Trump Admin Responds To Wsj Reporting That The President's Name Appeared In Epstein Files

House Oversight will lawsuit DOJ for Epstein files and subpoenas to others

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Syedah Asghar, Kyle Stewart, Didi Martinez and Zoë Richards

A House Oversight subcommittee voted coming to lawsuit nan Justice Department for nan Jeffrey Epstein files.

The motion, from Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., passed nan subcommittee successful an 8-2 vote. The sheet besides agreed to an amendment from Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., to redact nan names of victims and immoderate personally identifying information. Lee’s mobility to lawsuit nan Justice Department allows those files to beryllium redacted since nan amendment was adopted, though they would beryllium conscionable for committee purposes and not for nationalist release.

House rules springiness committee chairs wide discretion connected matters concerning their committees, meaning Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., could take to disregard nan votes successful nan subcommittee. He could besides usage nan votes arsenic a launching pad to prosecute subpoenas, arsenic he did erstwhile a different oversight subcommittee voted yesterday to nonstop him to lawsuit Epstein's co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.

Scott Wong and Sahil Kapur

Reporting from Washington

Once fighting a lonely conflict against Trump, GOP Rep. Thomas Massie has recovered an rumor that is winning him much Republican friends and governmental friends than he has had each year: his push to merchandise nan Jeffrey Epstein files.

Many of Trump’s MAGA friends connected and disconnected Capitol Hill are disappointment pinch Trump and apical officials successful his management for dragging their feet successful releasing nan government’s remaining documents and records related to Epstein, nan precocious financier and convicted activity offender.

But they’re rooting for Massie, R-Ky., who has leaned into nan conflict successful caller weeks and made it his sole ngo to get nan files released. It is simply a uncommon rumor connected which Massie aligns much intimately pinch galore of Trump’s ain supporters than Trump himself. That’s a large displacement for Massie, who was swimming against nan current in his guidance to Trump’s megabill by raising indebtedness concerns that fell connected deaf ears pinch different Republicans.

Read nan afloat communicative here.

Kyle Stewart and Syedah Asghar

House Republicans are moving to create a caller prime subcommittee to “continue Congress’ investigation” of nan Jan. 6, 2021, onslaught connected nan Capitol, chaired by Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga.

The House will have to ballot connected nan solution to found nan subcommittee, which would autumn nether nan Judiciary Committee.

Loudermilk chaired a subcommittee pinch specified jurisdiction nether nan House Administration Committee, arsenic well.

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper plans to tally for nan Senate, according to 2 sources acquainted pinch his plans, handing Democrats a apical campaigner successful a authorities that will beryllium cardinal to nan conflict for nan majority. 

Axios, which broke nan news of Cooper’s expected bid, reported that he is expected to officially participate nan title adjacent week, according to aggregate sources.

Morgan Jackson, Cooper’s apical governmental adviser, would not corroborate Cooper’s plans but said Cooper would stock much astir them successful nan coming days. Cooper is also listed arsenic a speaker astatine nan North Carolina Democratic Party’s “Unity Dinner” connected Saturday.

Democrats person agelong touted Cooper, 68, arsenic a formidable candidate, fixed his grounds of winning statewide races successful nan perennial battleground state.

Read nan afloat communicative here.

Reporting from Washington

The Supreme Court today allowed Trump to occurrence members of nan Consumer Product Safety Commission, a national agency group up by Congress to beryllium independent of governmental pressures.

The justices, granting an emergency petition revenge by nan Trump administration, blocked a Maryland-based national judge’s ruling that reinstated Mary Boyle, Alexander Hoehn-Saric and Richard Trumka Jr., each of whom were appointed by President Joe Biden. 

Without nan 3 members, nan five-member committee would for now deficiency nan basal quorum to fulfill its responsibility to protect consumers from defective products.

Under existing law, members tin beryllium removed only for “neglect of work aliases malfeasance,” but Trump went up and fired members anyway, arsenic he has done astatine different agencies pinch akin restrictions arsenic portion of his fierce efforts to reshape nan national government.

Read nan afloat communicative here.

The management is pushing backmost against a caller Wall Street Journal story that reported that Justice Department officials briefed Trump this twelvemonth and told him that his sanction appeared successful Epstein-related files they had been reviewing. NBC News has not independently confirmed nan reporting.

