Donald Trump was told his name appears in Jeffrey Epstein files as political backlash in US mounts
US Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that his name appeared in investigative files related to Epstein, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
The White House has sent mixed signals following the story — first dismissing it as 'fake news,' while an official later said the administration was not denying Trump's name appears in some files.
The official noted that Trump was already included in materials Bondi assembled in February for conservative influencers.
In another development, a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee has approved a subpoena seeking all Justice Department files on Epstein.
Three Republicans joined five Democrats to back the effort, in a sign that Trump's party was not ready to move on from the issue.
Trump, who was friendly with Epstein up to the early 2000s, appears multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s.
Trump and several members of his family also appear in an Epstein contact book, alongside hundreds of others.
Much of that material had been publicly released in the criminal case against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes.
Epstein's longtime pilot testified that Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times. Trump has denied being on the plane.
Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said their friendship ended before Epstein's legal troubles first began two decades ago.
Trump has faced intense criticism from his own supporters after his administration said it would not release the Epstein files, reversing a campaign promise.
Under political pressure last week, Trump directed the Justice Department to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts related to Epstein.
US District Judge Robin Rosenberg has denied one of those requests, finding that it did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret.
Last week, the Journal reported that Trump had sent Epstein a bawdy birthday note in 2003 that ended, 'Happy Birthday ? and may every day be another wonderful secret'.
Trump has sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, asserting that the birthday note was fake.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, to which he had pleaded not guilty.
In a separate case, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge in Florida and received a 13-month sentence in what is now widely regarded as too lenient a deal with prosecutors.
His connections with wealthy and powerful individuals prompted speculation his death was not a suicide.
The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it had concluded Epstein died by his own hand.
In a sign of how the issue has bedevilled Trump and divided his fellow Republicans, US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday abruptly said he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a floor fight over a vote on the Epstein files.
Trump, stung and frustrated by the continued focus on the Epstein story, has sought to divert attention to other topics, including unfounded accusations that former President Barack Obama undermined Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign.
Obama's office denounced the allegations as 'ridiculous.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
9 News
3 hours ago
- 9 News
Former Superman actor says he's joining ICE, backs Trump's immigration crackdown
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here The comic book hero that Cain portrayed in the 1990s television show Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman might have been an immigrant himself, but it seems the actor has a more hardline view on foreign arrivals to the United States . In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Cain revealed that he decided to join the agency after sharing one of ICE's recruitment videos on social media the day before. Dean Cain revealed in an interview with Fox News that he decided to join ICE after sharing one of their recruitment videos on social media. (Fox News) "I'm actually … a sworn deputy sheriff and a reserve police officer – I wasn't part of ICE, but once I put that (the recruitment video) out there and you put a little blurb on your show, it went crazy," Cain told Fox News host Jesse Watters. "So now I've spoken with some officials over at ICE and I will be sworn in as an ICE agent ASAP." Asked what motivated the move, Cain, who is a well known conservative in Hollywood, said: "This country was built on patriots stepping up, whether it was popular or not, and doing the right thing. I truly believe this is the right thing." Cain described the US's immigration system as "broken," saying, "Congress needs to fix it, but in the interim, President Trump ran on this. He is delivering on this. This is what people voted for. It's what I voted for and he's going to see it through, and I'll do my part and help make sure it happens." Cain's public pledge to join ICE comes amid a significant acceleration in immigration enforcement, as the Trump administration is apprehending hundreds of immigrants every day across the country. Dean Cain portrayed in the 1990s television show "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman." (Warner Bros Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock) Cain has revealed that he's joining the ranks of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. (Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images) But a CNN analysis of agency data revealed a stark split in where ICE makes those arrests in blue states and red states. In states that voted for Trump, ICE agents are most likely to arrest immigrants directly from prisons and jails. By contract, in Democratic-leaning states ICE is frequently arresting immigrants from worksites, streets and mass roundups that have sparked protests and intense backlash in cities such as Los Angeles. Most of those arrested don't have a criminal record. Overall, ICE is making more arrests in red states than blue states – both in the community and, especially, in prisons and jails – the ICE data shows. World USA Donald Trump celebrity Politics immigration CONTACT US
Canberra Times
3 hours ago
- Canberra Times
Putin hopes to meet Trump next week, possibly in UAE
A meeting between the two presidents would be their first since Mr Trump returned to office this year. And a face-to-face meeting would be the first between a sitting US and Russian president since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, some eight months before Russia launched the biggest attack on a European nation since World War II.
