Nicolle Wallace: Trump libel lawsuit is 'the shiny object... to try to seize back the narrative'

Epstein Case Transparency & Political Pressure - A diverse political alliance is applying pressure for full transparency in the Jeffrey Epstein case, leading to Donald Trump directing the DOJ to release grand jury testimony [5][6] - Congress is pushing for the release of videos, photographs, FBI 302s (witness interviews), texts, and emails related to the Epstein case [6] - A House resolution, though without legal weight, indicates growing demand for greater transparency in the Epstein case [6] Trump's Legal Action & Narrative Control - Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, and two Wall Street Journal reporters, categorized as assault, libel, or slander [4][10][11] - The lawsuit is perceived as a "shiny object" to distract from political misfortunes related to the Epstein case [9][12] - The Wall Street Journal's reporting was carefully worded, suggesting legal vetting, and likely possesses more evidence, including copies of documents and proof of DOJ possession [13][14] Potential Defenses & Evidence - The Wall Street Journal could defend itself by proving the truth, i_e_, the document was in the Justice Department's possession [17] - The Department of Justice potentially possesses documents related to the Epstein case, including a book prepared for Epstein's 50th birthday [18][19] - The White House was aware of the Wall Street Journal's reporting at least by Tuesday evening, suggesting they could have sought to verify the document's authenticity [20]