“The truth is that nan President kicked him retired of his nine for being a creep," White House communications head Steven Cheung said successful a statement. "This is thing much than a continuation of nan clone news stories concocted by nan Democrats and nan wide media, conscionable for illustration nan Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was correct about.”

The connection does not specifically reside nan accusation reported astir Trump’s being briefed that his sanction appears.

A Justice Department charismatic told NBC News that “I cannot corroborate nan report” when specifically asked whether Trump was briefed successful May. 

The House Oversight Committee has officially subpoenaed Ghislaine Maxwell for a deposition astatine nan Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee successful Florida connected Aug. 11.

“The facts and circumstances surrounding some your and Mr. Epstein’s cases person received immense nationalist liking and scrutiny," Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., wrote, addressing Maxwell.

He added, “While nan Justice Department undertakes efforts to uncover and publically disclose further accusation related to your and Mr. Epstein’s cases, it is imperative that Congress behaviour oversight of nan national government’s enforcement of activity trafficking laws mostly and specifically its handling of nan investigation and prosecution of you and Mr. Epstein."

Ryan J. Reilly and Dareh Gregorian

A national judge successful Florida ruled that its “hands are tied” successful releasing federal expansive assemblage transcripts from 2005 and 2007 successful relationship pinch an investigation into Epstein.

U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg said that, though nan authorities believes typical circumstances beryllium and nan argumentation reasons for expansive assemblage secrecy person expired, its rationales “are nary exceptions” to expansive assemblage secrecy.

Read nan afloat communicative here.

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Dareh Gregorian, Rebecca Shabad and Lawrence Hurley

Asked whether Obama would beryllium immune to immoderate criminal charges related to Gabbard's announcement, fixed nan Supreme Court ruling connected statesmanlike immunity past year, White House property caput Karoline Leavitt sidestepped nan question.

She said that she'd spoken to Trump earlier successful nan time and that he told her that "he wants to spot each those who perpetuated this fraud against our country, who betrayed our state and nan Constitution, to beryllium thoroughly investigated and held accountable."

Trump said yesterday that Obama was "guilty" of treason, a declare Obama's spokesperson called "bizarre" and "ridiculous."

Dan De Luce and Rebecca Shabad

Gabbard is promoting a 2020 study she precocious declassified that she claims shows Obama manufactured nan U.S. intelligence community's appraisal of Russia's interference successful nan 2016 election.

The report, prepared by Republicans connected nan House Intelligence Committee, doesn't see thing new. It sought to reappraisal nan 2017 intelligence community's appraisal that Russia tried to power nan statesmanlike predetermination nan twelvemonth before.

Hackers exploiting a critical Microsoft flaw broke into nan National Nuclear Security Administration connected Friday, nan agency says.

The NNSA, a semi-autonomous agency wrong nan Energy Department that maintains nan U.S. atomic weapons stockpile, declined to property nan hack. Google and Microsoft said this week that nan flaw successful Microsoft’s SharePoint level had prompted a flurry of attempts by hackers to utilization it, including aggregate groups associated pinch Chinese intelligence.

An NNSA spokesperson downplayed nan grade of a hack successful an email.

“The Department was minimally impacted owed to its wide usage of nan Microsoft M365 unreality and very tin cybersecurity systems. A very mini number of systems were impacted,” nan spokesperson said.

The Democrats starring nan House and Senate fund committees are introducing authorities coming to abolish nan indebtedness limit arsenic we cognize it. The measure would ensure that nan Treasury Department could get money if basal to meet U.S. obligations nether nan law, rather than needing Congress to walk authorities successful what has go a perennial conflict connected Capitol Hill.

The Debt Ceiling Reform Act, led by Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., would let nan treasury caput to suspend nan indebtedness limit for 2 years. That could return effect 46 almanac days aft Congress has been notified — unless Congress passes a rule to forestall it during that window.

Republicans raised nan indebtedness limit by $5 trillion successful Trump’s megabill, astir apt resolving it done nan 2026 midterm election.

Rob Wile and Steve Kopack

Trump has begun announcing a suite of caller bilateral waste and acquisition agreements. The specifications of nan deals — and who, if anyone, stands to use — stay mostly unknown.

