Trump ditches ‘past' supporters over Epstein Files scandal
Supporters are outraged by the Department of Justice 's conclusion that no alleged 'client list' exists and no additional disclosures are warranted, with Donald Trump going on to attack his 'past' backers who he claims have bought into a hoax.
The official stance that Epstein died by suicide and that no further information will be made public has fuelled conspiracy theories and accusations of a cover-up among right-wing influencers.
The controversy has led to public disagreements among key figures within the Trump administration, prompting the president to defend Attorney General Pam Bondi and attempt to quell internal strife.
Calls for the full release of the Epstein files persist from both Trump's supporters and Democratic politicians.
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The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Bill Clinton reportedly sent Jeffrey Epstein note for birthday album
Donald Trump apparently isn't the only president that sent a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. 'The biggest name in the album' was Bill Clinton, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The ex-president's letter appeared alongside nearly 50 others, including other prominent celebrities and executives. Last week, the Journal reported that Trump had authored a 'bawdy' letter to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 after he was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges. The letter was included in an album Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell compiled on the occasion of his 50th birthday in 2003. Trump has sued Rupert Murdoch, two Wall Street Journal newspaper reporters and the newspaper's publisher Dow Jones for libel and slander over the reporting. In Thursday's article, the Wall Street Journal provided additional details on the album, including names of some of the nearly 50 people who wrote to Epstein. They reportedly include billionaire investor Leon Black, fashion designer Vera Wang, billionaire media owner Mortimer Zuckerman, billionaire former Victoria's Secret owner Les Wexner, attorney Alan Dershowitz, model scout Jean-Luc Brunel and billionaire former Microsoft executive Nathan Myhrvold. It also includes the British ambassador to the United States and Labour party politician Peter Mandelson in a section titled 'friends'. Epstein's former co-workers, Alan 'Ace' Greenberg and James 'Jimmy' Cayne, who he worked with at the investment firm Bear Stearns in the 1970s, also sent letters. The New York Times confirmed the Wall Street Journal's reporting on Thursday evening. 'The professionally bound birthday book had multiple volumes and included a table of contents,' the Journal reported. According to the newspaper, Clinton's note to Epstein read: 'It's reassuring isn't it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and [illegible word], and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends.' A Clinton spokesperson declined to comment to the Journal, instead referring the paper to a previous statement from the ex-president, saying he had cut ties with Epstein more than a decade before his arrest and was not aware of Epstein's crimes. Trump's letter to Epstein was far from the only note that was sexual in nature, according to documents the Journal reviewed. It describes a poem signed by Black that read 'Blonde, Red or Brunette, spread out geographically / With this net of fish, Jeff's now 'The Old Man and The Sea'', and a note from Wexner that included 'a line drawing of what appeared to be a woman's breasts'. Spokespersons for Black and Wexner declined the Journal's request for comment. A letter from Wang suggested Epstein star on The Bachelor. Wang did not respond to the Journal's requests for comment. And a note from Myhrvold promised photographs from a recent trip to Africa: 'They seemed more appropriate than anything I could put in words.' The images included 'a monkey screaming, lions and zebras mating, and a zebra with its penis visible', the Journal reported. A spokesperson for Myhrvold told the Journal the former Microsoft executive did not recall the submission, only knew Epstein as a donor to scientific research, and that he 'regularly shares photos of and writes about animal behavior'. The letter from Mandelson 'included photos of whiskey and a tropical island', the Journal reported. Mandelson referred to Epstein as 'my best pal' in the note. A spokesperson for Mandelson declined to comment to the Journal. As for the relationship between Trump and Epstein, the Times found that at least once before, Trump had written Epstein an admiring note. 'To Jeff — You are the greatest!' reads an inscription in a copy of Trump's book Trump: the Art of the Comeback, which belonged to Epstein. The message, reviewed by the Times, is signed 'Donald' and dated 'Oct 97' – the month the book came out. The Times also reviewed a previously undisclosed photo of Trump and Epstein with the singer James Brown. It is not clear where the photo was taken. Brown frequently performed in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Trump owned the Taj Mahal casino.
