A lawyer for Ghislaine Maxwell, the accomplice of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, says his client is unsure whether she’ll comply with a congressional subpoena to testify about his abuse of girls and whether others were involved.
“We have to make a decision about whether she will do that or not,” her attorney David Oscar Markus told Politico. “That’s been scheduled for the week of August 11th and we haven’t gotten back to them on whether we’ll do that.”
The lawyer’s comments came after he and Maxwell met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in Tallahassee, where she’s serving 20 years behind bars for her role in Epstein’s scheme to sexually exploit girls, to discuss the Epstein case that has rattled the Trump administration for weeks. Maxwell had initiated the meetings and was granted a form of limited immunity to talk to the Justice Department, ABC News reported.
Upon arriving in Scotland for a golfing trip, the president said: “A lot of people asking me about pardons ... this is no time to be talking about pardons.”
The president, who has never been accused of wrongdoing in the Epstein case, has tried to distance himself from his former friend.
House Democrats are now trying to get the so-called “birthday book” that has been at the center of recent fallout. In a letter to Epstein’s estate, they asked for a “complete, unredacted copy” of the book by August 10. The Wall Street Journal first detailed a reported Trump letter in the book. Trump has sued the outlet for $10 billion over the report.
Trump’s approval tanks amid Epstein fallout - now less than 30% of independent’s approve
Trump blasts Democrats over what he calls the ‘Epstein SCAM’ and ‘CON JOB’
Bill Clinton wrote a birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein, according to bombshell report
Ghislaine Maxwell given ‘limited immunity’ in meetings with deputy attorney general: reports
Key points
- Trump ducks question on Maxwell pardon, says media 'focused on conspiracy theories'
- Democrats have asked Epstein's estate for a 'complete, unredacted' copy of the so-called 'birthday book'
- Trump claims someone else could have used his name in Epstein birthday book
- Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney says Blanche asked 'about every single possible thing' in second meeting
- Trump arrives in Scotland
- The Epstein List: Who's in the files?
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22:03 , Kelly RissmanThanks for tuning in with us today. This blog will be paused for now.
Trump is en route to Scotland — why?
Friday 25 July 2025 15:50 , Oliver O'ConnellDonald Trump will be visiting the UK for the first of two scheduled trips this year as he plans to land in Scotland on Friday for a five-day private trip.
This will be followed by an official state visit only a few months later, with King Charles III set to welcome the US president from 17 to 19 September.
Here’s Albert Toth with what’s happening on this trip:
Trump’s ‘coverup’ in the face of Epstein scoops is making his problems so much worse
Friday 25 July 2025 16:10 , Oliver O'ConnellJohn Bowden writes:
The firestorm continued on the MAGA right this week as the political focus on the Epstein files just would not dissipate and Donald Trump dug himself deeper into a hole.
With his administration scrambling to explain why it isn’t releasing files from an investigation that its own members and supporters have said for years should be made public, the president spent the past two weeks reigniting old conflicts with foes ranging from Rosie O’Donnell to Barack Obama.
On Wednesday, those efforts escalated to the point where the U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, declared from behind the White House briefing room podium that former President Obama had attempted a “coup” on American soil.
But Trump and his closest advisers are coming to quickly realize that they and the mainstream media both greatly underestimated the staying power of the Epstein issue.
Read on...
Trump’s ‘coverup’ in the face of Epstein scoops is making his problems so much worse
ICYMI: Trump blasts Democrats over what he calls the ‘Epstein SCAM’ and ‘CON JOB’
Friday 25 July 2025 16:30 , Oliver O'ConnellA furious President Donald Trump has once again blasted “Radical Left Democrats” over the ongoing fallout of the so-called “Epstein files,” describing it as a “SCAM” and a “CON JOB.”
In a late-night post on Truth Social Thursday, the president fumed over what he claims is an attempt to “distract and obfuscate” from his administration’s first “GREAT six months of service to America ... the results of which many are saying is the BEST six months in Presidential history.”
Mike Bedigan reports.
Trump blasts Democrats over what he calls the ‘Epstein SCAM’ and ‘CON JOB’
Amid Epstein furore, does South Park’s savage takedown show Trump has picked a fight he can’t win?
Friday 25 July 2025 16:50 , Oliver O'ConnellLouis Chilton writes:
Of all the dubious achievements of Donald Trump’s time in office, the most surprising may be this: the US president has made South Park relevant again. The long-running animation – just days ago signing a record-breaking $1.5bn deal with Paramount to produce 50 new episodes over the next five years – used its long-awaited season premiere to launch a characteristically pugnacious critique of the president.
Read on...
South Park’s savage takedown shows Trump has picked a fight he can’t win
Maxwell lawyer claims 'scapegoat' client 'treated very unfairly'
Friday 25 July 2025 17:10 , Oliver O'ConnellGhislaine Maxwell's attorney, David Oscar Markus, said his client “has been treated very unfairly” for more than five years and has no reason to lie when answering questions from Justice Department officials.
Markus was speaking to reporters ahead of a second day of meetings in Tallahassee, Florida, between Maxwell and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, formerly Donald Trump’s personal lawyer.
“If you looked up scapegoat in the dictionary, her face would be next to the definition, next to the dictionary definition of it,” Markus said. “So, you know, we’re grateful for this opportunity to finally be able to say what really happened, and that’s what we’re going to do, yesterday and today.”
