The "EpsteinYZ Affair" continues to dominate the news cycle, prompting the Trump administration to employ various strategies to divert public attention. The initial attempt to downplay the story through right-wing media was an "abject failure." The current strategy involves creating multiple distractions, none of which appear to be effective: "Ok, We Will Release the Files" – MLK Assassination Files: After the "Obama Gambit" failed, Gabbard announced the release of "230,000 pages of files related to the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination," not the Epstein files. Reports indicate that right-wing media remains "wall-to-wall Epstein," suggesting the White House is "really worried."

Trump's overall approval ratings are in a "consistent downward march." Economist/YouGov polls show a decline from -5% net disapproval in late May/early June to -14% in mid-July. Aggregators place Trump in double-digit net disapproval, or on the cusp of it.

Three core policies of "Trump v2.0" are identified as central: Immigration Crackdowns, Tariffs, The BBB (Build Back Better), These policies are polling poorly: Trump's "bad poll numbers explain his angry, erratic behavior." Democrats continue to dislike him, independents are largely opposed, and there is "some slippage" even among Republicans. The full impact of tariffs, BBB, and the Epstein scandal is yet to be seen, suggesting "things can, and probably will, get worse."

The administration's policies are seen as actively harming the U.S. tourist industry, which generates almost "$2.4 trillion in tourist revenue each year."

Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) has resigned from the House, fulfilling his promise to do so after the BBB became law. The district, TN-07, is R+10, making it a "pretty steep hill for a Democrat to climb, but it's not impossible." With Green's departure, Speaker Mike Johnson will be working with a 219-212 majority, meaning he can afford "up to 3 defections on votes."