
8 unhinged Donald Trump moments as he has bizarre meltdown over Jeffrey Epstein
And while he's been back and forth on the Russian dictator often enough to make European leaders distinctly nervous, this time Vlad has provoked some strong language.
And was not at all impressed with a reporter asking a question about dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein...
Meanwhile, the US President has said he definitely, definitely won't be extending his tariff deadline. And he really means it this time.
Here's everything you need to know about the goings on in Trump World in the last 24 hours.
Everything is fine.
Trump has taken to using a new word to describe what US bomber pilots did in Iran.
"They went skedaddle," he said during rambling remarks at a televised cabinet meeting.
"Do you know the word skedaddle? It means skedaddle."
Later in his ramblings, Trump declared that, today at least, he is not best buds with Vlad.
"I'm not happy with Putin," he said.
"I can tell you that much right now. He's killing a lot of people. And a lot of them are his soldiers."
Asked if he was going to do anything to act on that feeling of unhappiness, Trump said: "Well, I wouldn't be telling you."
He later added: "We get a lot of bulls**t thrown at us by Putin. He's very nice, but often it's meaningless."
As is so often the case, Trump's favourite person is the one he spoke to last.
So after his phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky the other day, he's warmed to the people of Ukraine.
He said: "I will say this, the Ukrainians, whether you think we should have given them all that money or not, are very brave."
At the Cabinet Meeting a reporter asked what happened to the client list of dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, which Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared to say in an interview was on her desk, ready to be released.
Now, Bondi did eventually get to reply - she claims she was talking about the whole file, not specifically a client list - which the administration says doesn't exist.
She also answered on the "missing minute" from the Epstein prison video - saying that minute is missing from the CCTV every night because the system is old and resets at that time.
But before she could answer, Trump butted in with a particularly exasperated response: "Can I just interrupt for one second?" He said, with a bemused expression.
"Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years. We have Texas, we have all the other things...are people still talking about this creep?"
Turning to Bondi, he said: "Do you want to waste the time? Do you feel like answering?"
Bondi said she didn't mind, but Trump kept going.
"I mean, I can't believe you're asking a question on Epstein, at a time when we're having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas. It just seems like a desecration with what happened."
Epstein
After months of walking back his tariff threats so often the Wall Street Journal dubbed him TACO - "Trump Always Chickens Out", the President has declared that definitely, definitely won't be happening this time.
Following up on his letters to several countries, including South Korea and Japan, informing them of their tariffs in randomly capitalised words, Trump said he really means it this time on Truth social.
"As per letters sent to various countries yesterday," Trump wrote, "in addition to letters that will be sent today, tomorrow and for the next short period of time, TARIFFS WILL START BEING PAID ON AUGUST 1, 2025.
"There has been no change to this date and there will be no change. In other words, all money will be due and payable starting AUGUST 1, 2025 - No extensions will be granted. Thankyou for your attention to this matter!"
For the record, they were supposed to start immediately on April 2, then they were paused for 90 days until July 8, and just ahead of that deadline they were delayed until August 1.
As the world attempts to keep up with Trump's antics, the Mirror has launched its very own US Politics WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news from across the pond.
We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in.
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The State Department is warning US diplomats of attempts to impersonate Marco Rubio and possibly other officials using AI, according to two senior officials and a memo sent to all embassies and consulates.
An impostor posing as Rubio tried to reach out to at least three foreign ministers, a US senator and a governor by text, Signal and voice mail, according to the July 3 memo, which was first reported by The Washington Post.
One official said the hoaxes were unsuccessful and "not very sophisticated."
Nonetheless, the second official said the department deemed it "prudent" to advise all employees and foreign governments, particularly as efforts by foreign actors to compromise information security increase. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.
In case Trump employing "spiritual advisors" who have White House offices wasn't enough to convince you America was on its way to being a Theocracy, the taxman is doing his bit to help.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has declared that churches can now formally endorse candidates without losing their tax exemptions.
There's been a ban on tax-exempt entities campaigning in elections for decades.
Trump has repeatedly called for it to be repealed.
Back to the cabinet meeting (which at the time of writing is still ongoing...).
Trump really, really hates wind farms. It mostly goes back to his Scottish golf course, the view from which he thinks was ruined by some windmills that were built off the coast by the Scottish government.
Well, he came up with a theory a while ago about wind farms killing marine mammals, and oh baby he's still bought in.
"In New England for 50 years they had two whales washed up," he said.
"And last summer they had 14 washed up. Now, I'm not saying that's the wind farm that was built, but maybe it is. Probably is."