Maxwell has experienced “terrible, awful conditions for five years,” he claimed.
“We wouldn’t keep animals the way she’s been kept in prison,” Markus said, adding that “it’s unbelievable that she can keep her spirits up this high, and we’re proud of her.”
“We just ask that folks look at what she has to say with an open mind, and that’s what Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has promised us, and everything she says can be corroborated, and she’s telling the truth. She’s got no reason to lie at this point, and she’s going to keep telling the truth.”
Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking by a federal court in late 2021 after a high-profile trial in which lurid details of her personal role in grooming young girls for Jeffrey Epstein were presented to the jury that ultimately convicted her.
She is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her crimes.
Here’s a look at the prison in which she is incarcerated:
Filth, rats and fear of reprisals: Life inside Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison
Full story: Trump says he could pardon Ghislaine Maxwell ‘but hasn’t thought about it’
Friday 25 July 2025 17:20 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump said Friday he has not thought about pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted enabler of financier sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — but noted that he could — as she prepares for a second consecutive day of questioning from his former attorney, who is now a top Justice Department official.
“I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I haven’t thought about,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on his way to Scotland.
Ariana Baio reports.
Ghislaine Maxwell set for second day of grilling by ex-Trump lawyer Blanche
Gender-justice organization flies banner over Tallahassee as Maxwell meets with Blanche for second day
Friday 25 July 2025 17:43 , Oliver O'Connell
UltraViolet, a national women-led gender-justice organization, has arranged for a plane to fly over Tallahassee today with a banner that reads: “TRUMP AND BONDI ARE PROTECTING PREDATORS,” as Ghislaine Maxwell meets for a second day with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s announcement in early July that no more files related to the investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein would be published has outraged supporters of President Donald Trump. The MAGA base widely expected them to be released after years of conspiracy theories regarding their contents.
In an effort to tamp down the anger, the president instructed Bondi to ask judges to release grand jury transcripts relating to the case — requests that were denied — and Blanche was dispatched to meet with Maxwell.
There is intense speculation as to what they are discussing, and Democrats in Congress are furious that she is not testifying publicly under oath before speaking to the Justice Department. She is set to be deposed in prison on August 11 by the House Oversight Committee.
“Trump and Bondi are protecting predators”
— Jason Delgado (@JasonDelgadoX) July 25, 2025
A banner plane is flying above the federal courthouse in Tallahassee — where the DOJ is interviewing convicted Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. pic.twitter.com/HrlinjmAWg
The aircraft will fly over the Downtown Tallahassee State Capitol Building, as well as the Joseph Woodrow Hatchett United States Courthouse and Federal Building on North Adams Street, and around the Federal Correctional Institution in northeast Tallahassee, where Maxwell is serving her 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking minors with her boyfriend, Epstein.
Maxwell-Blanche meeting has ended
Friday 25 July 2025 17:54 , Oliver O'ConnellCNN reports that the second day of meetings between Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Ghislaine Maxwell, and her lawyer has concluded.
Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, was spotted leaving the Tallahassee, Florida, federal courthouse where the meeting took place and spoke briefly with the media.
Stand by.
Report: Bill Clinton wrote a birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein
Friday 25 July 2025 18:01 , Oliver O'ConnellJeffrey Epstein's birthday album included a letter from former President Bill Clinton, according to a new report.
Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019, has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks after the Justice Department and FBI released a memo earlier this month stating there was never any Epstein client list of powerful people who may have participated in his crimes.
Rachel Dobkin reports.
Epstein’s birthday book included letter from Bill Clinton, report claims
Bondi left ‘blindsided and annoyed’ by Gabbard’s sudden Obama crusade
Friday 25 July 2025 18:25 , Oliver O'ConnellAttorney General Pam Bondi was left “blindsided and annoyed” by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s sudden crusade against former President Barack Obama, according to a new report.
Joe Sommerlad reports.
Pam Bondi left ‘blindsided and annoyed’ by Tulsi Gabbard’s sudden Obama crusade
Maxwell attorney says Blanche asked 'about every single possible thing' in second meeting
Friday 25 July 2025 18:41 , Oliver O'ConnellDavid Oscar Markus, Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorney, told reporters outside the Tallahassee courthouse where his client met with Justice Department officials, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, that she was asked about “every single possible thing you could imagine.”
Blanche, formerly President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, met with Maxwell yesterday and this morning concerning the case against the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role as his accomplice in a sex trafficking operation involving minors. She is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Markus briefly spoke with reporters as he departed the courthouse, telling them that the meeting had begun at 9 a.m. and continued until lunchtime.
Echoing his statement after yesterday’s full-day meeting, Markus said his client “answered every single question asked of her.”
“We started this morning right around 9 o’clock, and went to now, lunchtime, and we’re finished after all day, yesterday and today. Ghislaine answered every single question asked of her over the last day and a half. She answered those questions honestly, truthfully, to the best of her ability. She never invoked a privilege. She never refused to answer a question,” Markus said.
“They asked about every single, every possible thing you could imagine. Everything,” Markus said.
Further asked about how her cooperation with the Department of Justice would play out, Markus said he was not sure, but “the truth will come out.”
“We don’t know how it’s going to play out. We just know that this was the first opportunity she’s ever been given to answer questions about what happened, and so the truth will come out about what happened with Mr. Epstein, and she’s the person who’s answering those questions,” he said.
