Steve Bannon, Megyn Kelly slam Trump admin over Epstein case
Timeline: Trump's team promised transparency on Epstein. Here's what they actually delivered.
The findings quickly prompted pushback among members of Trump's inner circle and voters alike, who alleged the president's administration wasn't living up to its promises of transparency with the American people.
"Please understand the EPSTEIN AFFAIR is not going away," Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn wrote in a post directed to the president. He warned that unanswered questions means that "moving forward on so many other monumental challenges our nation is facing becomes much harder."
Well-known MAGA figures have been publicly airing their grievances with Attorney General Pam Bondi for days following the release of the government's memo. She drew particular criticism over an interview with Fox News in February during which she was asked a question about the so-called client list. "It's sitting on my desk right now to review," Bondi said at the time.
But in a July 8 Cabinet meeting, Bondi clarified she was referring to the files in totality.
The Epstein case fallout reached a fever pitch July 11, with even those inside the administration reportedly perturbed. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, the second-highest official at the bureau, did not come into work and was weighing resignation, according to CNN and Semafor.
But major Republican voices have also said the management of the case has to go beyond Justice Department officials - reaching the president himself.
"It's deeper than Epstein," former White House strategist and podcaster Steve Bannon told a crowd of young conservatives at Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit July 12. He went on to predict real electoral consequences for Republicans in the near future.
"For this to go away," Bannon said, "you're going to lose 10 percent of the MAGA movement. If we lose 10 percent of the MAGA movement right now, we're going to lose 40 seats in (2026), we're going to lose the presidency."
Another public figure typically in Trump's corner, Megyn Kelly also voiced skepticism about law enforcement's recent review of the Epstein files.
"There are really only two options," Kelly, a political commentator who identifies as an independent, wrote on X July 12.
"There's no huge undisclosed there there on Epstein, Bondi misled on it (until she didn't) & Trump is quick to forgive a loyal soldier for being desperate to get on TV," she said. Or, "There is a scandal that's being covered up & it's at his direction."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
MIKEY SMITH: 8 wild Donald Trump moments as he keeps World Cup Trophy and plans Brit summer
Donald Trump has decided to keep the World Cup Trophy for some reason, and he's planning a big summer of fun in the UK. Here's everything you need to know What's going on with my 'guys', and in some cases, 'gals'? (Yes, I will be starting the daily roundup in this way for as long as it continues to be funny). Well, what's been going on in the last 24 hours or so is Trump deciding to keep the World Club Cup trophy and admitting he gets heat from Melania about Putin lying to him. Meanwhile, Elmo* is still mad about the Epstein files and Elon Musk is giving everyone an anime girlfriend. Also, Trump plans to spend an awful lot of time in the UK this summer. More on all of that and more below. Everything is fine. *Not actually Elmo. 1. Come on, Football Donald Trump likes the World Club Cup trophy so much he's decided to keep it. The deeply weird finger trap of a trophy was brought to the White House in just one of a series of weird transactions between the President and FIFA. And while online rumours that Chelsea photoshopped the weirdly lurking President out of their victory photo turned out to be nonsense, the team did choose to tweet out an image with him standing right at the back, which was pretty funny. Anyway, the trophy has been on display in the Oval Office since March for no big reason, and it will apparently stay there for as long as Trump wants. "I said, When are you going to pick up the trophy? [They said] 'We're never going to pick it up. You can have it forever in the Oval Office. We're making a new one,'" Trump said in an interview with official Club World Cup broadcaster Dazn on Sunday. "And they actually made a new one. So that was quite exciting, but it is in the Oval [Office] right now." So Chelsea get a replica, it appears. That's twice as many pinkies under threat from the revolving injury waiting to happen. 2. Trump got humiliated by Putin - and even Melania was piling on Trump went some way to explaining what prompted his breakup with Vladimir Putin during a meeting with Mark Rutte, NATO's Secretary General. "My conversations with him [Putin] are always very pleasant. I say, isn't that a very lovely conversation? And then the missiles go off that night," he said. "I go home, I tell the first lady: I spoke with Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation. She said: Really? Another city was just hit." It's good that Melania keeps so up to date with international affairs. 3. The Epstein story isn't going away. Even Elmo is angry Elmo, whom Trump frequently threatens to defund, is super mad about the Epstein files. OK, he's not, but someone hacked his Twitter account and made it sound like he was. Sesame Workshop, Elmo's friends, said the account had been used to post "disgusting messages, including anti-Semitic and racist posts" - some of which were about the Epstein files. (Anyone who knows me at all will understand how upsetting I, personally, found this. There's a special place in hell reserved for people who mess with Elmo). Meanwhile, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino is said to have returned to work. He took a duvet day on Friday following a row with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Epstein Files - and is still very much on resignation watch. 