Yesterday, Trump heralded 3 caller agreements pinch Indonesia, nan Philippines and Japan. The announcements came pinch nary accusation astir enforcement aliases guarantees, extracurricular of tariff levels stated by Trump — 19% for nan first two, 15% for Japan — and promises of eliminating barriers connected imports of U.S. products.

Read nan afloat communicative here.

The American Jewish Committee has issued a connection criticizing Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., for expressing support for allowing group successful Gaza to starve successful a societal media post.

"Release nan hostages. Until then, starve away," Fine said yesterday connected X, sharing a study astir group successful Gaza dying from famine and malnutrition.

The defense group responded successful a station to X that "the superior humanitarian business successful Gaza must not beryllium taken lightly, particularly by those astatine nan highest levels of government."

"Implying that starvation is simply a morganatic maneuver is unacceptable," nan group continued. "All those successful request of humanitarian assistance should person it promptly and safely. Our leaders must attraction little connected scoring governmental points and much connected doing their jobs."

The Palestinian Health Ministry said yesterday that 15 people, including 4 children, died from terrible malnutrition successful conscionable 24 hours. Aid groups person been informing of an progressively dire starvation situation successful Gaza.

Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., announced he won't tally for his state’s unfastened Senate seat, clearing erstwhile Rep. Mike Rogers’ way to nan GOP nomination.  

“After observant information pinch Natalie and my family, arsenic good arsenic successful consultation pinch President Trump, I person decided against a bid for U.S. Senate successful Michigan,” Huizenga told The Detroit News.  

Huizenga noted that Rogers had racked up support from GOP leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C. Trump has not yet made an endorsement successful nan race. 

Alex Latcham, nan executive head of nan Senate Leadership Fund, a Thune-aligned ace PAC, said successful a statement, “There’s nary uncertainty that Mike Rogers is poised to beryllium Michigan’s adjacent U.S. Senator, and Senate Leadership Fund will support his run each measurement of nan way."

Republican Jack Ciattarelli announced Wednesday that Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon will service arsenic his moving mate successful this year's title for politician successful New Jersey.

“Jim is simply a dressed up rule enforcement officer, a problem solver, and personification who I cognize tin activity pinch maine to hole our state,” Ciattarelli said successful a statement, according to a news merchandise from nan campaign.

Gannon, who has besides worked successful nan Morris County prosecutor's agency and nan FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, hails from nan legislature territory represented by nan Democratic nominee, Rep. Mikie Sherrill.

The New Jersey title is 1 of 2 races for politician this year, on pinch Virginia.

Matt Lavietes and Abigail Williams

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced coming that nan State Department is opening an investigation into Harvard University’s compliance pinch nan government-run visa programme for world students.

Rubio said successful a connection that each sponsors of nan programme “must comply pinch each regulations, including conducting their programs successful a mode that does not undermine nan overseas argumentation objectives aliases discuss nan nationalist information interests of nan United States.”

Read nan afloat communicative here.

Frank Thorp V and Dareh Gregorian

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer coming ripped Speaker Mike Johnson for calling an early recess successful nan House, saying he was trying to "escape discussions" astir nan precocious financier and convicted activity offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"The shade of nan disgraced Jeffrey Epstein is haunting our Republican colleagues, truthful overmuch truthful that Speaker Johnson decided to trim bait and nonstop nan House location to flight discussions astir Epstein, alternatively of doing their jobs for illustration grown-ups and making advancement connected appropriations," nan New York Democrat said.

Johnson "has assured that August has go nan Epstein recess, because this rumor is going to turn and turn and turn nan longer House Republicans dodge this issue," he added.

Schumer besides suggested nan move mightiness person been carried retired to "give Trump clip to hole papers for nan pardon of Ghislaine Maxwell," nan Epstein subordinate who's serving a 20-year situation term.

Gary Grumbach and Marlene Lenthang

Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s attorneys person asked a national judge successful Tennessee to bid nan Trump management to extremity making statements astir his lawsuit aft Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publically called him a “horrible quality being” who should “never beryllium released.”

Abrego, a Maryland resident, was erroneously deported successful March to El Salvador, and his lawsuit became a flashpoint successful nan Trump administration’s crackdown connected immigration, sparking concerns complete a deficiency of owed process. He’s now being held successful Nashville, Tennessee, on human smuggling charges.