"People have questioned her honesty, which I think is just wrong," Markus added.
The attorney said the government had made no offer of clemency — Maxwell was convicted of federal crimes, making it technically possible for President Donald Trump to commute her sentence or pardon her.
Calling Trump the “ultimate dealmaker,” Markus was questioned repeatedly about whether Maxwell is seeking a presidential pardon, but said “there have been no asks and no promises.”
“We haven’t spoken to the president or anybody about a pardon just yet,” Markus said, but acknowledged Trump’s power to free his client.
“The president this morning said he had the power to do so. We hope he exercises that power in the right and just way,” Markus said.
Full story: ‘I never went to that island,’ Trump says of Epstein’s underage getaway as he tells reporters to talk about Bill Clinton
Friday 25 July 2025 18:50 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump on Friday angrily demanded that news outlets turn their attention to allegations about one of his predecessors rather than continue covering his alleged connections to dead pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump was addressing reporters as he departed the White House for a visit to Scotland, where he owns a trio of golf courses, when he was asked whether he’d consider a pardon for Epstein’s convicted sex trafficker associate and girlfriend, Ghislane Maxwell.
Andrew Feinberg, The Independent’s White House correspondent, reports.
‘I never went to that island’: Trump on Epstein underage retreat in epic Clinton rant
Trump, Clinton... Here’s who else is allegedly in the Jeffrey Epstein birthday book
Friday 25 July 2025 19:15 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton both reportedly contributed to a birthday book of letters for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday, along with a host of other notable names.
The leather-bound book was compiled in 2003 by the late sex offender’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is being questioned by Justice Department officials this week to see if she has additional information about the controversial case.
The list of Epstein’s acquaintances in the book has been reviewed by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
Trump and Clinton named. Here’s who else is allegedly in Epstein’s birthday book
Resurfaced clip shows Epstein pleading the Fifth when asked if he was with Trump around underage girls
Friday 25 July 2025 19:40 , Oliver O'ConnellA resurfaced clip shows sex offender Jeffrey Epstein pleading the Fifth when he was asked during a deposition if he ever socialized with underage girls around Donald Trump.
The video clip, unearthed by left-leaning outlet MeidasTouch, shows Epstein responding to questions during a March 2010 deposition. The disgraced financier was questioned by an attorney of an alleged victim, Vice News previously reported.
Katie Hawkinson reports.
Resurfaced clip shows Epstein pleading the Fifth when asked about Trump
Trump’s approval tanks amid Epstein fallout
Friday 25 July 2025 20:05 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump's approval rating has tanked, amid the Jeffrey Epstein files fallout, with less than 30 percent of independents approving of the way the president is handling his job.
A new Gallup poll shows Trump’s overall approval rating at 37 percent.
Rachel Dobkin looks at the numbers.
Trump’s approval tanks amid Epstein fallout - less than 30% of independent’s approve
Trump blasts Democrats over what he calls the ‘Epstein SCAM’ and ‘CON JOB’
Friday 25 July 2025 20:30 , Oliver O'ConnellA furious President Donald Trump has once again blasted “Radical Left Democrats” over the ongoing fallout of the so-called “Epstein files,” describing it as a “SCAM” and a “CON JOB.”
In a late-night post on Truth Social Thursday, the president fumed over what he claims is an attempt to “distract and obfuscate” from his administration’s first “GREAT six months of service to America ... the results of which many are saying is the BEST six months in Presidential history.”
Mike Bedigan reports on the angry outburst.
Trump blasts Democrats over what he calls the ‘Epstein SCAM’ and ‘CON JOB’
Watch: Maxwell 'not credible witness at this time' says Democrat rep
Friday 25 July 2025 20:33 , Oliver O'ConnellGhislaine Maxwell has previously been charged with lying under oath. It’s clear she cannot be trusted.
— Rep. Summer Lee (@RepSummerLee) July 25, 2025
What’s to stop her from lying again to protect Trump or other powerful people to get a pardon?
The DOJ must release the Epstein files immediately. https://t.co/Kk0mpV5NB0 pic.twitter.com/5d98UFxXNW
ANALYSIS: Trump’s ‘coverup’ in the face of Epstein scoops is making his problems so much worse
Friday 25 July 2025 20:55 , Oliver O'ConnellJohn Bowden writes:
The firestorm continued on the MAGA right this week as the political focus on the Epstein files just would not dissipate and Donald Trump dug himself deeper into a hole.
With his administration scrambling to explain why it isn’t releasing files from an investigation that its own members and supporters have said for years should be made public, the president spent the past two weeks reigniting old conflicts with foes ranging from Rosie O’Donnell to Barack Obama.
On Wednesday, those efforts escalated to the point where the U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, declared from behind the White House briefing room podium that former President Obama had attempted a “coup” on American soil.
But Trump and his closest advisers are coming to quickly realize that they and the mainstream media both greatly underestimated the staying power of the Epstein issue.
Read on...
Trump’s ‘coverup’ in the face of Epstein scoops is making his problems so much worse
Watch: Trump says 'no time to be talking about pardons'
Friday 25 July 2025 21:18 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Trump on Ghislaine Maxwell: "A lot of people are asking me about pardons. Obviously, this is no time to be talking about pardons." pic.twitter.com/rRXpc54WPD
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 25, 2025
AG Bondi left ‘blindsided and annoyed’ by Gabbard’s sudden Obama crusade
Friday 25 July 2025 21:20 , Oliver O'ConnellAttorney General Pam Bondi was left “blindsided and annoyed” by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s sudden crusade against former President Barack Obama, according to a new report.
