In the iconic words of Jake Blues: ‘We’re getting the band back together.’ However, in Trump World, the phrase doesn’t pertain to a peaceful jazz quartet at Mar-a-Lago’s Sunday brunch.

It signifies the rallying calls resounding, the flags unfurling, and the MAGA troops—recently divided over issues like Ukraine, immigration, and the lingering shadows of Epstein—are once more uniting under the bold leadership of Donald J. Trump.

What prompted this reunion after a rare moment of dissent and discomfort among the faithful?

A Wall Street Journal article. 

This revival ignites a story from the past, suggesting Trump allegedly sent a risqué, suggestive birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein, who shared a complex relationship with him as a friend, possible collaborator, and at times, an unexpected Mar-a-Lago visitor.

Whatever legitimate gripes MAGA influencers may have had with Trump last week over his tease-and-freeze strategy with the Epstein files, they were instantly superseded by rage at the WSJ story. 

Indeed, nothing can cause the MAGA compatriots to close ranks more forcefully than a projectile tossed by the mainstream press. 

To this crowd, the facts of the story were both irrelevant and suspect. (Obscene birthday cards to his friends? Cutely crude communiques? Dirty cartoons?)

Never mind that the Wall Street Journal is owned by Rupert Murdoch, a magnate whose employees at Fox News probably stock more MAGA hats in the News Corps warehouse than Trump has golf balls at Bedminster. 

To Team Trump, the media is always shady, and the Journal article was the perfect trigger: spicy headline, a stench of scandal, and a clear shot at the Big Man.

The signal went out: Hold all friendly fire, line up those ducks, circle the wagons. Trump is undersiege. Again.

Within hours, the MAGAsphere came alive. TikTokers with red hats and ring lights declared war. 

MAGA mouthpieces who spent the last two weeks grumbling about ‘betrayal’ by the boss now leapt to Trump’s defense. ‘They’re trying to take down our guy,’ one YouTuber growled with bitter passion. ‘You don’t have to love every tweet. But we’ve seen this play before.’

This is the oldest card in the Donald deck: Trump v. The Media. 

And no matter how many times it’s used, it still works. The playbook fits neatly on the narrowest of cocktail napkins at this point: step one, the mainstream press comes for Trump; step two, the base rallies around Trump; step three, Trump rallies everyone by lobbing a few dozen all-caps posts about ‘FAKENEWS’ and ‘EVIL LIARS’ on Truth Social. 

There is no room for nuance or context, just blind ride-or-die loyalty.

For the past month, however, as the Trump White House punted, hedged, and backtracked about its plans for Epstein transparency, in a manner both classically Washington-shifty and, frankly, cinematically weird, that loyalty showed signs of strain. 

A few cracks, a couple of questions, mutterings of concern and accountability. The phrase ‘we love Trump but…’ started creeping into podcasts and social media convos like mold into a Florida condo.

Not anymore.

This week, that ‘but’ was gone, replaced with fanatical oaths of allegiance. 

‘He’s not perfect,’ one prominent MAGA radio host said, ‘but he’s ours.’ 

That’s as close to soul-searching as this movement gets. And the relief throughout the MAGA community was palpable. 

Being at odds with Trump is exhausting for this crew. It’s like criticizing the sun for being too hot. 

Yes, it scorched you a little, but what are you going to do? Live in the dark?

So now, the vibe is pure reunion tour, the Rolling Stones with fewer tee-shirts and more spicy Karoline Leavitt quotes. 

The ‘Trump Train’ is back on the tracks, and the memes are electric.

As for Donald Trump, he knows exactly what happened, and how to react.

Like a veteran showman who pauses mid-concert so the crowd can sing the chorus, he stoodback and watched his people belt out his favorite lyrics: WITCH HUNT! HOAX! DEEP STATE!

Is it strategy or pugilism?

At this point, does it matter?

The result is the same: another attempted takedown turns into another rallying cry. Another week that looked like a schism ends in unity. 

The institutional press, which Trump paints as his biggest enemy, turns out to be, yet again, his best friend in the world.

To be sure, MAGA occasionally flirts with complexity. MAGA cohorts weigh tariffs against donor wishes while sipping craft cocktails in Nashville, or argue about immigration optics while lining up for strawberry ice cream in Idaho. 

But when the red alert blares, the movement doesn’t do gray areas. It does fealty. It does affront. It does us versus them.

So, now the band is back together, singing in harmony. The song at the top of the charts is ‘The Fake News Blues,’ and the MAGA fans in the crowd sing along happily.

They know the words by heart