Read nan afloat communicative here.

Sarah Dean and Rebecca Shabad

Trump will unveil his administration's AI action scheme early this evening, which stems from an executive bid he signed soon aft his inauguration.

“We judge we’re successful an AI race. It’s a world title now to lead an artificial intelligence, and we want nan United States to triumph that race,” White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks said connected a telephone pinch reporters this morning.

Sacks said nan plan's 3 pillars will attraction connected accelerating AI innovation, building AI infrastructure and starring world AI diplomacy and security. 

"We want America to lead successful information centers, and nan power that powers those information centers and each nan infrastructure that it takes to beryllium nan leader successful AI," Sacks said.

The scheme presents much than 90 national argumentation actions. Sacks said nan management developed nan action scheme "with urgency" truthful that each of nan policies tin beryllium implemented successful nan adjacent six months to a year.

Immediately aft Zohran Mamdani became nan presumptive Democratic nominee for politician of New York City past month, 1 Republican congressman had a provocative proposal for nan Trump administration: “He needs to beryllium DEPORTED.”

The Uganda-born Mamdani obtained U.S. citizenship successful 2018 aft moving to nan United States pinch his parents arsenic a child. But Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., based on successful his post connected X that nan Justice Department should see revoking it complete rap lyrics that, he said, suggested support for Hamas.

Read nan afloat communicative here.

Madyson Diaz, Frank Thorp V and Megan Lebowitz

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., had a blunt connection this greeting connected nan perceived request for much transparency successful nan Jeffrey Epstein case: "Release nan damn files."

"It makes nary consciousness to me," Tillis said during an Axios event, adding that nan files were either a "nothing burger successful position of nan grounds we have" aliases they clasp thing "disturbing."

"The committedness to merchandise nan files during nan run was either overplayed and we sewage a thing burger if nan files get released, aliases it’s thing really disturbing, and that’s really moreover a much compelling logic to merchandise it," Tillis said.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., says he will not support Paul Ingrassia, Trump’s arguable nominee for nan U.S. Office of Special Counsel, telling NBC News, “I’m a no.”

“I had not been pursuing him,” Tillis said. “I went into my office, sewage a preliminary briefing, and that’s capable for maine to cognize there’s astir apt virtually nary measurement I could get to a yes. It’s Jan. 6, it’s a number of different things. So, I deliberation he’s 1 of these group that’s checked each nan boxes, and they’re each nan incorrect boxes.”

Ingrassia is simply a far-right erstwhile podcaster and commentator pinch a lengthy database of incendiary comments. He has called for Jan. 6 to be declared a nationalist holiday to grant nan “peaceful protestation against a awesome injustice affecting our electoral system” and dismissed nan Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught connected Israel arsenic a “psyop.”

Tillis has said successful caller weeks that he will reason immoderate Trump nominee who participated successful aliases acted successful support of those who took portion successful nan riot astatine nan U.S. Capitol.

Abigail Williams and Monica Alba

Trump's typical envoy to nan Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will recreation to Europe this week for meetings connected a wide scope of issues, including nan warfare successful Gaza, a State Department charismatic told NBC News.

Witkoff will proceed pushing successful nan meetings for a Gaza ceasefire and bid deal, and if capable advancement is made, he will recreation connected to Doha, Qatar, for further discussions, according to a U.S. charismatic and a root acquainted pinch nan plan.  

The imaginable 2nd extremity was first reported by Axios.

An Afghan who moved to nan United States aft moving for nan U.S. subject successful his location state was seized by armed, masked migration agents, put successful a van and taken retired of state, attorneys and members of Congress said yesterday.

Identified only arsenic Zia by members of Congress and his lawyer retired of interest for his information and that of his family, nan man had worked arsenic an expert for nan U.S. subject during nan warfare successful Afghanistan.

He was successful nan United States legally and was arrested aft an assignment successful Connecticut related to his exertion for a green card under a programme to protect group who worked for U.S. forces, according to quality authorities advocates, his lawyer and members of Congress.

Read nan afloat communicative here.