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Trump to meet Putin in coming days, Kremlin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will meet and it could possibly take place next week at a venue that has been decided, the Kremlin says. "At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was essentially reached to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days, that is, a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said. "We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American colleagues," he added in televised comments. Next week is the target date for a summit, Ushakov said, while noting that such events take time to organise. The possible venue will be announced "a little later," he said. A meeting between the two presidents would be their first since Mr Trump returned to office this year. And a face-to-face meeting would be the first between a sitting US and Russian president since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, some eight months before Russia launched the biggest attack on a European nation since World War II. Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy have not met since December 2019 and make no secret of their contempt for each other. The New York Times reported earlier that Trump told European leaders during a call on Wednesday, he intended to meet with Putin and then follow up with a trilateral involving the Russian leader and Zelenskiy. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskiy." The details emerged following a meeting on Wednesday between Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff that Trump described as having achieved "great progress" in a Truth Social post, although later said he would not call it a breakthrough. A Kremlin aide said the talks were "useful and constructive". The diplomatic manoeuvres come two days before a deadline set by Trump for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face new sanctions. Trump has been increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress towards peace and has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian exports, including oil. Trump on Wednesday also said he could announce further tariffs on China similar to the 25 per cent duties announced earlier on India over its purchases of Russian oil. "We did it with India. We're doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China," he said. Ushakov said the two sides had exchanged "signals" on the Ukraine issue and discussed the possibility of developing strategic co-operation between Moscow and Washington, but declined to give more details. Zelenskiy said he believed pressure had worked on Russia and Moscow was now more "inclined" to a ceasefire. "The pressure on them works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details - neither us nor the US," he said in his nightly address. Trump on Truth Social said he had updated some of Washington's European allies following Witkoff's meeting. A German government spokesperson said Trump provided information about the status of the talks with Russia during a call with the German chancellor and other European leaders. Trump took a key step toward punitive measures on Wednesday when he imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil. The Kremlin says threats to penalise countries that trade with Russia are illegal. with DPA and AP Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will meet and it could possibly take place next week at a venue that has been decided, the Kremlin says. "At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was essentially reached to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days, that is, a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said. "We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American colleagues," he added in televised comments. Next week is the target date for a summit, Ushakov said, while noting that such events take time to organise. The possible venue will be announced "a little later," he said. A meeting between the two presidents would be their first since Mr Trump returned to office this year. And a face-to-face meeting would be the first between a sitting US and Russian president since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, some eight months before Russia launched the biggest attack on a European nation since World War II. Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy have not met since December 2019 and make no secret of their contempt for each other. The New York Times reported earlier that Trump told European leaders during a call on Wednesday, he intended to meet with Putin and then follow up with a trilateral involving the Russian leader and Zelenskiy. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskiy." The details emerged following a meeting on Wednesday between Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff that Trump described as having achieved "great progress" in a Truth Social post, although later said he would not call it a breakthrough. A Kremlin aide said the talks were "useful and constructive". The diplomatic manoeuvres come two days before a deadline set by Trump for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face new sanctions. Trump has been increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress towards peace and has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian exports, including oil. Trump on Wednesday also said he could announce further tariffs on China similar to the 25 per cent duties announced earlier on India over its purchases of Russian oil. "We did it with India. We're doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China," he said. Ushakov said the two sides had exchanged "signals" on the Ukraine issue and discussed the possibility of developing strategic co-operation between Moscow and Washington, but declined to give more details. Zelenskiy said he believed pressure had worked on Russia and Moscow was now more "inclined" to a ceasefire. "The pressure on them works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details - neither us nor the US," he said in his nightly address. Trump on Truth Social said he had updated some of Washington's European allies following Witkoff's meeting. A German government spokesperson said Trump provided information about the status of the talks with Russia during a call with the German chancellor and other European leaders. Trump took a key step toward punitive measures on Wednesday when he imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil. The Kremlin says threats to penalise countries that