Justice Department files to release grand jury testimony in Epstein case
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Newsweek
2 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Video of Jeffrey Epstein Talking About Donald Trump Resurfaces
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Footage from 2010 of Jeffrey Epstein asserting his "Fifth, Sixth and 14th Amendment rights" when asked whether he had ever "socialized with Donald Trump in the presence of females under the age of 18" has gone viral on X, racking up more than 2 million views since Wednesday evening. Newsweek contacted the White House press office for comment on Thursday via email outside regular office hours. Why It Matters On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that in May, Attorney General Pam Bondi informed President Donald Trump that his name appeared "multiple times" in the so-called Epstein files, documents related to the convicted sex offender possessed by the Justice Department. White House communications director Steven Cheung described the report as "another fake news story." Trump has come under sustained pressure from a section of his Make America Great Again base after the Justice Department released a memo earlier this month that said Epstein had "no incriminating 'client list'" and restated that he died by suicide in his cell in August 2019. Conspiracy theorists have long suggested Epstein was murdered to protect the identify of powerful figures on his alleged client list, and in September 2024, Trump told podcaster Lex Fridman he would have "no problem" releasing additional information about the case if he won November's presidential election. What To Know On Wednesday, MeidasTouch, a self-styled "pro-democracy" media outlet, shared a 34-second clip of Epstein being questioned over his relationship with Trump in 2010. According to a 2016 article in the Daily Wire, which describes itself as being "right of center," Epstein's interviewer was a lawyer representing one of his alleged underage victims. In the video, the lawyer asks Epstein, "Have you ever had a personal relationship with Donald Trump?" When Epstein asks for clarification, the lawyer says, "Have you socialized with him?" Epstein then replies, "Yes sir." 🚨🚨🚨 Watch Jeffrey Epstein plead his Fifth, Sixth, and 14th Amendment rights when asked if he and Donald Trump socialized with females under the age of 18 during a 2010 deposition: Q: Have you ever had a personal relationship with Donald Trump? A. What do you mean by "personal... — MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) July 24, 2025 The interviewer continues, "Have you ever socialized with Donald Trump in the presence of females under the age of 18?" Epstein replies, "Though I'd like to answer that question, at least today I'm going to have to assert my Fifth, Sixth and 14th Amendment rights, sir." The Constitution's Fifth Amendment protects those accused of crimes against self-incrimination, meaning they cannot be compelled to answer questions or testify against themselves. The Sixth Amendment incorporates a range of protections for alleged criminals, including the rights to an impartial jury, legal counsel and to confront witnesses. Under the 14th Amendment, no person can be deprived of life, liberty or property by the state without going through due process. Billionaire and later convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, left, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on September 8, 2004, and President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on July 23. Billionaire and later convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, left, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on September 8, 2004, and President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on July 23. Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/GETTY According to flight logs released in January 2024 in response to a case brought by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, Trump flew on Epstein's private jets on a number of occasions. Speaking with New York magazine in 2002 about Epstein, Trump said: "He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side." In 2019, Trump said he was "not a fan" of Epstein and insisted the pair hadn't spoken in 15 years because of a "falling out." In 2008, Epstein was convicted of solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution from a minor as part of a plea deal. He was arrested again in New York in July 2019 over allegations that he trafficked "dozens of underage girls" and was found dead in his jail cell a month later. Authorities said he died by suicide. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in jail in June 2022 after being convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor. Prosecutors said she was involved in procuring underage girls for Epstein. On Tuesday, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson announced he was adjourning the lower chamber early until September in a move critics said was designed to block a vote on the release of the Epstein files. What People Are Saying Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, wrote on X: "Trump told the press he was not informed that his name was in the Epstein files. Now we learn that this was a lie. He was told by Bondi, his former criminal defense lawyer and now the AG. Time to end the Trump/Epstein cover-up. Release the files." In response to the Wall Street Journal report that said Trump was in the Epstein files, Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche said in a joint statement: "Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts. As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings." What Happens Next The Trump administration is likely to face continued pressure to release what documentation it can on the Epstein case both from Democrats in Congress and a section of the president's own MAGA base.