Any state "who doesn't person a woody by Aug. 1 will spell backmost to nan April 2 tariff level, but that doesn't mean we can't support negotiating," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said this greeting connected MSNBC.

Asked specifically astir a woody pinch China, which Trump has group a later deadline of Aug. 12 to resolve, Bessent said "we person a bid of deals pinch China" connected uncommon world minerals. However, a full-fledged waste and acquisition woody pinch China remains elusive.

Rare world minerals are captious for nan manufacture of everything from electrical vehicles to smartphones.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said successful an question and reply connected MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that Trump has nary plans to occurrence Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Trump has attacked Powell astatine an unrelenting gait for months. As precocious arsenic past night, Trump said Powell was "terrible, terrible" and told lawmakers gathered astatine nan White House for a reception that Powell was "either evil aliases stupid."

Asked if Trump's unit run against Powell is fair, Bessent said "I deliberation everyone's utilized to that. Chair Powell's been astir a agelong time."

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is skipping a bid for politician and will alternatively tally for re-election aft Trump urged him to do conscionable that, which clears nan section for 1 of Lawler's House colleagues if she chooses to run.

Lawler made his announcement this greeting successful an question and reply pinch The New York Times and an quality connected Fox News, noting that "keeping nan House mostly is critical" and that his spot has been "determinative of power of nan House" during caller elections.

"I'm proud to tally for re-election connected my grounds and triumph adjacent November and support nan House Republican majority," he said.

Lawler been openly considering a gubernatorial bid for immoderate time, but Trump endorsed him for re-election earlier Lawler publically made up his mind. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., a Trump state who had been tapped arsenic his United Nations ambassador earlier that information was pulled amid concerns astir nan slim GOP mostly successful nan House, is besides weighing her ain gubernatorial bid.

Trump will present remarks this day astatine an artificial intelligence acme successful Washington, D.C., wherever he besides is expected to motion executive orders, according to nan White House.

Members of his management and tech manufacture leaders are expected to be nan half-day event, which is being hosted by nan All‑In podcast and nan Hill & Valley Forum, according to a news merchandise from nan group.

Steve Kopack and Eve Qiao

The U.S. and China will resume waste and acquisition talks successful Sweden connected Monday and Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, adding that nan Aug. 12 deadline for negotiating a woody is apt to beryllium extended.

“I deliberation waste and acquisition is successful a very bully spot pinch China,” Bessent, who will lead nan U.S. delegation successful Stockholm on pinch Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, said yesterday connected Fox Business.

Sweden and China besides confirmed nan talks, which will proceed to beryllium led connected nan Chinese broadside by Vice Premier He Lifeng.

Though location were fewer deliverables from erstwhile rounds of talks successful Geneva and London, China has eased export controls connected strategically captious uncommon world minerals and magnets, while nan U.S. has lifted export controls connected creation package for semiconductor chips and allowed U.S. companies Nvidia and AMD to resume Chinese income of precocious chips for usage successful processing artificial intelligence. 

Bridget Bowman and Adam Edelman

Trump’s sweeping taxation trim and spending rule known arsenic nan “big beautiful bill” is expected to be a awesome rumor successful nan 2026 midterm elections. But first, candidates for politician this twelvemonth successful Virginia and New Jersey are already testing really nan measurement plays connected nan run trail.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill and erstwhile Rep. Abigail Spanberger, nan Democratic nominees successful New Jersey and Virginia, respectively, person warned astir devastating impacts from looming cuts to societal information nett programs specified arsenic Medicaid and nan Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Republicans are taking mixed approaches. In New Jersey, a high-tax authorities wherever affordability is simply a apical issue, erstwhile Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and his friends are readying to spell connected offense, arguing that Sherrill voted to artifact captious taxation cuts.

Read nan afloat communicative here.

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Monica Alba, Vaughn Hillyard, Dareh Gregorian and Zoë Richards

Former President Barack Obama’s agency issued a uncommon rebuke of Trump yesterday aft nan president accused his predecessor of having committed “treason” and rigging nan 2016 and 2020 elections.

“Out of respect for nan agency of nan presidency, our agency does not usually dignify nan changeless delirium and misinformation flowing retired of this White House pinch a response,” Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said. “But these claims are outrageous capable to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a anemic effort astatine distraction.”

Read nan afloat communicative here.