US Democrat: Trump using foreign crises to distract from Epstein scandal

Dr Mehdi Afifi, a member of the US Democratic Party, has accused US President Donald Trump of using external crises to divert attention from the Epstein scandal.

Afifi described Trump’s recent speech on military escalation against Iran as a “desperate attempt” to justify a worsening situation, saying it offered nothing new apart from what he called a continued policy of “escaping forward” and making unrealistic promises of a decisive military victory.

Speaking in a phone interview with Egypt’s Al Shams TV on Thursday evening, Afifi said Washington had witnessed large protests under the slogan “No Kings in America”, opposing Trump’s unilateral decision to pursue war without consulting legislative institutions.

He added that the decision to escalate was not based on a strategic vision from the US Congress, including both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but rather resulted from direct pressure, prompting public opposition to what he described as being drawn into an armed conflict with uncalculated consequences.

Afifi also rejected Trump’s claims that Iran could be destroyed within weeks, saying: “Trump has underestimated people’s intelligence; at times he says we will eliminate them in hours, and at others within two weeks. This is not a tone we are used to in American politics.”

He further revealed what he described as deep divisions within the Trump administration, noting that intelligence officials and military leaders had indicated there was no direct threat warranting war, leading to a wave of resignations in protest at the approach.