We can't trust Democrats. They're giving Bill Clinton a pass. | Opinion

It's almost Christmas, and Democrats are the gift that keeps on giving to those of us who have known this whole time they don't have what it takes to run this country.

Days before the most wonderful time of the year, several new stories reveal why, even though the Republican Party is having its own internal struggle, the Democratic Party hasn't been able to regain ground or increase Americans' trust. Here are three reasons why.

Democrats are oddly quiet about Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein

For example, Democrats have been smearing President Donald Trump for months now, alleging he knew about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's underage sex ring and remained mum. I have repeatedly called for all Epstein-related documents to be released so the public can be informed and, most important, the victims can begin to receive justice. We should all be able to agree on that.

But the newest dump of documents and photos published on Dec. 19 doesn't do much new to implicate Trump. In fact, they show photos of former President Bill Clinton, photographed with Epstein often and alongside alleged victims, who are redacted. Photos of Trump and Epstein have long been circulating.

I'm not saying that Trump has been wholly vindicated or that his character is unvarnished, but I am saying that Clinton has been implicated far more than Trump. Yet Democrats have been relentless in trying to show even the slightest relationship between Epstein and Trump that could indicate involvement in illegal activity.

Still, the pursuit of truth and justice for victims continues to lead to Clinton and others like Woody Allen. Where is the outrage and accusations?

That time Biden's DOJ targeted Trump is back in the news

Remember the FBI's infamous raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in 2022? It happened because, allegedly, Trump had mishandled classified or sensitive government documents.

A Wall Street Journal opinion writer said recently that it was "a shocking moment, the first time in history federal law-enforcement had acted against a former president."

But newly released emails between the FBI and the Department of Justice show that the FBI didn't think there was probable cause to to execute the search warrant, but agents did so anyway because then-President Joe Biden's DOJ pressured them to, according to Fox News.

Special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump with mishandling classified materials, but he pleaded not guilty. The charges were dropped in 2024.

Let's not forget who Democrats thought should be our vice president

Finally, CBS News has reported that the Medicaid fraud scandal in Minnesota continues to worsen. A federal prosecutor says 14 Medicaid services now being investigated for fraud have cost Minnesota taxpayers $18 billion since 2018. At least $9 billion of that billed amount could be fraudulent.

Gov. Tim Walz, who wasted last year running alongside Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee, commented about the Medicaid fraud allegations on Dec. 19: "This is on my watch, I am accountable for this, and more importantly, I am the one that will fix it.”

No wonder Democrats keep losing Americans' trust

Republicans have their own issues, from Trump's social media posts to navigating grifters like Candace Owens. But Americans still largely don't trust Democrats because they don't call out their own.

The RealClearPolling average for the Democratic Party's unfavorable rating is now at 56.5%.

Lack of leadership is an issue, too. A November Politico poll found that 21% of Democrats don't know who their party leader is, and 10.5% say it's "nobody."

Neither Clinton nor Biden is currently the Democratic Party leader, but both once boasted tremendous reputations within the party that are now stained. Harris, Biden's vice president, does still lead the way when it comes to party leadership, such as it is. Her name will always be tied to Biden's and will likely keep her from future national success.

The Democratic Party still appears to be floundering from the 2024 election, sputtering into the 2026 midterm elections, all while remaining obsessed with Trump. Whether it’s Clinton’s association with Epstein, a Mar-a-Lago raid pushed by Biden’s DOJ without probable cause, or Walz being accused of running a state rife with Medicaid fraud while angling for the vice presidency, Democratic leaders and influencers are embroiled in scandal and persistent mismanagement.

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.