logo
MIKEY SMITH: 5 unhinged Donald Trump moments as Epstein row takes unexpected twist

MIKEY SMITH: 5 unhinged Donald Trump moments as Epstein row takes unexpected twist

Daily Mirror4 days ago
Last night there was a twist in the Epstein row that nobody expected - and it's really unclear how it'll shake out
What's going on with my 'guys', and in some cases, 'gals'?

Last night there was a twist in the Epstein row that nobody expected - and it's really unclear how it'll shake out.

Meanwhile, Trump continued to call his most active supporters "stupid".

And he's so determined to reduce the trade deficit with Mexico that he's convinced Coca-Cola to use real sugar - despite howls of protest from farmers.
Here's all that, plus more things that happened in Trump world overnight.
1. The Epstein row took an unexpected turn last night
The Justice department last night fired a federal prosecutor who worked on the Jeffrey Epstein case - and signed the order to seal FBI documents relating to the case.

No explanation was given, but the prosecutor has a very familiar name.
Maurene Comey is the daughter of James Comey, the former director of the FBI who Trump infamously fired in his first term - and has pursued a furious vendetta against since.
As well as successfully prosecuting Epstein, she was involved in the cases against Diddy and Ghislaine Maxwell.

2. Make Coke Great Again
Clearly keen for the American people to see him concentrating on the important stuff, Trump declared he'd convinced the Coca-Cola company to start using real sugar in the beverage again.
While cane sugar - as is used in Coke in the UK - is undeniably superior to the corn syrup used to sweeten the drink in the United States, the farming industry had something to say about the announcement.
"Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar doesn't make sense," said Corn Refiners Association President and CEO John Bode.

"Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar would cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs, depress farm income, and boost imports of foreign sugar, all with no nutritional benefit."
A huge amount of America's farming infrastructure is built around subsidising the cultivation of corn, which is used to make the high-fructose corn syrup used in hundreds of processed foods.
This is likely to have come not from Trump's desire to make American Coke taste better - he famously drinks Diet Coke anyway - but from Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's obsession with removing processed foods from the American diet.

3. Trump was 'surprised' that Jerome Powell was made Fed Chair. This is odd for a very important reason
During an event with the Crown Prince of Bahrain last night, Trump was playing a bit of Hokey Cokey about whether he'll try and fire the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell.
First of all, he's not allowed to do that. The Supreme Court ruled on that a couple of weeks ago.
Yet he reportedly asked a group of Republican congressmen whether he should do it - even brandishing the letter he'd use to commit the putsch, it's claimed.

Then, about 15 minutes after reports of the planned ouster were began to circulate, he went on camera with the boss of Bahrain and said, actually, nah. He had no plans to fire Powell, unless it was for something like fraud. And he went on a long rant about how Powell is supposedly overseeing the refurb of the Federal Reserve, and claiming there are cost overruns and huge spending planned.
It didn't stop him having a lengthy pop at Powell, whom he's mad at for not lowering interest rates.
And then he made a startling comment, that if it'd been Biden would have been used as evidence of mental decline.

"I was surprised he was appointed," Trump said.
Which is odd...because he appointed him, during his first term in office.
He was re-appointed by Joe Biden for a second term, but he was a Trump pick in the first place.

4. He called his own supporters 'stupid'
Trump had already had a pop at a chunk of his fans on Truth Social, saying they'd fallen for a "hoax" in believing another shoe was yet to drop in the Epstein investigation, and adding: "I don't want their support anymore!"
To recap, Attorney General Pam Bondi is under mounting pressure from MAGA supporters to release more documents relating to the dead paedophile, which they believe include a "client list" of prominent associates.
But Bondi has denied any such list exists - despite having said in an interview that it was "on my desk waiting for review".

And in the last few days, Trump has pivoted from "we've already shown you everything, stop talking about it" to "it's all a hoax. Biden and Comey made it up."
Last night in the Oval he doubled down - branding some of his most ardent supporters "stupid."
"It's all been a big hoax, it's perpetrated by the Democrats, and some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net. That's how they do the Democrats' work."

Get Donald Trump updates straight to your WhatsApp!
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.
All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group.
We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

5. Elmo got defunded
Trump's Republicans in the Senate passed a bill slashing $9 billion from public spending - including deep cuts to foreign aid, NPR and PBS.
NPR, for those who don't know, basically invented good podcasts. And PBS? Well. PBS has been the home of Sesame Street since 1969 (Kind of. Netflix gets the episodes first these days). And it's where people in the US of A can watch Downton Abbey and Doctor Who.
Anyway, Trump hates both of them because they report the news factually.