trade with Russia are illegal. with DPA and AP Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will meet and it could possibly take place next week at a venue that has been decided, the Kremlin says. "At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was essentially reached to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days, that is, a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said. "We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American colleagues," he added in televised comments. Next week is the target date for a summit, Ushakov said, while noting that such events take time to organise. The possible venue will be announced "a little later," he said. A meeting between the two presidents would be their first since Mr Trump returned to office this year. And a face-to-face meeting would be the first between a sitting US and Russian president since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, some eight months before Russia launched the biggest attack on a European nation since World War II. Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy have not met since December 2019 and make no secret of their contempt for each other. The New York Times reported earlier that Trump told European leaders during a call on Wednesday, he intended to meet with Putin and then follow up with a trilateral involving the Russian leader and Zelenskiy. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskiy." The details emerged following a meeting on Wednesday between Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff that Trump described as having achieved "great progress" in a Truth Social post, although later said he would not call it a breakthrough. A Kremlin aide said the talks were "useful and constructive". The diplomatic manoeuvres come two days before a deadline set by Trump for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face new sanctions. Trump has been increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress towards peace and has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian exports, including oil. Trump on Wednesday also said he could announce further tariffs on China similar to the 25 per cent duties announced earlier on India over its purchases of Russian oil. "We did it with India. We're doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China," he said. Ushakov said the two sides had exchanged "signals" on the Ukraine issue and discussed the possibility of developing strategic co-operation between Moscow and Washington, but declined to give more details. Zelenskiy said he believed pressure had worked on Russia and Moscow was now more "inclined" to a ceasefire. "The pressure on them works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details - neither us nor the US," he said in his nightly address. Trump on Truth Social said he had updated some of Washington's European allies following Witkoff's meeting. A German government spokesperson said Trump provided information about the status of the talks with Russia during a call with the German chancellor and other European leaders. Trump took a key step toward punitive measures on Wednesday when he imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil. The Kremlin says threats to penalise countries that trade with Russia are illegal. with DPA and AP Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will meet and it could possibly take place next week at a venue that has been decided, the Kremlin says. "At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was essentially reached to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days, that is, a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said. "We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American colleagues," he added in televised comments. Next week is the target date for a summit, Ushakov said, while noting that such events take time to organise. The possible venue will be announced "a little later," he said. A meeting between the two presidents would be their first since Mr Trump returned to office this year. And a face-to-face meeting would be the first between a sitting US and Russian president since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, some eight months before Russia launched the biggest attack on a European nation since World War II. Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy have not met since December 2019 and make no secret of their contempt for each other. The New York Times reported earlier that Trump told European leaders during a call on Wednesday, he intended to meet with Putin and then follow up with a trilateral involving the Russian leader and Zelenskiy. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskiy." The details emerged following a meeting on Wednesday between Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff that Trump described as having achieved "great progress" in a Truth Social post, although later said he would not call it a breakthrough. A Kremlin aide said the talks were "useful and constructive". The diplomatic manoeuvres come two days before a deadline set by Trump for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face new sanctions. Trump has been increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress towards peace and has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian exports, including oil. Trump on Wednesday also said he could announce further tariffs on China similar to the 25 per cent duties announced earlier on India over its purchases of Russian oil. "We did it with India. We're doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China," he said. Ushakov said the two sides had exchanged "signals" on the Ukraine issue and discussed the possibility of developing strategic co-operation between Moscow and Washington, but declined to give more details. Zelenskiy said he believed pressure had worked on Russia and Moscow was now more "inclined" to a ceasefire. "The pressure on them works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details - neither us nor the US," he said in his nightly address. Trump on Truth Social said he had updated some of Washington's European allies following Witkoff's meeting. A German government spokesperson said Trump provided information about the status of the talks with Russia during a call with the German chancellor and other European leaders. Trump took a key step toward punitive measures on Wednesday when he imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil. The Kremlin says threats to penalise countries that trade with Russia are illegal. with DPA and AP