Joe Sommerlad has the details.
Pam Bondi left ‘blindsided and annoyed’ by Tulsi Gabbard’s sudden Obama crusade
Trump claims he wasn't briefed about his name being in Epstein files
Friday 25 July 2025 21:28 , Oliver O'ConnellUpon his arrival in Scotland, President Donald Trump denied ever being briefed about his name appearing in the Epstein files that his Department of Justice has decided not to make public.
Reporter: Were you ever briefed about your name being in the Epstein files?
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 25, 2025
Trump: No pic.twitter.com/gBP5y7uoZg
There’s one slight problem with that...
DOJ told Trump that his name is among others in the Epstein files: report
ANALYSIS: There’s a royal reason Trump won’t escape Jeffrey Epstein fallout on trip to his Scotland golf courses — Prince Andrew
Friday 25 July 2025 21:35 , Oliver O'ConnellAndrew Feinberg writes:
The Republican-led House of Representatives shut down early for its summer break to avoid Jeffrey Epstein motions.
The Senate GOP has been in see-no-evil mode the past week over the controversy swirling around the seemingly vanished “client list” of the high-flying financier and convicted pedophile who once palled around with Donald Trump and Bill Clinton among many other power players.
So it makes perfect sense that President Trump is hoping for five days away from the Epstein fallout firestorm that has landed him in hot water not just with Democrats but his own MAGA base over the Justice Department’s stonewalling on the release of all the Epstein files, as Trump and AG Pam Bondi had promised.
Well, Scotland may not be far enough for that.
Continue reading...
Royal reason Trump won’t escape Epstein fallout on Scotland trip – Prince Andrew
Lawyer: Ghislaine Maxwell named about ‘100 different people’ during DOJ’s Epstein interview
Friday 25 July 2025 21:50 , Oliver O'ConnellGhislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex offender and former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, answered questions about “100 different people” after being questioned by a top Department of Justice official on Friday, her lawyer said.
Ariana Baio reports.
Ghislaine Maxwell named about ‘100 different people’ during DOJ’s Epstein interview
Trump ducks question on Maxwell pardon, says media 'focused on conspiracy theories'
Friday 25 July 2025 21:51 , Oliver O'ConnellAfter Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s imprisoned former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, President Donald Trump said when asked about a possible pardon for the disgraced socialite: “I don’t know anything about the conversation.”
“A lot of people are asking me about pardons. Obviously, this is no time to be talking about pardons,” Trump continued.
Those comments came after the president landed in Scotland for a golf vacation and trade talks. That followed him saying earlier Friday that he “hasn’t thought about” pardoning Maxwell, currently serving 20 years in jail for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking of minors.
“You’re making a very big thing over something that’s not a big thing,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac at Glasgow’s Prestwick Airport. He said the media should be focused on other people with alleged links to Epstein, specifically singling out former President Bill Clinton, and adding: “Don’t talk about Trump.”
The president also said he “was never involved” in Republican House leadership adjourning for a lengthy vacation amid clamor for a vote to release documents in the Epstein case.
“I’m not focused on conspiracy theories that you are,” Trump said.
Maxwell was “asked about 100 different people” during her interview with the Department of Justice on Friday, her lawyer David Oscar Markus said Friday, outside the federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida.
Ariana Baio has a full report here:
Ghislaine Maxwell talked about ‘100 different people’ during DOJ’s Epstein interview
With reporting from the Associated Press
Watch: Trump again tries to deflect Epstein questions with Clinton and others
Friday 25 July 2025 22:22 , Oliver O'ConnellReporter: What are you hoping Blanche gets out of Ghislaine Maxwell?
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 25, 2025
Trump: I haven't really been following it. If you going to talk about that, talk about Clinton… don’t talk about Trump pic.twitter.com/THBN4yQRPS
ANALYSIS: Promise of ‘a little rebate’ suddenly becomes Trump’s latest gimmick to distract Americans from the Epstein fallout
Friday 25 July 2025 22:38 , Oliver O'ConnellEric Garcia writes:
In the months after the 2024 presidential election — and understanding what happened with Latino voters and why they shifted to Donald Trump — I called a Democratic operative in Webb County, right in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
She told me that when asking why one voter would back the once and future president, put simply, the voter told them in Spanish, “I voted for Trump because he’s going to give me money.”
Read on...
‘A little rebate’: Trump’s latest gimmick to distract Americans from Epstein fallout
Trump, Clinton... who else is allegedly in the Epstein birthday book?
Friday 25 July 2025 22:52 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton both reportedly contributed to a birthday book of letters for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday, along with a host of other notable names.
The leather-bound book was compiled in 2003 by the late sex offender’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is being questioned by Justice Department officials this week to see if she has additional information about the controversial case.
The list of Epstein’s acquaintances in the book has been reviewed by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
Trump and Clinton named. Here’s who else is allegedly in Epstein’s birthday book
‘I never went to that island,’ Trump says of Epstein’s underage getaway
Friday 25 July 2025 23:15 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump on Friday angrily demanded that news outlets turn their attention to allegations about one of his predecessors rather than continue covering his alleged connections to dead pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
‘I never went to that island’: Trump on Epstein underage retreat in epic Clinton rant
Democrats have asked Epstein estate lawyers for birthday book: report
Friday 25 July 2025 23:45 , Rachel DobkinHouse Democrats Ro Khanna and Robert Garcia, both of California, have asked attorneys for executors of Jeffrey Epstein’s estate for a “complete, unredacted copy" of a reported 50th birthday book, according to a copy of a letter obtained by Axios.
