When there’s smoke, Trump creates a smokescreen
Whitestone: When President Trump is asked, “What about the Epstein files?” he addresses them perfectly. “Look over there, it’s Hillary’s emails,” or “That’s not important, the Washington Commanders need to change their name back to the Washington Redskins,” or “Forget about that, we’re going to arrest Obama,” or “Who cares if my best friend was a pedophile?” Or “Hey, remember the Russia/Ukraine war? And the Israel/Gaza conflict? Both of which I was going to solve on day one?” Or “Again with the Epstein files?
The files that he vowed to release, said were fake, said Joe Biden and the Democrats fabricated and now says never existed at all? Those files? Who cares about those? “Look over there, I paved over the Rose Garden!”
That’s Trump’s whole purpose: distraction. And in an unprecedented move, his Department of Justice actually interviewed Jeffrey Epstein’s “co-sex offender” Ghislaine Maxwell for two days — the one found guilty on five counts, including transporting a minor for the purposes of criminal sexual activity, conspiring to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, and perjury.
I wonder what will happen next. Will they release a signed document by Maxwell declaring that Trump never even met Epstein? Will she immediately be pardoned (for no reason whatsoever) and mysteriously commit suicide before leaving prison? When Trump was asked if he’d pardon Maxwell, he responded, “It’s something I haven’t thought about. I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.” Sure he hasn’t. Robert LaRosa Sr.
Pro-pedophilia?
Charlotte, N.C.: Has the “Law and Order Party” recently become the “Protect Pedophiles Party”? Or should it be called the “Pardon Convicted Pedophiles Party”? Ron Turek
Nation’s damnation
Penticton, British Columbia: Americans are feeling the heat. But it’s nothing compared to what’s coming as the evil father of lies guides his protégé, the master of lies — Trump — through the gates of hell on a road paved in part with U.S elite pedophilia and Israeli-U.S. kid killing, mama maiming and starvation by the thousands in Gaza. The world has a ringside seat to the Devil’s chaos of cruelty in its many faces. In the Devil we trust? Beware. Joe Schwarz
Numerically challenged
North Bergen, N.J.: Why aren’t the Democrats using the press and the media to focus on Trump’s idiocy? He keeps reminding us that he’s too stupid to be president. Recently, he proved this when he said that he intends to lower drug prices not by 60%, not by 100%, but by a whopping 1,000%, 1,200% or 1,400%. His understanding of basic arithmetic is clearly so poor that he doesn’t know that any cut greater than 100% would mean the pharmaceutical companies would have to pay us to obtain necessary medication. The Democrats should be exploiting the fact that MAGA Republicans in Congress continue to be loyal to a president who can’t do simple math. The Democrats need to stop playing nice with Trump and the Republicans because Trump and MAGA have no problem being nasty. Irving A. Gelb
Bow or be gone
Brooklyn: Trump will ask every agency head, “What is two and two?” Most will say, “Four.” Some might say, “22.” But the ones who say, “What do you want it to be?” will get the jobs. Martin Selbst
Inappropriate applause
Teaneck, N.J.: The stock market got murdered last Friday. So why do all those market visitors applaud? Lew Azaroff
Elevated woman
Bronx: Trump’s Rasputin, Laura Loomer, is a woman. Has he gone DEI? Vilma Nelson
Doing his best
Medford, L.I.: Talking about the affordability issue of living in New York City, Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said in a serious tone and straight face, “This is all happening within a larger national context for Donald Trump to seemingly make it more expensive to raise a family in this country.” I take strong issue with this because for the last several months, Trump has been in a constant battle with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. If Trump gets what he is demanding — a 3-point rate reduction — it would save the average family $1,000 to $1,500 per month on their monthly expenses, making it less expensive to raise a family in this country — the exact opposite of what Mamdani is claiming. Freddie Dunn
Distasteful delivery
Itasca, Ill.: Hunter Biden is bad at being right. In his recent interview on the YouTube series Channel 5, he was correct about his father’s legislative successes. But the younger Biden dropped so many F-bombs that I wondered if he taught his dad to cuss instead of the other way around. In 1992, popular TV series “Murphy Brown” aired an episode where the female lead, a newscaster, has a baby out of wedlock. Then-Vice President Dan Quayle gave a speech mentioning the episode, saying the character was “mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone and calling it just another lifestyle choice.” Quayle wasn’t necessarily wrong, he was just bad at being right. All anyone remembered, however, was the “Murphy Brown” reference. Hunter, like Quayle, is a case of “right message, wrong messenger.” Jim Newton
Positive energy
North Babylon, L.I.: Thank you, Eunice Ko, for your sensible clarity on New York’s climate law, and the need to uphold rather than ignore it (“Taking the wrong path with the State Energy Plan,” op-ed, Aug. 3). As Ko points out, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act was created to protect New Yorkers from harmful emissions and to create abundant jobs. Unfortunately, moneyed opponents have been fighting the law since its inception, dangling false solutions and spreading fear. People should understand that growth in solar, battery and wind energy is what’s keeping our lights on. Since they are cheap to build and run, they are the most affordable for business and consumers, and will continue to grow even with Trump’s monkey wrench thrown into the works. Gov. Hochul must stand up for the law, not wait to get sued about it as she has in Ulster County. Alexa Marinos
Rapid approach
Rochdale Village: To Voicers James A. Fragale and JoAnn Delpin: Maybe the reason nobody saw Shane Tamura with his assault rifle was that he double-parked in front of the building and walked right in through the empty plaza at 6:30 p.m.? Saul Rothenberg
Ammo control
Bloomfield, N.J.: With every mass shooting comes the calls for stricter gun regulation, although there are already more guns in this country than people. It seems to me that guns aren’t much use without bullets, so how about stricter ammunition regulation? Yes, the folks with rooms full of guns and ammo would oppose it, but can’t we discuss it? Also, we often hear of stolen guns used in everyday shootings. Stolen from where? Weren’t these guns originally owned by a “responsible gun owner”? Mick Gadston
Entry checks
Brooklyn: I recommend that you encourage your elected officials to make New York implement road checks on all the highways entering the state to prevent shootings like the recent one on Park Ave. I recommend that there are inspections of cars just like there are when cars cross to and from Canada. That will make the people of New York a lot safer. Shlomo Klein
Cracking & packing
Garden City, L.I.: Texas legislators have decided, running scared, to skillfully carve up Texas in a way they think will shut out Democrats entirely. The GOP has decided that instead of the people of Texas choosing their elected officials, the elected officials should choose which people they want voting for them. This is election rigging, plain and simple. Paul Falabella
Dedication to deaths
Point Pleasant, N.J.: I’ve noticed many changes in the Daily News over the years. Recently, I noticed that there is no longer an obituary page, not even when a famous celebrity or politician passes away. Just curious what status in life one has to have to be remembered in death in the Daily News? But you have no problem reporting when there’s a scandal in a celebrity’s life. Gene Speroni
