And So it Goes

 

The term “deflection” is part of sport.  In football, members of the defensive line are told to raise their arms to try and deflect a pass attempt; the defensive backs are told to deflect the thrown pass, if not intercept, so the receiver will not catch the ball.  In hockey, it is the charge of the goalie to deflect any and all shots on goal.  Good defense in basketball includes deflecting a pass from one person to another.  I’m sure there are other examples of how “deflection” is used in the world of sport.

Now it appears the term “deflection” has entered the world of politics at the highest level.
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When the current President was asked about the possible inclusion of his name in the Epstein Files, the President did what any defensive back or hockey goalie would do, he deflected the question to another subject, thereby not answering the question.  Instead, the President went on the attack of former President Obama, stating Obama was a principal in an attempted coup of “rigging” the 2016 election.  President Trump has openly said an investigation regarding his accusation should commence and Obama should be prosecuted.

To be clear, it has been reported by news outlets, Trump’s Attorney General, Pamela Bondi, advised the President in the spring of this year, his name appeared in the Epstein File numerous times.

The President has used the terms witch hunt, hoax, and scam when answering questions about his past behavior.  In a previous entry to this blog, I wrote about the “ad hominem” argument, which is commonplace for President Trump responses to questions he doesn’t want to address.
  
And now, the real witch hunt may have begun.  Many news outlets have reported the following:

A vote in the House Oversight Committee to subpoena the Department of Justice for files related to Epstein worsened Trump’s political headache, since it revealed the appetite for more disclosure among some MAGA Republicans. The GOP-majority committee also voted to subpoena testimony from Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison term.

Please note, there are MAGA Republicans on the House Oversight Committee who voted for the subpoenas. One of Trump’s biggest supporters Marjorie Green Taylor has said, “the base will turn” if Trump doesn’t release the Epstein files. 
 
In sport, if a player doesn’t do his job of deflecting well enough, the player’s career is shortened by being released from his team, his career potentially over.  In Salem during the witch hunts of 1692-1693, those found to be “guilty” were either imprisoned or hanged. 

To borrow a phrase from Vonnegut…”and so it goes’…