Khanna told the outlet it would be “very difficult” to get the book if the Justice Department had it.
“A private attorney is much more likely to comply. It's a much easier challenge than going after the administration,” he said.
The Wall Street Journal has claimed Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell made an album in 2003 for the wealthy financier’s birthday, which included letters from prominent people such as President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton.
Trump has refuted the WSJ’s reporting and is suing the publication for defamation. A spokesperson for Clinon declined to comment on the reporting.
Both Trump and Clinton had reportedly cut ties with Epstein in the early 2000s. Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges, including soliciting prostitution from a minor, in 2008, and died in 2019 while in jail on federal sex trafficking charges.
Is Trump making things worse for himself with Epstein deflections?
Saturday 26 July 2025 00:15 , Oliver O'ConnellJohn Bowden writes:
The firestorm continued on the MAGA right this week as the political focus on the Epstein files just would not dissipate and Donald Trump dug himself deeper into a hole.
With his administration scrambling to explain why it isn’t releasing files from an investigation that its own members and supporters have said for years should be made public, the president spent the past two weeks reigniting old conflicts with foes ranging from Rosie O’Donnell to Barack Obama.
On Wednesday, those efforts escalated to the point where the U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, declared from behind the White House briefing room podium that former President Obama had attempted a “coup” on American soil.
But Trump and his closest advisers are coming to quickly realize that they and the mainstream media both greatly underestimated the staying power of the Epstein issue.
Continue reading...
Trump’s ‘coverup’ in the face of Epstein scoops is making his problems so much worse
Ghislaine Maxwell given ‘limited immunity’ in meetings with deputy attorney general: reports
Saturday 26 July 2025 00:45 , Rachel DobkinGhislaine Maxwell was granted a form of limited immunity to talk during her meetings with Department of Justice officials, according to reports.
The British socialite and former ex-girlfriend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, met with Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on multiple occasions this week.
The so-called proffer immunity is commonly granted to those that prosecutors are seeking cooperation from in a criminal case. Maxwell was tried, convicted and sentenced in 2022 for sex trafficking underage girls.
Such an agreement allowed Maxwell to answer questions from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche – which her attorneys claimed she did fully – sources close to the matter told ABC.
Read more from Mike Bedigan:
Ghislaine Maxwell given ‘limited immunity’ in meetings with DOJ: reports
Trump lands in Scotland
01:15 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday night, “I’m in Scotland now. Many meetings planned!!!”
The president embarked on a five-day golf trip to Scotland Friday as his administration is embroiled in controversy surrounding its handling of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Watch: Trump denies ever going to Epstein's island
01:45 , Oliver O'ConnellTulsi Gabbard’s sudden Obama crusade left Pam Bondi ‘blindsided and annoyed’
02:15 , Oliver O'ConnellAttorney General Pam Bondi was left “blindsided and annoyed” by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s sudden crusade against former President Barack Obama, according to a new report.
Joe Sommerlad has the details.
Pam Bondi left ‘blindsided and annoyed’ by Tulsi Gabbard’s sudden Obama crusade
Trump claims he wasn't briefed about his name being in Epstein files
02:45 , Oliver O'ConnellUpon his arrival in Scotland, President Donald Trump denied ever being briefed about his name appearing in the Epstein files that his Department of Justice has decided not to make public.
Reporter: Were you ever briefed about your name being in the Epstein files?
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 25, 2025
Trump: No pic.twitter.com/gBP5y7uoZg
There’s one slight problem with that...
DOJ told Trump that his name is among others in the Epstein files: report
Resurfaced clip shows Epstein pleading the Fifth when asked if he was with Trump around underage girls
03:15 , Oliver O'ConnellA resurfaced clip shows sex offender Jeffrey Epstein pleading the Fifth when he was asked during a deposition if he ever socialized with underage girls around Donald Trump.
The video clip, unearthed by left-leaning outlet MeidasTouch, shows Epstein responding to questions during a March 2010 deposition. The disgraced financier was questioned by an attorney of an alleged victim, Vice News previously reported.
Katie Hawkinson reports.
Resurfaced clip shows Epstein pleading the Fifth when asked about Trump
Epstein fallout: Top headlines this week
03:45 , Rachel DobkinThe Trump administration has been embroiled in controversy surrounding its handling of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Here are some headlines from the fallout this week:
Monday:
Ghislaine Maxwell’s family says renewed Epstein interest makes her a target in prison
Tuesday:
House panel votes to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell over Epstein files
Wednesday:
Trump admin delves into MAGA distractions to deviate from Epstein files
Thursday:
Trump blasts Democrats over what he calls the ‘Epstein SCAM’ and ‘CON JOB’
Friday:
Ghislaine Maxwell talked about ‘100 different people’ during DOJ’s Epstein interview
Ghislaine Maxwell asking Supreme Court to consider her case
04:15 , Oliver O'ConnellWith the uproar over files relating to the Jeffrey Epstein case engulfing President Donald Trump and Congress, now it’s the turn of the U.S. Supreme Court to wade into the controversy and decide whether to hear a bid by Ghislaine Maxwell, co-conspirator of the late financier and convicted sex offender, to overturn her criminal conviction.
