Trump's revoking protected status for Haitians shows "total disregard for people's lives"
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France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
John Bolton deems Trump's lack of 'philosophy', and coherent policy, 'disconcerting to US allies'
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France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
Trump faces MAGA meltdown over Epstein reversal
Trump's Justice Department and the FBI said in memo made public Sunday there is no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a "client list" or was blackmailing powerful figures. They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his death by suicide, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe. It marked the first time Trump's officials had publicly scotched the stories -- pushed by numerous right-wing figures, notably including the FBI's top two officials, before Trump hired them. The backlash was swift and brutal from his "Make America Great Again" movement -- who have long held as an article of faith that "Deep State" elites were protecting Epstein's most powerful associates in the Democratic Party and Hollywood. "Next the DOJ will say 'Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed,'" furious pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Alex Jones tweeted. "This is over the top sickening." Trump has managed to avoid much of the direct blame over the fiasco, with ire instead being directed at FBI director Kash Patel, his deputy Dan Bongino and Attorney General Pam Bondi. Bongino and Patel spent years pushing conspiracy theories around the so-called "Epstein list." The controversy has clearly rattled Trump, who defended Bongino and Patel on social media as the "greatest law enforcement professionals in the world," without explaining why he had spoken out. Bongino reposted Trump's praise and was deluged with furious responses. But the lion's share of the fury has been reserved for Bondi, who assured Fox News in February she had the Epstein client list on her desk and would get to the truth -- in remarks endorsed by the White House. Bondi was already on thin ice with MAGA after distributing binders labeled "The Epstein Files" to influencers at the White House that turned out to contain largely already public information and no new revelations. 'Embarrassment' "President Trump should fire (Bondi) for lying to his base and creating a liability for his administration," far right influencer Laura Loomer posted on X. "She is an embarrassment and she doesn't do anything to help Trump." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was pressed about the controversy and said that Bondi was actually talking about Epstein-related paperwork as a whole -- sparking even more MAGA fury. "This is what happens when the dog catches the car. Or, to put a finer point on it, when you and the people around you become the very 'Deep State' you have spent years attacking," CNN analyst Chris Cillizza wrote on his Substack newsletter. Epstein died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking. Trump -- who has denied visiting the US Virgin Islands home where prosecutors say Epstein sex trafficked underage girls -- said ahead of his election he would have "no problem" releasing files related to the case. It is one of a number of schisms that have opened in the MAGA movement in recent days, with supporters angry over Trump's announcement that weapons supply to Ukraine would resume. Trump's fiercely isolationist base was already upset at the president's bombing of Iran nuclear sites and his statements calling for an easing of immigration raids on farms. Beyond its insights into the power dynamics that animate Trump's supporters, the affair has raised concerns that MAGA disillusionment will damage Republican prospects in the next election cycle. The row comes with Trump under pressure from the launch of a new political party by his estranged former close aide Elon Musk, who had a bitter public split with the president over federal spending. When the Trump-Musk feud blew up last month, Musk alleged that Trump was named in the Epstein files. "What's the time?" the world's richest man posted on his social media platform X on Monday, alongside an image of an Epstein countdown clock.
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
Rubio imposter used AI to message high-level officials: report
A cable from Rubio's office said the unidentified culprit was likely seeking to manipulate powerful officials "with the goal of gaining access to information or accounts," the Washington Post reported. The impostor contacted at least three foreign ministers, a US state governor, and a member of Congress using both text messaging and the encrypted messaging app Signal, according to the cable dated July 3. Starting in mid-June, the impostor created a Signal account using the display name " to contact the unsuspecting officials, it added. "The actor left voicemails on Signal for at least two targeted individuals and in one instance, sent a text message inviting the individual to communicate on Signal," said the cable. The contents of the messages were unclear. The cable added that other State Department personnel were impersonated using email. Responding to an AFP request for comment, the State Department said it was aware of the incident and was "currently investigating the matter." "The Department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to improve the department's cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents," said a senior State Department official. The FBI has previously warned that since April, "malicious actors" have impersonated senior US officials to target their contacts, including current and former federal or state government officials. "The malicious actors have sent text messages and AI-generated voice messages -- techniques known as smishing and vishing, respectively -- that claim to come from a senior US official in an effort to establish rapport before gaining access to personal accounts," the FBI said in May. In May, President Donald Trump said an impersonator breached the phone of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. US senators, governors and business executives received text messages and phone calls from someone claiming to be Wiles, the Wall Street Journal reported. The breach prompted a White House and FBI investigation, but Trump played down the threat, saying Wiles "can handle it." Senior Trump administration officials have courted criticism for using Signal and other unofficial channels for government work. In March, then-national-security-adviser Michael Waltz inadvertently added a journalist to a Signal chat group discussing US strikes in Yemen. The episode led to Waltz's ouster. With proliferating AI voice cloning tools -- which are cheap, easy to use and hard to trace -– disinformation researchers fret the impact of audio deepfakes to impersonate or smear celebrities and politicians. Last year, a robocall impersonating then-President Joe Biden stoked public alarm about such deepfakes. The robocall urged New Hampshire residents not to cast ballots in a Democratic primary, prompting authorities to launch a probe into possible voter suppression and triggered demands from campaigners for stricter guardrails around generative AI tools. © 2025 AFP
