Latest news with #AnnaPaulinaLuna
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Staying loyal to Trump after Bondi's Epstein files U-turn is proving to be greatest test of wills for Republicans
President Donald Trump's defiant U-turn on releasing Department of Justice case files related to Jeffrey Epstein has put some of his most diehard Republican supporters in a bind. On Wednesday, Trump unloaded on Republicans who wanted to see promises kept about releasing the files about the disgraced financier who died in police custody after being arrested for trafficking underage girls and women. Trump, who knew Epstein for many years, claimed the effort to keep the heat on him over Epstein was 'perpetrated by the Democrats and some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net, and so they try and do the Democrats' work,' even though Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell were both arrested during Trump's first administration. But Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) who said he would not seek re-election after he came out against Trump's 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' last month, was more taciturn than his more MAGA colleagues. 'I think at the end of the day, just release the damn files,' Tillis told The Independent on Wednesday. Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is a staunch Trump supporter who has introduced legislation to make him part of Mount Rushmore and also supported efforts to declassify the Epstein files (Getty Images) Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee who shepherded FBI Director Kash Patel's confirmation through the committee, insisted that there needs to be transparency. 'So maybe one motivation, since it's not going to be here, what they thought it was going to be,' he said. 'And the other one would be motivation, maybe it's more damaging to some people than they think it could be. You can't do the whole 'we got to protect witnesses.' That's what they call 'redaction.'' But Tillis is in a far different spot than most of his Republican colleagues in the House and Senate given he's clashed with Trump on a few occasions, and does not have to worrry about being pitted against a Trump- and RNC-backed primary challenger in a reelection bid. Republicans had earlier blocked an attempt by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) to include an amendment to a rule to declassify files related to Epstein. Every Republican either opposed the legislation or did not vote. On Monday evening, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) was the sole Republican on the House Rules Committee hearing to support Khanna's amendment. But when The Independent showed him Trump's post on Truth Social, he chuckled and immediately pivoted to former President Joe Biden. 'Trump, the great things he's doing, where I do agree with him. Where was the inquiry that they had to get into Biden's LLCs?' he asked. 'The cash payments. It never happened. So I see why he's frustrated.' Meanwhile, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), who leads a House task force on government secrets and has supported attempts to declassify files related to Epstein, challenged the idea she opposed attempts to declassify the info around Epstein with her 'no' vote. 'I didn't vote against his amendment, that was a procedural to return power to the House Democrats,' she told The Independent. Luna's predicament, like that of many members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, is that they have pushed for years to declassify information related to Epstein. Part of this was in hopes that it would lead to the downfall of Democratic elected officials and business elites — and indeed, former president Bill Clinton and Bill Gates both were friendly with Epstein, as was Trump. When The Independent asked about the president's post on Truth Social where he said his 'PAST supporters have bought into this 'bullshit,' hook, line, and sinker,' she dodged. 'I have not read it yet, but I'll definitely check it out,' Luna told The Independent. When pressed about it, she referred to past statements where she said a whistleblower accused the government of destroying evidence. 'I will tell you that, although I have not seen any information pertaining to the Epstein whole files as a whole, what I will tell you is the President's statement was pretty clear that he supported releasing credible evidence,' she told The Independent. 'What I will tell you is that again, I don't speak for the DOJ and I don't speak for the White House, but I think that there's more to come on this, and so, I'll leave it at that.' But Trump has always been cagey about declassifying information about Epstein. During the 2024 campaign, when asked by Fox News about it, he said, 'I think that less so because you don't want to affect people's lives if it's phony stuff in there, because it's a lot of phony stuff with that whole world. But I think I would.' Trump's forceful denunications have put him directly at odds with some of his biggest defenders. A poll from Quinnipiac University released on Wednesday showed that only 40 percent of Republicans approve of how Trump has handled the Epstein files and 36 percent disapprove of it. The numbers come ever since the Department of Justice released a two-page memo saying it had conducted an 'exhaustive review' of materials related to Epstein and that he had no 'client list.' That has put Republicans like Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas in a bind. Gill, a freshman firebrand, had previously called for files around Epstein to be released. But when asked by The Independent, he demurred. 'I think there's always still a chance,' he said. 'I mean, I'd like to see them. I think most, most Americans would. I trust the president and his team. We've got a great group of people working there, so we'll see where it goes.' When pressed, Gill repeated his remarks. 'Like I said he's put together a really good team,' he told The Independent. 'He's the leader of the party. I think he's gonna do the right thing.'
