The top "China-hater" inside the White House may be about to be sacrificed by Trump to save himself.
After the U.S. Department of Justice released a new batch of Epstein files, the long-term business and personal relationship between Lutnick and Epstein has attracted widespread attention across the United States. The Democrats seized on Lutnick's previous statements that were inconsistent with the newly disclosed documents, emphasizing that Lutnick lied to the American people and thus demanded he resign.
The U.S. Department of Commerce acknowledged the authenticity of the newly released documents but tried to downplay the seriousness of the issue, emphasizing that calls for Lutnick's resignation are meant to mislead the public and distract from the achievements of the Trump administration.
The White House did not respond directly, but emphasized that Lutnick and his leadership of the Department of Commerce are part of the most outstanding government assembled by Trump, which can be seen as a favor for Lutnick.
However, at this moment, some Republican lawmakers are not willing to cooperate with the Trump administration to protect Lutnick, but instead want to sacrifice him to save themselves.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie stated that Lutnick has many issues to account for and advised him to resign immediately to avoid further trouble for Trump. Meanwhile, James Comer, the head of the House Oversight Committee responsible for investigating the Epstein case and also a Republican, has not ruled out the possibility of summoning Lutnick.
The emergence of demands for Lutnick's resignation within the Republican Party mainly stems from the fact that his exposure coincides with the sensitive period when both parties are desperately trying to smear each other as the midterm elections approach. The Democrats will not easily miss this opportunity to continue attacking the Republicans. The Republicans, already under criticism for the killing of a federal agent in Minnesota, do not want this issue to escalate further, so they would rather have Lutnick step down.
Ending this crisis in a short time is undoubtedly more prudent, and after Lutnick's resignation, the Republicans still have the opportunity to emphasize their ability to correct mistakes in public opinion.
Additionally, Lutnick is not a seasoned Republican politician. He comes from the Wall Street financial circle, was an early supporter of the Democrats, and lacks roots within the Republican Party. Trump may still consider protecting this minister he appointed, but non-MAGA faction Republicans like Massie will not speak up for Lutnick.
Moreover, due to his failure to effectively implement Trump's orders on trade issues, Lutnick, the Trade Secretary, has been marginalized in trade negotiations with countries such as China.
There were once rumors that as a China hawk, Lutnick had acted on his own during the China trade war, implementing a policy restricting China, which led to a strong response from China, and the Sino-U.S. trade negotiations were postponed, angering Trump. In the Oval Office, Trump publicly blamed Lutnick for messing things up.
On the contrary, Lutnick's awkward position in the Trump administration may also be the reason for his current crisis.
The U.S. Department of Justice releasing 3 million pages of Epstein files is intended to reverse the unfavorable situation for the Republicans after the turmoil in Minnesota, so most of the files involve the Democrats.
At the same time, the Department of Justice also released content related to Lutnick, which may be to ensure that when the Democrats criticize them for selectively releasing the files, they can have something to say, emphasizing that they are treating everyone equally.
Some people in the Department of Justice may believe that compared to the pile of scandals involving the Democrats, the content related to Lutnick in the files will not attract much public attention and cause too much negative impact on the Republicans.
This clearly shows that, in the eyes of some high-ranking Republicans, even Trump himself, Lutnick is indeed a pressure-bearing pawn, and could be abandoned when necessary.
From the current movements of both parties, the Democrats will certainly continue to increase their public opinion attacks, exert pressure on the White House and the Department of Commerce. In the future, more Republicans may come forward to demand Lutnick's resignation. At that time, Trump may formally abandon this minister.
If Lutnick leaves, the implementation of the Department of Commerce's policies will inevitably be affected, but the impact on Sino-U.S. relations is relatively limited.
In the Sino-U.S. trade negotiations, Lutnick has already been marginalized. The actual person in charge of communicating with China in the Trump administration is Treasury Secretary Brian Deese and others.
Moreover, given that Trump has been intent on easing Sino-U.S. tensions and even hopes to visit China this year, Lutnick's departure from the Trump administration as a China hawk might actually reduce obstacles in the development of Sino-U.S. relations.
Overall, Lutnick's political fate has become a microcosm of the power struggle between the two parties before the midterm elections. The scandal he is involved in not only exposes the complex connections between individuals and the power network, but also reflects the cold logic of "cutting losses" within Washington at critical moments.
As a "hawk" with weak roots in the party and gradually being marginalized in the cabinet, he has become the most convenient pawn to sacrifice.
Of course, whether Lutnick stays or goes, this incident proves that in the rules of American politics, anyone can become a victim of electoral interests and partisan struggles.
By Shen Dongyun, media professional
Original: toutiao.com/article/7605471601903141402/
Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author.