Democrats ‘hyperventilating' thinking about Alligator Alcatraz
Ms Panahi said Democrat politicians are 'hyperventilating' thinking about the conditions in the migration detention centre.
'Has not stopped since the name was announced.'
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Sky News AU
9 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Hillary Clinton sounded alarm on Joe Biden's political viability 'by 2024', House investigators hear
Ex-President Joe Biden's former chief of staff Ron Klain told House investigators that Hillary Clinton approached him with concerns about the octogenarian leader's political viability "by 2024," Fox News Digital has learned. Klain spoke with staff on the House Oversight Committee for over five hours on Thursday, as Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., continues to probe whether top Biden aides concealed signs of mental decline in the ex-president. A source familiar with his voluntary interview told Fox News Digital that Klain believed Biden was mentally sharp enough to serve as president, and was not too old to run. But the ex-secretary of state and former Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan both "approached Ron Klain stating they believed Joe Biden was not politically viable" months before he dropped his re-election bid in July 2024, the source said. Sullivan told Klain that Biden "was less effective in 2024 compared to 2022," the source said. It's not immediately clear if Biden's mental acuity was the reasoning for their doubts, nor if they made the case to Klain together or separately. But it's a significant indictment coming from top national Democrats of Biden in general, long before concerns about his fitness for office within the party were made public knowledge. Adrienne Watson, a representative for Sullivan, denied the account in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Jake did not have a conversation with Ron about Joe Biden running for president before the debate," Watson said. Sullivan had been a top aide to both Biden and Clinton, having served as the latter's senior policy advisor during her 2016 campaign. Klain, who served as White House chief of staff for the first half of Biden's term, conceded that the then-president was less energetic and more forgetful, though he defended his "acuity to govern," the source said. "Mr. Klain stated that President Biden often confused names and proper nouns, and it got worse over time," the source said. Fox News Digital was told that Klain also said there was no reason to doubt President Donald Trump's own mental fitness. Klain said nothing to reporters when going in or out of the committee room Thursday. He's the sixth former Biden administration aide to appear for Comer's probe. And despite the interview being largely staff-led, Comer did make an appearance for the early half of the sit-down, and Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., were both briefly there as well. Both Biggs and Khanna called Klain "credible" from what they saw inside the room. "I think he is telling what he knows accurately," Biggs told Fox News Digital. On the other side of the aisle, Khanna told reporters, "He answered every single question. He was fully cooperative." Three other former Biden White House aides who previously appeared – Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, and ex-White House doctor Kevin O'Connor – all appeared under subpoena and pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions. Longtime Biden aide Ashley Williams and ex-staff secretary Neera Tanden, like Klain, came for voluntary transcribed interviews. Jeff Zients, who served as Biden's chief of staff for the final two years, was also asked to sit for a transcribed interview, a committee aide previously told Fox News Digital. A source familiar with the Biden team's thinking previously called Republicans' probe "dangerous" and "an attempt to smear and embarrass." "And their hope is for just one tiny inconsistency between witnesses to appear so that Trump's DOJ prosecute his political opponents and continue his campaign of revenge," that source said. Fox News Digital also reached out to Klain's attorney as well as a contact for comment for Clinton but did not hear back by press time. Originally published as Hillary Clinton sounded alarm on Joe Biden's political viability 'by 2024', House investigators hear
Daily Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Daily Telegraph
Maxwell meets Trump official amid pardon speculation in Epstein case
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. Ghislaine Maxwell will 'finally be able to say what really happened,' her lawyer has said as the convicted sex trafficker meets with a top White House official for a second day. There are questions about the aim of the meetings with a Democrat saying it 'really stinks'. Donald Trump had earlier said if she had incriminating information 'the Justice Department will hear what she has to say'. As the US President left for a visit to the UK on Friday, he was asked if he was considering pardoning Maxwell, the accomplice of the late Jeffrey Epstein. He replied he 'hadn't thought about' it but also said the he was 'allowed to do it'. The comments comes as the Wall Street Journal, which last week claimed that Mr Trump had written a happy birthday note to Epstein in 2003, has now reported that former president Bill Clinton did the same. The tumult over the Epstein files has consumed the Trump administration for three weeks after the Justice Department said it would not release any more files on the matter and there was no Epstein 'client list'. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, July 25, 2025, in Washington. The President is travelling to Scotland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) It's split the MAGA base, many of who have consumed years of rumours and theories about who and what is contained within the files and whether it's the tip of a wider scandal. Yet no evidence has emerged to suggest that was the case. Last week, more images emerged of Donald Trump with the pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. A newspaper also reported the US president was told his name was in the files. The White House has pushed back on the reports. Due to how many people Epstein knew, it's likely many people's names are contained in the files and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing simply by being mentioned, that includes Mr Trump. Despite the Justice Department saying there was no 'client list,' as he boarded Air Force One for Scotland on Friday, Mr Trump said there was a 'list' of Epstein associates. 