Epoch Times
4 minutes ago
- Epoch Times
Democrats Plan August Blitz to Campaign Against GOP Spending Bill
House Democratic leaders plan to use the August recess to launch a nationwide campaign against the Republican-led budget law signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month—an effort they say will define the lead-up to the 2026 midterms. 'The one big, ugly bill is deeply unpopular,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said during a press conference July 22, using the Democrats' name for the bill, officially titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by its GOP sponsors. 'Donald Trump is deeply unpopular. And House Republicans haven't done a damn thing to make life more affordable for the American people.' Public opinion has been mixed. In a poll released on July 15 by CNN/SSRS, 61 percent of respondents said they oppose the legislation. Regarding its economic impact, 51 percent said it would hurt the economy, while 29 percent said it would help. Jeffries, joined by Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), said Democrats will hold town halls and public events throughout the recess to highlight what they describe as the harmful effects of the spending package. Democrats have already made clear they will make the bill a centerpiece of their midterm strategy, warning it could lead to layoffs, benefit cuts, and rising costs for working families. The legislation passed the House and Senate this month and was signed by Trump. Republicans say it streamlines government and boosts growth. The sweeping measure includes deep cuts to Medicaid, restructuring of safety net programs, and tax reductions that GOP leaders say will stimulate economic growth. But Democrats say it will do the opposite. 'Hospitals will close. Nursing homes will shut down. Community-based health clinics will be unable to operate,' Jeffries added in the press conference. Clark, speaking after Jeffries, accused Republicans of prioritizing the wealthy while undermining families. 'Their signature bill, the big, ugly bill, kicked 15 million Americans off their health insurance, takes food from 16 million kids, raises energy bills, shuts down hospitals, denies veterans their benefits,' she said. 'They run up the debt to give tax breaks to billionaires.' According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill's Medicaid provisions are expected to increase the number of uninsured Americans by 7.7 million, something Republicans have disputed. The changes include new requirements for all enrollees to verify income and citizenship every six months starting in 2027. The bill also imposes a work or community engagement requirement of 20 hours per week for certain adults, effective no sooner than January 2027. States will also be allowed to impose cost-sharing of up to $35 per visit on some Medicaid expansion enrollees starting in 2028.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
White House takes Powell battle to Fed HQ with tour of $2.5 billion refurb
Renovations at the Federal Reserve are set to get a probing today when a group of Trump allies make a visit to the central bank's headquarters on the National Mall after weeks of mounting criticisms over the $2.5 billion renovation. The high-profile construction site tour is also just one of numerous political pressure points being put before Chair Jerome Powell by President Trump's team and his allies — even as the latest rhetoric from the president and Treasury Secretary Bessent have downplayed the chances of any imminent attempt to fire the central banker. "In eight months, he'll be out," Trump noted on Tuesday, with Bessent adding Wednesday "we're in no rush" to change leadership as both men also showed no signs of making Powell's life simpler anytime soon. In short, Powell's job is looking slightly more secure this week — but the central bank chief's problems clearly aren't going away. Up first is today's visit from Trump allies, some of whom sit on the National Capital Planning Commission, which could go so far as attempting to stop ongoing construction pending further review. Then in the coming weeks, Powell will wrestle with calls for an "exhaustive internal review" of how the Fed operates as well as pressure from Republicans on Capitol Hill that could ramp up in the fall. There's even a long-shot call for the Department of Justice to get involved and look at Powell personally. And it comes as Powell is set to gather the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) next week for another interest rate decision that markets and many analysts say is pushing all of Trump's actions as the president continues a daily pressure campaign to press the central banker and his colleagues to cut interest rates. Read more: How the Fed rate decision affects your bank accounts, loans, credit cards, and investments Up first: A high profile site tour Up first is a tour of the Federal Reserve headquarters at the behest of Trump allies recently appointed to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). James Blair, one of Trump's deputy chiefs of staff, is a new member of the NCPC and has leveled a series of attacks on Powell for weeks now over the building cost overruns, even charging at one point, "What do they not want us to see?" The charges are ones that the central bank has repeatedly defended itself against, even going so far as publishing a page on its website devoted to the renovations, saying the increased costs came because of increased material cost and "unforeseen conditions" like asbestos, toxic contamination in the soil, and a higher-than-expected water table. The costs of the project have grown from around $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion after the Fed submitted designs to the NCPC and received approval from that agency in 2020 and 2021. The two buildings, Powell added in a recent note, were in need of "significant structural repairs" after they had not had a comprehensive renovation since they were built in the 1930s. The changes, argue Trump allies like White House budget director Russell Vought, could mean the project is out of compliance with the approved plan — leading to a possible standoff as to whether the central bank needs to resubmit to the NCPC. Powell is clearly looking to avoid that scenario, writing that the bank "does not regard any of these changes as warranting further review," but White House officials are sending a different message. "We want to see it for ourselves," Blair recently told reporters, adding he is also looking to obtain "all of the revised plans since 2021." In addition to Blair and Vought, today's tour is also expected to include Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who has emerged as another vocal Powell critic. Pulte has even gone so far as to travel to the site already to film a video as he called the construction costs "very disturbing." Other key pressure points This week's site visit comes as Powell is also weathering an array of pressure points, with many lines of inquiry ongoing from Capitol Hill. Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania is a subcommittee chair on the House Financial Services Committee and told Semafor this week that he is weighing a congressional investigation of the Fed — even as his Senate colleagues have shied away from that idea. And Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, another Trump ally, even formally requested that the DOJ investigate Powell for perjury over comments in June around the renovations. That is seen as a long shot at best. Perhaps more pressing is that House Speaker Mike Johnson said in an interview with Bloomberg reporters and editors this week that he is "disenchanted" with Powell and even open to modifying the 1913 act that created the Fed. That would be a major change but is not expected to be before Congress in the near term, as the House of Representatives went home Wednesday evening for a recess that is scheduled to last for the rest of the summer. Treasury Secretary Bessent has also called for an "exhaustive internal review" of the Fed, saying it could be Powell's "legacy" as he accused the central bank of mission creep in its non-monetary policy activities. Trump has signaled his support for the effort, and some observers say this could be the most consequential change — if the idea gains steam and looks to reshape how the central bank operates. A recent note from Signum Global Advisors called this potentially "an even more holistic reshaping of the Fed than a 'mere' dismissal of Chair Jerome Powell," adding it's an effort that could extend even beyond the end of Powell's chairmanship. Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance. Click here for political news related to business and money policies that will shape tomorrow's stock prices Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