The legislation, which now moves to the House, would have a tiny impact on the nation's rising debt but could have major ramifications for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and US food aid internationally.
It also could complicate efforts to pass additional spending bills this year, as Democrats and even some Republicans voice objections to broadly ceding congressional spending power with little idea of how the White House Office of Management and Budget would apply the cuts.
(Don't panic, after the Netflix deal, Elmo will probably be fine. Dr Who fans probably less so)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Wall Street Journal booted from White House press trip to Scotland after Epstein report
Wall Street Journal booted from White House press trip to Scotland after Epstein report

The Independent

time22 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Wall Street Journal booted from White House press trip to Scotland after Epstein report

Reporters for The Wall Street Journal have been removed from a pool of journalists covering Donald Trump's upcoming trip to Scotland in the wake of the newspaper's reporting on the president's alleged 50th birthday card to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The reporters' removal, first reported by Politico, also follows the president's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the newspaper and the journalists who wrote the story, as well as right-wing media mogul Rupert Murdoch and parent companies News Corp and Dow Jones. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement shared with The Independent that neither the newspaper nor 'any other news outlet are not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in his private workspaces.' 'Due to the Wall Street Journal 's fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board,' she said. 'Every news organization in the entire world wishes to cover President Trump, and the White House has taken significant steps to include as many voices as possible.' The Independent has requested comment from the WSJ and White House Correspondents Association. Trump's lawsuit filed in federal court in Miami on July 18 claims the newspaper, its parent companies, executives and journalists falsely smeared the president by accusing him of writing a sexually suggestive birthday card to Epstein in 2003. The birthday greeting is described by the newspaper as including a sexually suggestive drawing and a birthday wish that says 'may every day be another wonderful secret.' A letter reportedly bearing Trump's name, which the WSJ report claims was reviewed by the newspaper, contains several lines of typewritten text framed by a drawing of a naked woman. His signature is a squiggly 'Donald' below her waist, mimicking pubic hair, according to the report. The defendants 'failed to attach the letter, failed to attach the alleged drawing, failed to show proof that President Trump authored or signed any such letter, and failed to explain how this purported letter was obtained,' according to Trump's lawsuit. 'The reason for those failures is because no authentic letter or drawing exists,' the complaint claims. This is a developing story

Trump administration and Harvard spar in court in case over massive funding freeze
Trump administration and Harvard spar in court in case over massive funding freeze

NBC News

time23 minutes ago

  • NBC News

Trump administration and Harvard spar in court in case over massive funding freeze

The Trump administration and Harvard University on Monday traded barbs in a critical hearing in Boston over the government's threats to slash billions of dollars in the Ivy League school's federal research funding. Harvard accused the Trump administration of violating its First Amendment rights by freezing funds, to exercise authority over the school. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice argued that funding cuts are a means to protect against anti-semitism, an issue that the DOJ claims the Ivy League school had failed to appropriately address, violating the rights of its Jewish students. Both parties had sought a summary judgement from U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs, in which she would hand down a decision without the case going to trial. However, there's no indication on when she will rule. The case could ultimately have larger implications on government oversight in schools. 'This is a blatant, unrepentant violation of the First Amendment.' Steven P. Lehotsky, the attorney for Harvard, said. Lehotsky also said that the case isn't about a breach of contract. 'This case is about so much more for Harvard and for higher education," he said. Burroughs did not rule from the bench, but told the court that she would get to a decision as quickly as she could. Harvard is pushing for the ruling to come down no later than early September, the deadline to file grant paperwork for next year. During the hearing, the parties sparred over whether antisemitism on campus justified the removal of grant funding. Harvard did admit that there was an 'antisemitism problem,' adding that the school had taken actions to combat it. But Lehotsky argued that the issue is 'not germane to funding of Alzheimer's research,' for example. Burroughs, an Obama-appointee, pressed the DOJ, pointing out that she is Jewish, and asked how cutting off funding could help fight anti-semitism. 'The choice was that the government does not want to fund research at institutions that fail to address antisemitism to its satisfaction,' said Michael Velchik, attorney for the Trump administration. The government also argued that it has a right to cancel the terms of its grant contract if the school wasn't meeting policy priorities. However, Burroughs said that the government did not adequately prove that Harvard wasn't meeting those requirements. Velchik also took issue with what he perceived as the framing of Harvard's claims. 'Harvard claims the government is anti-Harvard. I reject that,' Velchik said. 'The government is pro-Jewish students at Harvard. The government is pro-Jewish faculty at Harvard.' For months, the Ivy League institution and the Trump administration have been locked in a tense back-and-forth. Harvard in April refused to adhere to a set of demands issued by the administration's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism. The list of 10 demands included making sweeping reforms to policies about whom the university can hire and admit and subjecting the ideologies of faculty members to an audit approved by the government. In response, the task force announced that it would slash more than $2 billion in grants. Harvard hit back with the lawsuit, accusing the administration of seeking 'unprecedented and improper' control of the school. As tensions continued to build, the administration further ordered its federal agencies to end their contracts with the school weeks later. The amount in contracts totaled roughly $100 million. Most recently, Harvard drew backlash for quietly renaming the diversity, equity, and inclusion offices of several of its graduate schools. The Harvard Divinity School, for example, swapped its diversity office with an Office of Community and Belonging at the beginning of July. Some critics saw the move as an effort to 'cave' to the Trump administration's demands.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 'Cosby Show' actor, dies at 54 in Costa Rica drowning
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 'Cosby Show' actor, dies at 54 in Costa Rica drowning

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 'Cosby Show' actor, dies at 54 in Costa Rica drowning

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store