The justices, now on their summer recess, are expected in late September to consider whether to take up an appeal by the British socialite, currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty in 2021 by a jury in New York of helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.
Maxwell's lawyers have told the Supreme Court that her conviction was invalid because a non-prosecution and plea agreement that federal prosecutors had made with Epstein in Florida in 2007 also shielded his associates and should have barred her criminal prosecution in New York. Her lawyers have a Monday deadline for filing their final written brief in their appeal to the court.
Some legal experts see merit in Maxwell's claim, noting that it addresses an unsettled matter of U.S. law that has divided some of the nation's regional federal appeals courts, commonly referred to as circuit courts.
Mitchell Epner, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice, said there is a chance that the Supreme Court will take up the case, noting the disagreement among the appeals courts. Such a split among circuit courts can be a factor when the nation's top judicial body considers whether or not to hear a case.
“The question of whether a plea agreement from one U.S. Attorney's Office binds other federal prosecution as a whole is a serious issue that has split the circuits,” Epner said.
While uncommon, “there have been several cases presenting the issue over the years,” Epner added.
Trump's Justice Department appeared to acknowledge the circuit split in a brief filed to the justices this month, but urged them to reject the appeal.
Any disparity among lower court rulings “is of limited importance,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the brief, “because the scope of a plea or similar agreement is under the control of the parties to the agreement.”
If the Supreme Court opts to grant Maxwell's appeal, it will hear arguments during its new term, which begins in October, with a ruling expected by the end of next June.
With reporting from Reuters
Watch: Trump says he's not focused on conspiracy theories amid Epstein drama
04:45 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump, who has been known to amplify conspiracy theories, told a reporter he’s not focused on conspiracy theories as his administration faces backlash surrounding their handling of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump on Epstein files: I'm focused on making deals and not conspiracy theories that you are. I watch you people, it is so sad. Talk about the success of our country instead of this nonsense you talk about over and over. pic.twitter.com/fkYVthPzVg
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 25, 2025
Trump ducks question on Maxwell pardon, says media 'focused on conspiracy theories'
06:00 , Oliver O'ConnellAfter Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s imprisoned former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, President Donald Trump said when asked about a possible pardon for the disgraced socialite: “I don’t know anything about the conversation.”
“A lot of people are asking me about pardons. Obviously, this is no time to be talking about pardons,” Trump continued.
Those comments came after the president landed in Scotland for a golf vacation and trade talks. That followed him saying earlier Friday that he “hasn’t thought about” pardoning Maxwell, currently serving 20 years in jail for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking of minors.
“You’re making a very big thing over something that’s not a big thing,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac at Glasgow’s Prestwick Airport. He said the media should be focused on other people with alleged links to Epstein, specifically singling out former President Bill Clinton, and adding: “Don’t talk about Trump.”
The president also said he “was never involved” in Republican House leadership adjourning for a lengthy vacation amid clamor for a vote to release documents in the Epstein case.
“I’m not focused on conspiracy theories that you are,” Trump said.
Maxwell was “asked about 100 different people” during her interview with the Department of Justice on Friday, her lawyer David Oscar Markus said Friday, outside the federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida.
Ariana Baio has a full report here:
Ghislaine Maxwell talked about ‘100 different people’ during DOJ’s Epstein interview
Watch: CNN anchor reports Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell granted limited immunity in DOJ talks
07:00 , Rachel DobkinCNN: We are just learning that Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was granted limited immunity in order to talk with Trump’s personal attorney turned deputy attorney general pic.twitter.com/jUoOUf539g
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 26, 2025
Amid Epstein furore, does South Park’s savage takedown show Trump has picked a fight he can’t win?
08:00 , Oliver O'ConnellLouis Chilton writes:
Of all the dubious achievements of Donald Trump’s time in office, the most surprising may be this: the US president has made South Park relevant again. The long-running animation – just days ago signing a record-breaking $1.5bn deal with Paramount to produce 50 new episodes over the next five years – used its long-awaited season premiere to launch a characteristically pugnacious critique of the president.
Read on...
South Park’s savage takedown shows Trump has picked a fight he can’t win
Report: Bill Clinton wrote a birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein
09:00 , Oliver O'ConnellJeffrey Epstein's birthday album included a letter from former President Bill Clinton, according to a new report, in addition to the one earlier reported to have been written by Donald Trump.
Rachel Dobkin has the story.
Epstein’s birthday book included letter from Bill Clinton, report claims
Watch: Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney on her DOJ interview
10:00 , Rachel DobkinAttorney for Ghislaine Maxwell: She was asked maybe about a hundred different people. She answered questions about everybody and she didn't hold anything back. pic.twitter.com/BqoxkIYm0A
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 26, 2025
Democrat calls Trump's White House 'most corrupt administration in history' amid Epstein drama
11:00 , Rachel DobkinRepresentative Robert Garcia, a California Democrat, called the Trump White House the “most corrupt administration in history,” adding to the backlash the administration has faced over its handling of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Donald Trump is ripping healthcare away from millions and giving tax breaks to billionaires.
— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) July 26, 2025
And the Epstein files are part of his corruption and lies. We won’t stop until we release the files. pic.twitter.com/Q0oFGTAOH2
In his comments on MSNBC Friday night, Garcia railed against Trump seemingly for his “big, beautiful bill,” which extended his 2017 tax cuts and increased border security funding while cutting welfare programs such as Medicaid and SNAP.
“At the same time, this is the most corrupt administration in history. And part of that corruption are his lies. And part of that corruption are the Epstein files,” the congressman said.
ICYMI: Friday's top headlines on Epstein drama
12:00 , Rachel Dobkin
Ghislaine Maxwell given ‘limited immunity’ in meetings with DOJ: reports
Ghislaine Maxwell talked about ‘100 different people’ during DOJ’s Epstein interview
Trump and Clinton named. Here’s who else is allegedly in Epstein’s birthday book
‘I never went to that island’: Trump on Epstein underage retreat in epic Clinton rant
Republican amplifies Trump admin claims Obama officials colluded to keep Trump out of White House
13:00 , Rachel DobkinSpeaking to Fox News Friday night, Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, amplified claims from the Trump administration that former President Barack Obama and his officials were part of a conspriacy to keep Trump from the White House with the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied that his government interfered with the 2016 election.
Cotton: There was collusion. Collusion between Obama, Biden, Clinton, Brennan, Comey, and Clapper to brush under the rug the judgements of these career intel officials that there’s no evidence of collusion pic.twitter.com/lD0ZvF5gV4
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 26, 2025
Obama, through a spokesperson, called the allegations “bizarre and ridiculous,” adding they were “a weak attempt at distraction.”
These allegations come as the Trump administration is embroiled in controversy surrounding its handling of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
There’s a royal reason Trump won’t escape Jeffrey Epstein fallout on trip to his Scotland golf courses — Prince Andrew
14:00 , Rachel DobkinAndrew Feinberg writes:
It makes perfect sense that President Trump is hoping for five days away from the Epstein fallout firestorm that has landed him in hot water not just with Democrats but his own MAGA base over the Justice Department’s stonewalling on the release of all the Epstein files, as Trump and AG Pam Bondi had promised.
Well, Scotland may not be far enough for that.
Sure, Trump will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer early next week, but the vast majority of his known itinerary on the trip — which is estimated to cost taxpayers $10 million — consists of visits to his Scottish golf resorts. One, Trump Turnberry and the other Trump International in Aberdeen, where he is set to open a brand new course that will be named for his late mother, Mary Anne McLeod Trump, who was born in Scotland.
And that’s the problem for Trump, thanks to a particular member of the Royal family who happens to be a golf-loving frequenter of his courses, is Scotland’s Earl of Inverness — and who also happens to be tainted by his past close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein ... Prince Andrew.
Read more...
Royal reason Trump won’t escape Epstein fallout on Scotland trip – Prince Andrew
Democrats have asked Epstein's estate for a 'complete, unredacted' copy of the so-called 'birthday book'
14:35 , Kelly RissmanDemocrats on the House Oversight Committee sent a letter on Friday to lawyers representing Jeffrey Epstein’s estate to obtain a copy of a 2003 book compiled by Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell for the late financier’s 50th birthday that allegedly contains a sexually suggestive card from President Donald Trump.
The president has denied writing the card and has sued the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on its alleged existence, for defamation.
Democrats on the Committee asked for a “complete, unredacted copy” by August 10.
“The American people deserve the truth about who was a part of Epstein’s closest circle of friends. Most importantly, the American people deserve to know who was involved in Epstein’s trafficking network and if they are in positions of power in our government,” Ranking Member Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California, said in a statement.
What does Ghislaine Maxwell really know?
15:00 , Kelly RissmanThe conspiracies began circulating before the proverbial ink was dry. Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire financier and convicted child sex offender, “dead after ‘apparent suicide’ in New York jail”, ran the headline in The Washington Post on 11 August 2019 (single quote marks theirs). The Boston Globe too described it as an “apparent suicide”. “Epstein’s jail death gets US scrutiny,” said The Philadelphia Inquirer.
When FBI agents arrested Epstein after his private jet landed in New Jersey a month earlier and charged him with sex-trafficking minors in Florida and New York, his victims waited to learn the truth. After his death, the voices clamouring for transparency got louder. As did those claiming conspiracy.
A year on, when his former girlfriend, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, was arrested by the FBI at a secluded property in New Hampshire, they didn’t stop. And they didn’t quieten when Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors.
Alex Hannaford has the story.
What does Ghislaine Maxwell really know? The Epstein files go deeper than you think
WATCH: Trump on Epstein: 'Talk about Clinton, not Trump'
15:30 , Kelly RissmanICYMI: Ghislaine Maxwell reportedly granted a form of limited immunity in DOJ meetings
16:00 , Kelly RissmanGhislaine Maxwell was granted a form of limited immunity to talk during her meetings with Department of Justice officials, according to reports.
The British socialite and former ex-girlfriend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein met with Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on multiple occasions this week and she initiated the meetings, according to ABC News.
The so-called proffer immunity is commonly granted to those who prosecutors are seeking cooperation from in a criminal case. Maxwell was tried, convicted and sentenced in 2022 over her role in Epstein’s scheme to abuse underage girls.
Rachel Dobkin has the story.
What was discussed during Ghislaine Maxwell's DOJ meetings?
16:30 , Kelly RissmanDavid Oscar Markus, a lawyer for Maxwell, told reporters Friday in Tallahassee, Florida, where the meetings took place, that his client discussed ‘100 different people’ with the Justice Department.