4. BBC man gets rude awakening Donald Trump woke the BBC's Washington Correspondent up for a semi-impromptu interview. The interview had been planned for earlier in the day and the call never came. So he took a nap, only to be awoken to Karoline Leavitt's voice saying: "Hi Gary, I'm here with the president, here you go." 5. He is supremely unbothered by not addressing Parliament Various British blowhards - including Nigel Farage - are up in arms about the timing of Trump's September state visit, which is right in the middle of Parliamentary recess. (It's also a couple of days too early for Lib Dem conference. Another snub.) Farage made a little video saying it was "shoddy" that his bezzie mate wouldn't get to speak in Parliament, and branding the timing "cowardly." He presumably found the timing particularly distasteful because French President Emmanuel Macron got to address both Houses during his state visit last week. Of course, Suella Braverman, who to many people's surprise is still a Tory MP, rowed in behind Farage. Asked about it by the BBC, Trump said he was not at all bothered, and had no interest in MPs being recalled from the summer recess to hear him speak. "Let them go and have a good time," he said. We are sure MPs are grateful. 6. Trump heads to AI summit as Elon gives Grok users an anime girlfriend Today, Trump is travelling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to attend a summit on Artificial Intelligence. Meanwhile, his former bestie Elon Musk has been making some waves of his own in the AI space in the last day or so. Specifically, he's given paid users of his Grok chatbot an anime AI girlfriend. The new "companions" feature allows users to talk to various AI personas including Ani, a semi-goth girl who I'm reliably informed looks like a character from Death Note. She has the ability to whisper weird things and has a variety of costumes. Use your imagination. Also available to chat to is Bad Rudy, a red panda whose sole purpose, as far as I can tell, is to joylessly, aggressively insult the user. The future, ladies and gentlemen. Mostly gentlemen. 7. Trump is planning to spend a lot of his summer in the UK As well as his proper state visit in September, The White House has confirmed he's planning a quick jaunt to his two Scottish golf courses later this month. Keir Starmer will be joining him for a chat at one or other of them - it's currently unclear which. 8. Also, this is pretty yikes The Department of Homeland Security tweeted this extremely yikes post last night - urging Americans to "Remember your Homeland's Heritage", and illustrated by a couple of extremely white people, along with their white baby. As someone in the replies pointed out, the handmaid in the background is a nice touch. And they didn't mention that the subjects of the painting are, in all likelihood, immigrants holding what Republicans might call an anchor baby. But hey ho. The White House also apparently misnamed the picture, for what it's worth. The tweet says it's called New Life in a New Land, and by the acclaimed American artist Morgan Weistling. It is one of Weistling's works, but according to his website it's called Prayer for a New Life.
BBC News
18 minutes ago
- BBC News
Carney says US-Canada trade deal likely to include some tariffs
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada may have to accept some tariffs as part of a trade deal with the United States. "There's not a lot of evidence right now" that the Trump administration would be willing to completely give up on the levies in any agreement, he said on Tuesday, as reported by CBC News. Speaking to journalists ahead of a cabinet meeting in Ottawa, the prime minister said in French that all of Trump's trade negotiations have thus far included tariffs. Last week, US President Donald Trump announced he would impose a new 35% duty on Canadian goods starting on 1 August. Canada and the US have been in a trade war since Trump took office in January, with Trump imposing both targeted tariffs on to Canada and global levies that have been painful on certain Canadian sectors. Canada imposed its own counter measures in response. Carney did not say on Tuesday if he was willing to accept the levies in any deal with the US. At the G7 summit in mid-June, he said that he would only sign an agreement "that's in Canada's best interest".He also indicated that he would be willing to impose further counter-tariffs if Ottawa and Washington could not strike a deal. In addition to the latest threatened 35% tariff on Canada - an increase from the current 25%, which includes significant exemptions - Trump has imposed a global 50% tariff on aluminium and steel imports, and a 25% tariff on all cars and trucks not built in the US president also recently announced a 50% tariff on copper imports, scheduled to take effect next sells about three-quarters of its goods to the US, and is an auto manufacturing hub and a major supplier of metals, making the US tariffs especially damaging to those much of the cross-border trade between the US, Canada and Mexico is exempt from additional levies under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (Cusma).US media have reported that the agreement remains in place for now. A recent report from the Royal Bank of Canada stated that Canada's exports to the US fell since April, but compliance with Cusma has risen. Around 91% of Canadian exports to the US crossed the border duty-free, the bank said, citing data from the US Census Bureau.