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump's FCC approves $8 billion Paramount merger with Skydance after CBS cancels Colbert
President Donald Trump 's Federal Communications Commission has approved a merger between Paramount and Skydance after CBS capitulated and canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The merger clears the way for an $8.4 billion sale of some of the most prominent names in entertainment, including the CBS broadcast television network, Paramount Pictures, and the Nickelodeon cable channel. The agreement comes after Paramount paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over a '60 Minutes' interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris that aired in October. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has said the agency's review of the proposed merger was not connected to the lawsuit. But it is also just days after Paramount wielded the axe against Colbert, sparking uproar within the entertainment industry and questions over whether Trump was involved in the decision. Last Thursday, CBS announced that the comedian's decade-long run as the host of CBS' late night flagship will end next May. The cancellation was revealed two days after Colbert used the term 'big fat bribe' to describe Paramount's $16million settlement with President Trump. Colbert gained a reputation as one of Trump's fiercest critics, departing from the traditional late-night in favor of a more overtly partisan approach. Following the announcement of The Late Show's cancellation, Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to gloat over the news in a celebratory post. 'I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings,' he wrote. Approval for the merger came after Skydance and its investment partner, RedBird Capital, assured the FCC of their commitment to unbiased journalism that represents diverse viewpoints. Skydance said it would appoint an ombudsman to evaluate complaints of editorial bias or other concerns about CBS in an effort to promote transparency and increased accountability. Paramount also eliminated its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to align with the new administration's view that such affirmative action policies are discriminatory. Carr said he welcomed 'Skydance's commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network. 'In particular, Skydance has made written commitments to ensure that the new company's programming embodies a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum.' Carr also hailed what he called a victory in 'the FCC's efforts to eliminate invidious forms of DEI discrimination.' The FCC voted 2-1 to approve the deal, with Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez dissenting. 'After months of cowardly capitulation to this Administration, Paramount finally got what it wanted. Unfortunately, it is the American public who will ultimately pay the price for its actions,' she said. She added 'in an unprecedented move, this once-independent FCC used its vast power to pressure Paramount to broker a private legal settlement and further erode press freedom. 'Even more alarming, it is now imposing never-before-seen controls over newsroom decisions and editorial judgment, in direct violation of the First Amendment and the law.' Skydance CEO David Ellison, son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, is poised to become chairman and chief executive of the new Paramount. Jeff Shell, former chief executive of Comcast's NBCUniversal, will be its new president.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Bill Clinton praised Epstein's ‘childlike curiosity' in birthday message
Bill Clinton reportedly praised Jeffrey Epstein's 'childlike curiosity' in a birthday message to the paedophile in 2003. The former US president wrote a paragraph for a leather-bound album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein's 50th birthday, The Wall Street Journal reported. Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, was keen for Mr Clinton and other significant figures to submit letters, people involved in assembling the album told the newspaper. Mr Clinton is reported to have written: 'It's reassuring isn't it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and [illegible], and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends.' A spokesman for the former president declined to comment on the birthday message to The Wall Street Journal. He referred the newspaper to a previous statement which affirmed that Mr Clinton ended the relationship more than a decade before Epstein was arrested in 2019 on sex trafficking charges, and did not know about the paedophile's alleged crimes. Donald Trump is also said to have sent a birthday letter for the album in which he wrote that he and Epstein had 'certain things in common', adding: 'Enigmas never age.' Mr Trump denied writing or sending the note, and has sued the newspaper for defamation over its report. Mr Trump's name appears in the album for Epstein as a contributor, The New York Times reported on Thursday night. His alleged note, said to feature a drawing of a nude woman in permanent marker, is reportedly one of dozens of names of Epstein acquaintances who were asked to provide something for the album. Mr Trump also reportedly wrote an admiring message for Epstein in his book, Trump: Art of the Comeback. 'To Jeff - You are the greatest!' the inscription, which is dated Oct 1997, is said to read. Steven Cheung, a White House spokesman, said in a statement that Mr Trump had banned Mr Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for 'being a creep'. 'This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by Democrats and the liberal media,' he added. Clintons subpoenaed An ally of Mr Trump's in Congress has organised a vote to subpoena both Mr Clinton and his wife, former New York senator and first lady Hillary Clinton, about their connection with Epstein. In 2002, Mr Clinton and Epstein spent nine days on a trip to Africa, flying out on the financier's private jet, known as the 'Lolita Express'. 'I had always thought Epstein was odd but had no inkling of the crimes he was committing,' the Democrat wrote in his 2024 memoir, Citizen: My Life after the White House. Mr Trump is frantically trying to turn the political narrative away from his friendship with the paedophile, who killed himself in prison in 2019. The president knew Epstein for 15 years until the early 2000s. He is under increasing pressure from his base to release any files the government holds on Epstein.