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
House Rep. Luna says criminally referring Powell to DOJ
House Representative Anna Paulina Luna said via X: 'I am criminally referring Jerome Powell to the DOJ to investigate perjury regarding his crazy $2.5BN building.' Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Trump hints at Powell ousting over fraud claims amid row over interest rates
Donald Trump last night insisted he was not planning to fire the boss of the Federal Reserve – unless he is guilty of fraud. The US President's comments fuelled fresh speculation over Jerome Powell's future. Trump has been highly critical of the central bank chairman over his reluctance to cut interest rates more quickly. This week he doubled down on his attack, describing Powell as a 'stupid guy' and a 'knucklehead'. Asked yesterday if he ruled out firing Powell, Trump said: 'I don't rule out anything but I think it's highly unlikely unless he has to leave for fraud.' That refers to an investigation into cost overruns on a near-£2billion Fed renovation project. When asked if it was a fireable offence Trump said: 'I think it sort of is'. The comments came after Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican Congresswoman from Florida, wrote on X yesterday: 'If Jerome doesn't lower interest rates he is going to get fired. 'Bookmark this. The ball is in Powell's court. Lots of good and smart people asking for the job!' On Tuesday, she said: 'Hearing Jerome Powell is getting fired. From a very serious source.' Trump reportedly discussed sacking Powell in a meeting with Congressional Republicans on Tuesday night. But ousting Powell before his term as chairman ends in May next year would likely send shockwaves through financial markets.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
MAGA darling claims Fed chair's firing is 'imminent' after Trump reveals Jerome Powell's critical mistake
MAGA firebrand Anna Paulina Luna said Jerome Powell was on thin ice - and his firing was 'imminent' after Donald Trump slammed the the fed chair for fumbling the central bank's budget. The Florida rep has chimed into the heated debate surrounding Powell's federal future, as the chairman comes under scrutiny over a staggering $2.5 billion renovation to Federal Reserve headquarters. As Fed chair, Powell can not be fired unless there is just cause. His term is up in May 2026. While Powell and Trump have clashed in the past over US interest rates, Luna believes the over-the-top office revamp may provide the final straw. 'I'm 99% sure firing is imminent,' the 36-year-old congresswoman declared on X on Tuesday. She shared her prediction about three hours after posting that she was 'hearing Jerome Powell is getting fired! From a very serious source.' Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Trump addressed his grievances with Powell while speaking with reporters while visiting Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. When someone blatantly asked the commander in chief if he would fire him. 'I think he's terrible. I think he's a total stiff. But the one thing I didn't see him is a guy that needed a palace to live in,' Trump said, as reported by The Hill. In a follow-up, Trump was asked if dropping $2.5 billion on the renovations is something that could cost Powell his job. 'I think it sort of is,' he responded. Trump has not shied away from criticizing the chairman, who was first appointed to the Federal Reserve in 2017 and later re-appointed under the Biden administration in 2022. 'I think he's doing a terrible job,' Trump said of Powell, when asked about the performance of the chair, who he routinely calls 'Mr. too late,' last week. 'I think we should be, no, I think we should be three points lower interest rate. He's costing our country a lot of money,' he continued. 'We should be number one, and we're not, and that's because it's Jerome Powell – in terms of interest. We are number one in the world. Look, I'll tell you a little simple a little simple language. After blaming Powell for the fed not being 'number one' in rates, Trump repeated his refrain that the US was now 'hot.' 'One year ago, our country was a dead country. We were going nowhere except down. We were the laughing stock all over the world, and now we're the hottest country anywhere in the world.' But before describing America's economic comeback, Trump had issued a somewhat contradictory message to Powell in a persuasive effort to get Powell to lower US interest rates at the end of June. At the time, Trump had released an angry handwritten note that casted the US central bank as behind the curve. Trump posted a chart of 'World Central Bank Rates' – showing institutions from countries including Botswana, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, and Albania which have set their own rates lower than the US. He wrote the note in all-caps with Sharpie marker, telling Powell that he is 'too late' in bringing down rates. 'You have cost the USA a fortune and continued to do so,' he lectured. 'Hundreds of billions of dollars being lost! No inflation,' the president added. A week prior penning his passionate note, Trump said he was thinking of replacements for the Princeton-educated Powell, who he has repeatedly called 'stupid.'
Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
'Absolute bare minimum': Calls for more action after Secret Service agents suspended for security failure
Following the suspension of six Secret Service agents tasked with protecting President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. on July 13 of last year, growing calls for accountability are sounding on social media. GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida called the suspension the "absolute bare minimum." "Given the shocking security failures that day, this is the absolute bare minimum," Luna wrote on X. Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah posted the news on his personal account and told one user in a thread that he intends "to find out why" the Secret Service agents had been suspended instead of fired. "Why didn't this happen a long time ago?" asked a user to his post. "The Deep State is deliberately slow," Lee replied in the thread. Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer said the move to suspend the agents involved was expected. Coffindaffer wrote in an X post that the Secret Service's "incompetence cost a life," referring to Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter, father and husband, who was shot and killed that day. The assailant, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired eight shots from an AR-15–style rifle from a rooftop approximately 400 feet from the stage where Trump was speaking. One bullet grazed Trump's right ear, while another fatally struck rally attendee Comperatore, who shielded his family. The Secret Service agency confirmed to Fox News that the disciplinary action occurred in February. The revelation comes ahead of a Senate report outlining the security failures in Butler. Following the July 13 incident, the agency faced additional criticism when a second assassination attempt on Trump took place in West Palm Beach, Florida. The second incident prompted then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign.
