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A protester holds a sign related to the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, November 12, 2025.
(Photo by Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)
Be Not Distracted: On Trump, Epstein, and War With Venezuela
The allegations are shocking, but the larger danger lies in what happens next.
Nov 13, 2025
House Democrats dropped a political bombshell on Wednesday, releasing emails they say came from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate that allegedly show Donald Trump was not just aware of the abuse taking place in Epstein’s orbit but “spent hours at my house” with one of the presumably-underage girls.
The documents—now the focus of fierce scrutiny and verification efforts—raise three searing questions: What did Trump know, and when did he know it; what did he do and who did he do it to/with; and is he preparing to start a war to distract us from his exposure?
The allegations are shocking, but the larger danger lies in what happens next. Every time the walls close in, this man reaches for spectacle—rage, chaos, or even war—to change the subject.
Already, Washington feels the rumble of an upcoming diversion.
Just this past Sunday, the president of Colombia publicly pointed to Trump and his military buildup off the coast of Venezuela and said, “A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy.”
With tension rising in the Caribbean and the Trump administration’s talk of “protecting democracy” against Venezuela, we have to ask the question that no one in corporate media wants to say out loud:
“Will Trump try to light another foreign fire to drown out the headlines at home?”
History warns us that autocrats in crisis reach for military might as a political life-raft.
That’s why this moment demands vigilance from every American who still believes in truth over theater, democracy over autocracy, and has been disgusted by previous presidents’ efforts to lie us into wars for purely political purposes like in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
If the evidence against Trump proves false, let it collapse under scrutiny. But if it’s real—if a morbidly rich and powerful man has once again used wealth and influence to shield unspeakable crimes—then no war, no distraction, no flag-waving speech should be allowed to bury it.
And if Trump does try to start a war with Venezuela to distract us from his crimes, we all must speak out loudly and unceasingly. Let your members of Congress know your thoughts (202-224-3121).
Justice and peace must come first, or democracy itself will be the next casualty.
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Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is a talk-show host and the author of "The Hidden History of Monopolies: How Big Business Destroyed the American Dream" (2020); "The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America" (2019); and more than 25 other books in print.
House Democrats dropped a political bombshell on Wednesday, releasing emails they say came from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate that allegedly show Donald Trump was not just aware of the abuse taking place in Epstein’s orbit but “spent hours at my house” with one of the presumably-underage girls.
The documents—now the focus of fierce scrutiny and verification efforts—raise three searing questions: What did Trump know, and when did he know it; what did he do and who did he do it to/with; and is he preparing to start a war to distract us from his exposure?
The allegations are shocking, but the larger danger lies in what happens next. Every time the walls close in, this man reaches for spectacle—rage, chaos, or even war—to change the subject.
Already, Washington feels the rumble of an upcoming diversion.
Just this past Sunday, the president of Colombia publicly pointed to Trump and his military buildup off the coast of Venezuela and said, “A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy.”
With tension rising in the Caribbean and the Trump administration’s talk of “protecting democracy” against Venezuela, we have to ask the question that no one in corporate media wants to say out loud:
“Will Trump try to light another foreign fire to drown out the headlines at home?”
History warns us that autocrats in crisis reach for military might as a political life-raft.
That’s why this moment demands vigilance from every American who still believes in truth over theater, democracy over autocracy, and has been disgusted by previous presidents’ efforts to lie us into wars for purely political purposes like in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
If the evidence against Trump proves false, let it collapse under scrutiny. But if it’s real—if a morbidly rich and powerful man has once again used wealth and influence to shield unspeakable crimes—then no war, no distraction, no flag-waving speech should be allowed to bury it.
And if Trump does try to start a war with Venezuela to distract us from his crimes, we all must speak out loudly and unceasingly. Let your members of Congress know your thoughts (202-224-3121).
Justice and peace must come first, or democracy itself will be the next casualty.
Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is a talk-show host and the author of "The Hidden History of Monopolies: How Big Business Destroyed the American Dream" (2020); "The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America" (2019); and more than 25 other books in print.
House Democrats dropped a political bombshell on Wednesday, releasing emails they say came from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate that allegedly show Donald Trump was not just aware of the abuse taking place in Epstein’s orbit but “spent hours at my house” with one of the presumably-underage girls.
The documents—now the focus of fierce scrutiny and verification efforts—raise three searing questions: What did Trump know, and when did he know it; what did he do and who did he do it to/with; and is he preparing to start a war to distract us from his exposure?
The allegations are shocking, but the larger danger lies in what happens next. Every time the walls close in, this man reaches for spectacle—rage, chaos, or even war—to change the subject.
Already, Washington feels the rumble of an upcoming diversion.
Just this past Sunday, the president of Colombia publicly pointed to Trump and his military buildup off the coast of Venezuela and said, “A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy.”
With tension rising in the Caribbean and the Trump administration’s talk of “protecting democracy” against Venezuela, we have to ask the question that no one in corporate media wants to say out loud:
“Will Trump try to light another foreign fire to drown out the headlines at home?”
History warns us that autocrats in crisis reach for military might as a political life-raft.
That’s why this moment demands vigilance from every American who still believes in truth over theater, democracy over autocracy, and has been disgusted by previous presidents’ efforts to lie us into wars for purely political purposes like in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
If the evidence against Trump proves false, let it collapse under scrutiny. But if it’s real—if a morbidly rich and powerful man has once again used wealth and influence to shield unspeakable crimes—then no war, no distraction, no flag-waving speech should be allowed to bury it.
And if Trump does try to start a war with Venezuela to distract us from his crimes, we all must speak out loudly and unceasingly. Let your members of Congress know your thoughts (202-224-3121).
Justice and peace must come first, or democracy itself will be the next casualty.
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