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Worker says she was pushed to falsify safety records and saw employees lose limbs at Trump-aligned meatpacking plant
A Colorado woman working for the world's largest meatpacking company – and major Trump supporter – claims supervisors pressured her to falsify safety records while workers were regularly losing fingers and limbs due to inadequate training. Salima Jandali, an aspiring police officer who speaks three languages and has a Bachelor's degree in political science and anthropology from the University of Northern Colorado, says her supervisor regularly denigrated her as a 'stupid Arab' and forced her and others to work without proper protective equipment. When Jandali, 31, complained to management about what she saw as dangerous shortcomings at the JBS USA beef processing plant in Greeley, roughly 50 miles north of Denver, her locker was vandalized, her Islamic prayer beads were thrown in the trash and she was forced out of her job. That's according to a federal lawsuit filed by Jandali, which describes her experience at JBS as 'a disturbing example of systematic workplace discrimination and retaliation against… a Muslim woman and Moroccan immigrant who refused to participate in her employer's illegal, dangerous, and exploitative practices.' Once she left, Jandali 'never wanted to look back,' she told The Independent. Jandali said she witnessed a newly arrived Burmese immigrant get his arm amputated by a processing-floor machine, saw others lose digits and that accidental stabbings with hooks and knives were commonplace. The company constantly said it was short-staffed, and cut corners on safety protocols to make up for it, according to Jandali. However, she went on, many of the new hires didn't speak English and JBS lacked any translation services to help them understand what they were being told to do. 'They didn't want to complete the classes for new employees, and the retaliation began when I started speaking out,' she said. 'I just want to show the world how corrupt they are, and hopefully this is going to raise awareness so people know the truth about what's going on in there.' In a statement provided to The Independent, attorney Helen Oh, who is representing Jandali in the case, said, 'No employee should have to choose between their integrity and livelihood.' A JBS spokesperson did not respond to The Independent 's requests for comment. Multinational food company JBS, which, via a subsidiary, was the single biggest donor to Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration, 'continually prioritized production over worker safety,' leading to horrific injuries in pursuit of maximum profit, Jandali's complaint alleges. In 2021, JBS was cited and fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after a worker at its Greeley plant got stuck in a conveyor belt and his left arm was severed clean off – which Jandali watched happen. That same year, another worker in Greeley died when he fell into a vat of chemicals due to an improperly installed piece of machinery. In 2023, an employee at a JBS plant in Wisconsin lost two fingers while processing a cattle carcass, and in May, a worker at a JBS facility in Arizona died from blunt-force injuries after being crushed between a forklift and a front-end loader. On Monday, 20 workers at a JBS plant in Port Arthur, Texas were hospitalized after they were exposed to potentially toxic levels of carbon monoxide and methane gas. Beyond horrific workplace injuries, JBS has also been accused by employees of myriad other abuses, including human trafficking. In 2017, the Brazilian government levied a $3.2 billion fine against the multinational's parent company in a sprawling bribery case that extended all the way up to then-President Michel Temer. The company settled one previous lawsuit for $5.5 million by Muslim workers at JBS' Greeley plant who said they were discriminated against for their religious beliefs. Jandali was born in Rabat, Morocco, and moved to the United States when she was a child. Fluent in English, Arabic and French, Jandali began working for JBS in August 2019, at the company's Greeley facility, conducting mandatory safety training for new hires and production employees working on the meat processing floor. In 2023, Jandali's supervisor began to hurl racial and religious slurs at her 'on a regular basis… often calling her a 'stupid Muslim' or 'stupid Arab,'' according to her complaint, which was filed June 11 in Colorado federal court. The harassment escalated as the year progressed, the complaint contends, describing 'repeated degradation and intimidation of Ms. Jandali by throwing away [her]... work boots and hard hat.' 