Charlie Sykes: Trump’s Epstein distraction tactics will have very real consequences

This is an adapted excerpt from the Aug. 11 episode of “Deadline: White House.”

Donald Trump is doing everything he can to divert the American public’s attention away from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal gripping his administration. In recent weeks, the White House has revived the Russia investigation, accused former President Barack Obama of treason and taken over the streets of Washington, D.C. The president has even gone after Coca-Cola for the sugar it uses and reignited his decadeslong feud with comedian Rosie O’Donnell.

While the administration throws everything at the wall and waits to see what sticks, it’s important to acknowledge that two things can be true here: Yes, all of these actions are distractions but, at some point, the distractions become the substance as well.

We can’t ignore the fact that there are now active-duty troops on the streets of two American cities. We can’t ignore that this is obviously just a test case for Trump to do the same thing in places like New York and Chicago.

It’s also worth acknowledging that the president’s distraction efforts are taking valuable resources away from solving the real issues that everyday Americans care about. One of the price tags we’re going to see, leaving aside the politics, is that things that are necessary for Americans to be safe, secure and healthy are not going to be done, because Trump is so determined to distract.

That’s a huge vulnerability for Trump. His base likes to think of him as the “law and order” president. They believe he’s the one who will keep this country safe from criminals and the bad guys. But who’s looking after the bad guys if the administration is sending the nation’s law enforcement to chase around the president’s own personal agendas?

That’s a big question mark. We don’t know the answer to that yet, but it’s not going to be good. It’s not going to be favorable, both for Trump and for Americans who expect the federal government to protect them, enforce the law and keep us safe.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com