Eight Months of Noise, No Answers
Ben Cable (Originally Posted on Substack Aug 29, 2025)
Donald Trump thrives on chaos. For over eight months of his second term, Americans have been pummeled with a daily flood of distractions, tweets, feuds, executive orders, and televised stunts. It’s not governance; it’s misdirection. While the headlines churn, the real issues, his failure to release the Epstein files, his inability to end wars, and the skyrocketing cost of living, sink deeper into the shadows.
Flooding the Zone: The Strategy of Distraction
Steve Bannon once described the tactic bluntly: “Flood the zone with shit.” Trump has perfected it. Every week comes a new spectacle: a feud with Hollywood, an inflammatory rally speech, or a half-baked executive order destined to be struck down. The effect? No single scandal sticks. Americans are trapped in a cyclone of noise while the truth is buried.
But the polls reveal the public isn’t buying it. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in August found Trump’s approval at just 40%, his lowest mark of the term. Gallup data in July were even worse, with just 37% approval, and independents at a rock-bottom 29%. Trump’s carnival of chaos may dominate headlines, but it’s cratering his support.
The Epstein Files: Transparency Buried Alive
Trump once promised “full transparency” on the Jeffrey Epstein files. Instead, the release has been slow, redacted, and incomplete. Survivors are left in limbo while headlines pivot elsewhere. Conveniently, the documents that have surfaced confirm what many thought: Trump’s name does appear in Epstein’s orbit.
Voters notice the stall. A Quinnipiac University poll found only 17% approve of how Trump is handling the Epstein files, while a staggering 63% disapprove. Among independents, that number jumps to 71%. CNN commentators like George Conway have already called the administration’s “document dump” a sham designed to distract from accountability.
The wolf isn’t just guarding the henhouse; it’s shredded the files, burned the barn, and blamed the chickens for the smoke.
The Forever Wars: Broken Promises, Escalating Tensions
“On day one, I will end the forever wars,” Trump thundered in 2024. Nine months later, U.S. troops remain deployed abroad, and the wars rage on. Instead of de-escalation, Trump authorized airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and green-lit covert operations in Yemen.
Americans are uneasy. A June Reuters/Ipsos poll found 79% fear rising tensions with Iran after Trump’s strikes; only 36% support continued military action. On Ukraine, his “peace plan” with Putin is seen as capitulation: nearly half of voters believe Trump favors Russia, while 57% disapprove of his handling of the conflict.
His pledge to end wars has become theater: he boasts of “ending six wars in six months” even as experts and fact-checkers debunk the claim. What Trump calls “peace” looks more like smoke and mirrors, while civilians and soldiers pay the price.
Trump sees ending any war as a vanity project; he has clearly stated he wants and deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. Several members of the Nobel Committee have hinted that he will never get the prize. Possibly, Trump will try to take over the world, fire the committee members, appoint himself as chairman, and award himself.
Cost of Living: America First, Families Last
If the Epstein files and war promises expose deception, Trump’s economic failures hit closer to home. Under his watch, the cost of living has surged. Food, rent, and healthcare are squeezing families, while corporate giants cheer deregulation and tax cuts.
The numbers are damning. A Guardian/Morning Consult poll shows 60% of Americans blame Trump’s policies for higher living costs; 63% specifically cite him for grocery price spikes. A Century Foundation study found that 6 in 10 say Trump’s economy has worsened their lives—forcing them to skip meals, accumulate rising debt, and make impossible trade-offs. Healthcare worries loom large: 64% of Americans fear they couldn’t afford a medical emergency, while nearly half say they couldn’t cover a $500 expense without borrowing.
This isn’t “America First.” It’s billionaire yachts first, working families last.
The “Big Beautiful Bill”: The Most Unpopular Legislation in Decades
Trump’s much-touted “One Big Beautiful Bill”, a sprawling tax-and-spending package, was sold as salvation. The reality? It’s one of the most unpopular laws in modern history. CNN’s data analysis shows net unfavorable ratings between –10 and –22, with independents overwhelmingly opposed.
Pew Research polls echo the verdict: 61% disapprove of his tariffs, 46% disapprove of the law itself, and a majority (53%) believe Trump is making government work worse, not better. The “Beautiful Bill” is uglier than advertised, and Americans know it, so does Trump. Trump is a marketing strategist; he now wants to avoid the term “Big Beautiful Bill”.
Distraction-as-Policy: A Smokescreen Presidency
Here’s the pattern:
- When the Epstein files surface, Trump tweets at 3 a.m. to redirect attention.
- When costs spike, he stages rallies blaming immigrants.
- When bombs drop, he boasts of peace while voters see escalation.
The distractions are not accidents; they’re policy. A White House built on spectacle, designed to exhaust the public into numbness.
But the data cuts through the noise. Approval is sinking below 40%. A majority disapproves of his economic, foreign policy, and legislative agenda. The louder the chaos, the deeper the failures.
Citizen Ben Was Here
Democracy doesn’t die quietly, it dies in distraction. Trump’s goal is exhaustion: flood the airwaves until Americans stop noticing the lies, the broken promises, and the rising bills.
Don’t look away. Don’t buy the show. Behind every scandal headline is the real story: a presidency that hides failure behind fireworks.
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