“Ghislaine answered every single question asked of her over the last day and a half, she answered those questions honestly, truthfully, to the best of her ability,” Markus, said outside the federal courthouse.
“She was asked about maybe about 100 different people. She answered questions about everybody and she didn't hold anything back,” the attorney continued. “She never invoked a privilege. She never refused to answer a question. So we’re very proud of her.”
Trump’s ‘coverup’ in the face of Epstein scoops is making his MAGA problems so much worse
17:00 , Kelly RissmanThe firestorm continued on the MAGA right this week as the political focus on the Epstein files just would not dissipate and Donald Trump dug himself deeper into a hole.
With his administration scrambling to explain why it isn’t releasing files from an investigation that its own members and supporters have said for years should be made public, the president spent the past two weeks reigniting old conflicts with foes ranging from Rosie O’Donnell to Barack Obama.
On Wednesday, those efforts escalated to the point where the U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, declared from behind the White House briefing room podium that former President Obama had attempted a “coup” on American soil.
John Bowden has the story.
Trump’s ‘coverup’ in the face of Epstein scoops is making his problems so much worse
Maxwell could dodge congressional subpoena for her testimony in Epstein probe
18:00 , Kelly RissmanJeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell is unsure whether she will comply with a recent congressional subpoena to testify about his abuse of girls and whether others were involved, amid continued pressure for the government to disclose more about the case.
“We have to make a decision about whether she will do that or not,” her attorney David Oscar Markus told Politico. “That’s been scheduled for the week of August 11th and we haven’t gotten back to them on whether we’ll do that.”
Josh Marcus has the story.
Ghislaine Maxwell might dodge congressional subpoena to testify about Epstein: lawyer
WATCH: Donald Trump waves to cameras while golfing in Scotland drawing hundreds of protestors
18:30 , Kelly RissmanTrump says Cambodia and Thailand are looking for an 'immediate ceasefire'
19:00 , Kelly RissmanPresident Donald Trump said Saturday he spoke to the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand amid deadly border clashes, saying they both are hoping for peace.
“I just had a very good call with the Prime Minister of Cambodia, and informed him of my discussions with Thailand, and its Acting Prime Minister. Both Parties are looking for an immediate Ceasefire and Peace,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“They are also looking to get back to the ‘Trading Table’ with the United States, which we think is inappropriate to do until such time as the fighting STOPS. They have agreed to immediately meet and quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE!” he continued.
“It was an Honor to deal with both Countries. They have a long and storied History and Culture. They will hopefully get along for many years to come. When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!”
Who is allegedly in the Jeffrey Epstein birthday letters book?
19:30 , Rhian LubinThe list of Epstein’s acquaintances in the book has been reviewed by theWall Street Journal and the New York Times.
Along with President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, names include Wall Street billionaire Leon Black, fashion designer Vera Wang, media owner Mort Zuckerman, former Microsoft executive Nathan Myhrvold and U.K. ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson.
In Wang’s letter to Epstein, the fashion mogul suggested the pair go on a shopping trip and joked about the disgraced financier going on The Bachelor, according to the Journal. Wang told the outlet in 2023 that she regretted ever associating with Epstein and did not respond to a request for comment.
Private equity investor Black, who met Epstein around 1996, wrote Epstein a handwritten poem, according to the Journal.
NOAA officials who led ‘Sharpiegate’ investigation placed on leave
20:00 , Kelly RissmanTwo top officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who led the investigation into the so-called “Sharpiegate” scandal, were placed on leave amid clashes with the Trump administration, according to a report.
Steve Volz, assistant administrator in the agency’s Satellite and Information Service, and Jeff Dillen, deputy general counsel for the agency, were placed on leave this week, CNN first reported.
Read the full story.
NOAA officials who led ‘Sharpiegate’ investigation placed on leave
'She’s imagined evidence that doesn’t exist’: Bolton slams Gabbard's Obama report
20:30 , Kelly RissmanJohn Bolton, Trump’s former national security advisor, slammed Tulsi Gabbard’s report accusing former President Barack Obama of engaging in a “years-long coup” against President Donald Trump.
Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, last week declassified evidence that she said revealed a “treasonous conspiracy” committed by Obama and his government over the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Bolton, a frequent Trump critic, called Gabbard’s findings “exaggerated” and lacking in substance.
Read the full story.
John Bolton slams Tulsi Gabbard over ‘treasonous’ Obama report
WATCH: Trump tells Europe ‘get your act together’ on immigration as he arrives in Scotland
21:00 , Kelly RissmanRFK Jr. looks to boot panel that decides which cancer screenings will be free: report
21:30 , Kelly RissmanHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly planning to remove all the members of an influential health task force that helps determine what preventative care services insurers must cover for free, after removing all members of a vaccine advisory board last month.
Kennedy wants to clean house at U.S. Preventative Services Task Force next because he believes its 16 members have become too “woke,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
Under 2010’s Affordable Care Act, the task force makes evidence-based, public recommendations on a variety of treatments, ranging HIV prevention to prenatal care to mental health, that insurers must cover at no cost to patients.
Josh Marcus has the story.
RFK Jr. may boot panel that decides which HIV and cancer screenings are free: report
In photos: Trump is met with protests in Scotland during his golfing trip
22:00 , Kelly Rissman