I was right about the whales and the dolphins
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NBC News
33 minutes ago
- NBC News
Trump's tariff deadline delay brings hope, confusion to trade partners, businesses
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff delay provided some hope to major trade partners Japan, South Korea and the European Union that deals to ease duties could still be reached, while bewildering some smaller exporters such as South Africa and leaving companies with no clarity on the path forward. Trump's form letters to 14 countries informing them of planned tariff rates of 25% to 40% provided what he called a final warning on his 'reciprocal' tariffs, while pushing back Wednesday's previous deadline to August 1, a date he said on Tuesday was final, declaring: 'No extensions will be granted.' The move reflects Trump's frustration with trade negotiations that are proving lengthier and more complicated than the '90 deals in 90 days' that he expected, trade experts and administration officials say. The president, who announced on Tuesday a 50% tariff on imported copper and said long-threatened levies on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals were coming soon, said he has long favored simple tariffs over tedious trade talks that often involve red lines for some countries and their own requests for U.S. concessions. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba focused on the positive, saying his government would press ahead with negotiations toward a deal that 'benefits both countries, while protecting Japan's national interest.' Facing a 25% general U.S. tariff, Japan wants relief for its export-dependent auto industry from Trump's separate 25% automotive tariffs. It also has resisted demands for increased purchases of American rice. Japan, once viewed as an early favorite for a deal, faces an upper house election on July 20 and too many concessions could put Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party at risk. 'These countries are not folding. They're not giving him what he wants, so he's added another threat,' said William Reinsch, a former U.S. Commerce Department official who is a senior trade adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'He's put a new number to it and extended the deadline.' South Korea, where President Lee Jae Myung has been in office less than a month, also pledged to intensify talks for 'a mutually beneficial result' while analysts warned he would not be 'a pushover' for Trump or put South Korea at a disadvantage to Japan. Stephen Miran, chairman of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, told Fox News on Tuesday more deals were possible even before the end of this week, as long as countries made concessions deemed worthy by Trump. India, in particular, looked close to a deal, but prospects were less clear for smaller countries such as South Africa, Thailand and Malaysia, which face tariffs of 30%, 36% and 25%, respectively. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed back on Trump's 30% tariff rate, calling it out of sync with an average 7.6% South African tariff rate. But he instructed his negotiators to 'urgently engage' with Trump's team on a framework first submitted by the South African side on May 20. The Trump administration's negotiating time may be eaten up with larger partners, such as the EU, which did not get a warning letter or a change to its prescribed 20% tariff rate, double the 10% baseline. Sources familiar with the EU talks have told Reuters a deal could involve carve-outs for aircraft and parts, medical equipment and alcoholic spirits. They say the EU also wants certain automakers to export to the U.S. at rates below the 25% auto tariff. Such a deal would be similar to a framework agreement with the United Kingdom that had carve-outs for autos, steel and aircraft engines. Final squeeze After announcing his global 'Liberation Day' tariffs of 11%-50% in early April, Trump quickly dialed them back to 10% for most countries amid bond market turmoil to buy time for negotiations to lower foreign tariffs and trade barriers. Ryan Majerus, another former U.S. Commerce official, said Trump's three-month pause had not produced the desired results, and now the president was seeking to maximize his negotiating leverage. 'They're going to pressure-test things and see how far they can go, particularly for countries where there hasn't been any movement in the talks,' said Majerus, who is a partner at Washington's King and Spalding law firm. Steadier markets and strong economic data give Trump some room to maneuver, but time is short and 'the more granular you get in negotiating these things, the tougher the sledding gets,' he added. The deadline extension provides no relief to companies that are trying to keep up with Trump's tariffs. Executives say the rapidly shifting tariff landscape has paralyzed decision-making as they try to adjust their supply chains and cost structures to avoid tariff-induced price hikes. 'No company can really prepare for this,' said Hubertus Breier, chief technology officer for Germany's Lapp Holdings, a family-owned maker of cables, wires and robotics for factories. 'We are already incurring losses simply because of the uncertainty of the daily changing situation.' Lapp has difficult choices — absorb additional costs or pass them on to customers. Assuming permanently higher prices and costs, however, could threaten its long-term existence, Breier added. DeMejico, a family business in Valencia, California with a plant in Mexico that builds traditional Spanish and Mexican-style furniture, is struggling to adapt to Trump's 50% tariffs on imported steel. Robert Luna, the company's president, said the firm is importing heavy steel latches, hinges and trim parts separately to simplify the tariff calculation process and installing them at its Los Angeles-area showroom. The tariffs and higher U.S. wage costs are already inflating prices, and DeMejico faces further cost increases on furniture if Trump hits Mexico with a reciprocal tariff, Luna said. 'It's hard to do anything about this as a small business owner, so I just try to be stoic and see what happens,' Luna said, adding: 'My biggest worry is just keeping the company alive.' Luna said he thought the Trump administration was 'setting up the foundation to train people to pay tariffs.'


BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Trump defends Bondi amid uproar over Jeffrey Epstein files
Donald Trump has defended US attorney general Pam Bondi in the face of mounting criticism from far-right influencers and conservative internet personalities over the American justice department's abrupt refusal to release additional documents from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. When a reporter attempted to ask Ms Bondi about disgraced financier Epstein at a White House cabinet meeting, US President Mr Trump headed off the questions and said to the journalist: 'Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years. Advertisement 'At a time like this, where we're having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas, it just seems like a desecration.' Donald Trump cut off questions over the Epstein files (AP) The comments appeared to signal job security for Ms Bondi and amounted to a striking rebuke of members of Mr Trump's base who have called for her resignation and mocked her for what they believe to be her failed commitment to release incriminating files from the Epstein investigation. A supposed Epstein 'client list' that Ms Bondi once intimated was sitting on her desk for review does not exist, the US justice department acknowledged in a two-page memo on Monday that riled conservative critics who had been hoping for proof of a government cover-up. Ms Bondi has faced pressure after a first document dump that she had hyped failed to deliver revelations. Advertisement Far-right influencers were invited to the White House in February and provided with binders marked: 'The Epstein Files: Phase 1' and: 'Declassified' that contained documents that had largely already been in the public domain. The remarks would seem to indicate Ms Bondi's job is safe (AP) After the first release fell flat, Ms Bondi said officials were poring over a 'truckload' of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI and raised expectations of forthcoming releases. But after a months-long review of evidence in the government's possession, the Justice Department said in Monday's memo that no 'further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted'. The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and 'only a fraction' of it 'would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial'. Advertisement The only evidence disclosed as part of the memo was a video meant to definitively prove that the wealthy financier had taken his own life in jail in 2019, but even that disclosure did little to quieten conspiracy theorists who believe he was killed. Mr Trump spoke during a cabinet meeting (AP) The department's client list revelation was especially dismaying for conservative influencers and online sleuths given that Ms Bondi, in a Fox News interview in February, had intimated that such a document was 'sitting on my desk' for review. Ms Bondi insisted on Tuesday that she had been referring to the Epstein case file as being on her desk, as opposed to a specific client list. 'That's what I meant by that,' she said. Advertisement She also defended her earlier public statements suggesting that the FBI was reviewing 'tens of thousands' of videos of Epstein with 'children or child porn'. The Associated Press published a story last week about the unanswered questions surrounding those videos and the justice department's refusal to provide clarity. The memo from Monday did not suggest that the videos in the US government's possession depicted Epstein with children, instead referring to images of Epstein as well as more than 10,000 'downloaded videos and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography'. 'They turned out to be child porn downloaded by that disgusting Jeffrey Epstein,' Ms Bondi said. Advertisement But she did not explain why the department could not release other files from the 'truckload' of evidence she said was delivered to the agency months ago.


NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Migrants deported to El Salvador prison remain under U.S. control, Salvadoran officials tell UN
WASHINGTON — The government of El Salvador has acknowledged to United Nations investigators that the Trump administration maintains control of the Venezuelan men who were deported from the U.S. to a notorious Salvadoran prison, contradicting public statements by officials in both countries. The revelation was contained in court filings Monday by lawyers for more than 100 migrants who are seeking to challenge their deportations to El Salvador's mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT. The case is among several challenging President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. 'In this context, the jurisdiction and legal responsibility for these persons lie exclusively with the competent foreign authorities,' Salvadoran officials wrote in response to queries from the unit of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The U.N. group has been looking into the fate of the men who were sent to El Salvador from the United States in mid-March, even after a U.S. judge had ordered the planes that were carrying them to be turned around. The Trump administration has argued that it is powerless to return the men, noting that they are beyond the reach of U.S. courts and no longer have access to due process rights or other U.S. constitutional guarantees. But lawyers for the migrants said the U.N. report shows otherwise. 'El Salvador has confirmed what we and everyone else understood: it is the United States that controls what happens to the Venezuelans languishing at CECOT. Remarkably the U.S. government didn't provide this information to us or the court,' American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Lee Gelernt said in an email. Skye Perryman, CEO and president of Democracy Forward, said the documents show 'that the administration has not been honest with the court or the American people.' The ACLU and Democracy Forward are both representing the migrants. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. White House and Homeland Security Department officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The administration in March agreed to pay $6 million for El Salvador to house 300 migrants. The deal sparked immediate controversy when Trump invoked an 18th century wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to quickly remove men it has accused of being members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. In a related case, the administration mistakenly sent Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the same prison, despite a judge's order prohibiting the Maryland man from being sent to El Salvador. The administration initially resisted court orders to bring him back to the U.S., saying he was no longer in American custody. Eventually, Abrego Garcia was returned to the U.S., where he now faces criminal charges of human smuggling while legal battles continue.