'On at least 25 occasions, Ms. Jandali arrived [at] work to find her safety equipment strewn about, missing, or in the trash,' the complaint goes on. 'Without proper equipment, Ms. Jandali was prohibited from taking new hires to the processing floor pursuant to safety protocols,' the complaint states. Federal law requires production employees to complete 100 percent of their safety training prior to working on the processing floor, the complaint explains, Yet, it says, throughout Jandali's time at JBS, 'supervisors routinely put production employees to work on the floor when they had not completed all required safety training.' 'Many production employees were non-English speakers who needed interpreters to understand and complete the trainings,' the complaint states. 'While Ms. Jandali could translate and interpret for French and Arabic-speaking employees on her shift, this was highly insufficient to address the language needs for trainings across shifts.' Jandali raised the issue repeatedly, telling higher-ups that the practice was putting people in danger, the complaint continues. In response, Jandali was told that any problems were her fault, and that if she couldn't get everyone trained adequately, 'then this was not the job for her,' according to the complaint. The company's demands became more aggressive over time, and the pressure on Jandali intensified, the complaint alleges. In May 2024, she was instructed to falsify training records for employees who had not attended their assigned sessions, the complaint maintains. 'Ms. Jandali objected and explained that production employees were suffering serious injuries, including losing limbs, and safety protocols needed to be followed,' the complaint states, adding that '[h]er concerns were completely ignored.' Days later, Jandali reported the situation to upper-level managers, according to the complaint. Soon, it says, Jandali began to experience fierce blowback over her ongoing concerns. 'On May 28, 2024, Ms. Jandali arrived at work to find her workplace locker damaged, with the corner bent and unable to close properly,' the complaint alleges. 'She found her Tasbih (Islamic prayer beads) in the trash, along with her other personal belongings. Ms. Jandali was horrified, deeply hurt, and feared for her safety.' Jandali then went to HR to file a formal grievance but, despite their promises, the complaint claims she 'never received any follow up or resolution.' The conditions at JBS had been getting progressively worse for Jandali in other ways, as well. When her father needed heart surgery, Jandali requested family leave to help him, and was approved, the complaint states. However, while she was out, HR 'falsely' informed her that her paperwork had never been received and terminated her employment, it says. Following a grievance Jandali filed with the union, which included a paper trail proving her side of the story, she was reinstated, according to the complaint. Still, upon returning to work, Jandali found herself locked out of her company email and unable to access her online work drive, training materials and classrooms, the complaint states. Nearly six weeks later, the complaint says Jandali finally regained access to her email account, but found that 'all of her prior emails with years of accumulated training information [had been] deleted.' In June 2024, Jandali requested a three-month medical leave to deal with 'worsening depression, anxiety and [post-traumatic stress disorder] caused by JBS's retaliation and harassment,' the complaint states. Three weeks later, it says she got a call from HR demanding she return to work in seven days or else she would be fired. Jandali appealed, and state regulators forced JBS to keep her on the payroll. However, when she finally got back, the situation she continued to endure, on top of 'months of unaddressed harassment, retaliation and pressure to engage in illegal conduct,' was too much to take, the complaint states. On September 9, 2024, facing the exact same issues as before, Jandali resigned. Beyond her depression, anxiety and PTSD, Jandali's complaint says her time at JBS caused 'debilitating physical symptoms including insomnia, frequent nightmares, inability to concentrate and extreme fatigue,' the complaint states. 'These conditions have transformed her from a vibrant, active and outgoing person into someone who struggles with basic daily functioning and experiences profound emotional numbness.' Jandali is now seeking economic damages, including front pay and back pay, compensatory damages for emotional pain, suffering and mental anguish, as well as punitive damages, plus interest, attorneys' fees and court costs.