'You should focus on (Bill) Clinton. You should focus on the (former) president of Harvard, you should focus on some of the hedge fund guys. I'll give you a list,' he said. Again there is no evidence of any wrongdoing by those Mr Trump mentioned. Ghislaine Maxwell was Jeffrey Epstein's right hand woman. (Photo by Handout / US District Court for the Southern District of New York / AFP). On Friday, US deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche said he would meet Ghislaine Maxwell for a second day of questioning at a federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, close to where she is imprisoned for sex trafficking including that of a minor among other crimes. After Thursday's meeting, Mr Blanche, who was previously Mr Trump's personal lawyer, said on X that 'The Department of Justice will share additional information about what we learned at the appropriate time'. Ghislaine Maxwell pictured in prison. There are suggestions Ghislaine Maxwell may seek a pardon for her crimes. (Photo by Rob Kim / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP) Maxwell 'finally able to say what really happened' Maxwell's lawyer, David Oscar Markus, told reporters after the meeting with Mr Blanche that 'she answered all of the questions truthfully, honestly and to the best of her ability.' He said that 'if you looked up scapegoat in the dictionary,' Maxwell's face would be there. '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. '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,' Mr Marcus claimed. David Oscar Markus, an lawyer for Ghislaine Maxwell, walks into the federal courthouse, Friday, July 25, 2025, in Tallahassee. (AP Photo/Colin Hackley) Maxwell meeting 'really stinks' On Capitol Hill, Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal said it was a 'secret meeting' that 'really stinks' and looked like 'some kind of cover up'. There have been calls for the meeting to be recorded. The Trump defence lawyer and now deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche has met Ghislaine Maxwell in Florida. (Photo by JEENAH MOON / POOL / AFP) Democrat Congressman Robert Garcia, who is on the House Oversight Committee, said the meeting was 'incredibly suspicious' and 'dangerous' and he was concerned no members of the committee were present. 'She probably wants a pardon from Donald Trump, and so her meeting with Trump's Department of Justice cannot be trusted, and anything she says must be corroborated with documents and records from the actual Epstein files,' he said. Ghislaine Maxwell watches as Jeffrey Epstein and US President Bill Clinton shake hands. Picture: WILLIAM J. CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY Claim Clinton also sent Epstein birthday message On Thursday, US time, the Wall Street Journal reported that Bill Clinton, who was US president during much of the 1990s, also sent Jeffrey Epstein a message for his now infamous 50th birthday album. His reported message read: 'It's reassuring isn't it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and (not legible word) and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends'. Mr Clinton has not commented but a spokesman said he stopped associating with Epstein years before his arrest and was not aware of his claims. Mr Trump, who has denied he also sent a message for the book, has also said he cut ties prior to Epstein's; legal issues and in fact barred him from Mar-a-Lago. It's been reported that many other notable people wrote notes for the birthday book including fashion designer Vera Wang. Originally published as Ghislaine Maxwell lawyer claim: 'finally able to 'reveal what really happened'
News.com.au
39 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘This is very big': Delighted Trump hails Australian beef deal for a second day
Donald Trump has again riffed about Australia's decision to allow more US beef to come in to the country claiming on Friday it would be the 'first time' American beef would be sold in Australia. Seemingly out of the blue on Friday, and a full day after he declared victory due to Australia dropping its restrictions, Mr Trump was back on his TruthSocial platform talking about it again. 'Australia to take US BEEF for first time,' he wrote on Friday morning, US time. 'A very BIG market. I hope our GREAT FARMERS ARE HAPPY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!' Australia had not banned US beef. But on Thursday, agriculture minister Julie Collins confirmed Australia will remove the ban on American beef that came from cattle originating in Canada and Mexico after a decade-long review. It was originally put in place to stop bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as mad cow disease, from coming into Australia. Since 2019, Australia has allowed imports of beef raised and slaughtered in the US. But it did not allow for the import into Australia via the US of beef raised in neighbouring countries. Additional measures put in place by the US to track the origin of Canadian and Mexican beef are being cited as the reason Australia is now satisfied. 'For a long time, and even though we are great friends, they actually banned our Beef,' said Mr Trump on Thursday, US time. Now, we are going to sell so much to Australia because this is undeniable and irrefutable Proof that US Beef is the Safest and Best in the entire World.' The US imports billions of dollars of Australian beef each years which is leaner than American beef. Decision based on 'science' The Albanese government has been quick to deny the timing has anything to do with drawn-out tariff talks with the US, reported NewsWire. But removing restrictions was one of Washington's key demands in tariff negotiations, with Mr Trump specifically accusing Australia of banning American beef during remarks on 'liberation day' – the day the US imposed blanket tariffs on all foreign imports, including Australian products. But both Ms Collins and Trade Minister Don Farrell have claimed it is simply a coincidence the beef review ended just weeks after the US President threatened a 200 per cent tariff on foreign-made pharmaceuticals. 'We haven't made any compromise, and we certainly haven't compromised Australia's strict biosecurity laws,' Senator Farrell told reporters huddled in a Parliament House corridor on Thursday. 'This has been a process that's been underway for the last 10 years. 'It's now come to a completion, and it's appropriate that we announce the results of that inquiry, but at no stage do we risk our terrific biosecurity standards for any trade arrangement.'
