Don Lemon told Joanna Coles that President Trump has lost political momentum as a web of conspiracies and distractions begins to unravel. Lemon said the Epstein files — and voters’ everyday economic pain — have weakened Trump’s standing even within MAGA. He argued that attempts to distract the public, including legal maneuvers and dramatic political tactics, have often backfired and intensified scrutiny. The episode underscores Republican fractures and the need for stronger institutional guardrails.
Don Lemon: Epstein Files, Economic Pain and Why Trump Has ‘Lost His Mojo’
Photo Illustration by Victoria Sunday/The Daily Beast/Getty Images
Don Lemon told Daily Beast Chief Creative and Content Officer Joanna Coles that President Donald Trump’s mix of conspiracies, distractions and falsehoods has begun to unravel — costing the 79-year-old leader his political “mojo.” Lemon, 59, argued that an approach built on distortions can only hold while supporters remain convinced; once people see through it, disillusionment follows.
Donald Trump tried to brag about his economy at a Pennsylvania rally this week, where he also told Americans to buy fewer pencils and dolls for their children. / Alex Wong / Getty Images
‘The Spell Is Breaking’
“I think that, if you build something based on conspiracy theories and a lot of lies and a lot of distractions and distortions, eventually people start to see through it, and they become disillusioned,”
Lemon said Trump's handling of the Epstein files is
Lemon said a cascade of scandals has eroded Trump’s support even within the MAGA movement, but he emphasized that voters’ pocketbooks have been especially damaging to the president’s message. When people hear repeated claims that “the economy is great” but face higher energy and utility bills and tighter household budgets, the rhetoric rings hollow.
Lemon said Trump's pursuit of his political enemies was a failed attempt to distract from the Epstein files. / Alex Wong/Getty Images
“You can’t go out there telling people, ‘The economy is great! This is the best economy ever!’ and expect them to believe it when they don’t have any money, when their energy bills are up and utilities are crazy,”Lemon said.
Trump is featured in a photo with five women with their faces blocked out. / House Oversight Democrats
The Epstein Files And Political Fallout
For Lemon, the most consequential problem for Trump has been his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the attention around related records. Lemon pointed to a looming Dec. 19 deadline tied to discussions about Epstein-related documents and said that, in his view, the files have pierced the aura around Trump.
Marjorie Taylor Greene's high-profile breakup with Donald Trump is one way Republicans have broken with the president. / Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
“It’s the thing that breaks the spell,”Lemon said, adding that many supporters appear less willing to overlook the connection.
Trump has raged against President pro tempore of the Indiana Senate Rodric Bray after Indiana rejected the president's demand to rig its congressional map for Republicans. / Governor Eric Holcomb
Lemon described several of Trump’s moves — aggressive legal actions against political foes, efforts to influence the Justice Department, and high-profile foreign or law-enforcement gestures — as attempts to change the news cycle. He argued those tactics repeatedly misfired and sometimes reinforced scrutiny instead of deflecting it.
Recent polling underscores some of the concern: a Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 62 percent of Republicans believe Trump is hiding information about Jeffrey Epstein. House Democrats also published photographs taken at Epstein’s estate that show Trump and Epstein socializing with unidentified women.
Wider Political Consequences
Lemon tied Trump’s sagging approval on the economy and overall performance to notable Republican losses in local elections, which have prompted anxiety within the GOP and signs that some party figures are distancing themselves from Trump. He pointed to several high-profile breaks within the party and to instances such as an Indiana state Senate decision to reject a congressional map pushed by Trump as examples of the president’s influence being challenged.
Asked whether the upheaval holds any broader lessons, Lemon offered one silver lining: the crisis reveals the importance of institutional guardrails to check abuses of presidential power and to ensure norms are upheld regardless of who occupies the White House.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Previously, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung attacked Lemon and Joanna Coles in strong terms on social media.
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