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ITV News
15 minutes ago
- ITV News
Bill and Hillary Clinton subpoenaed by US Congress for Epstein investigation
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary have been subpoenaed by the US Congress to testify about Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons were among several high-profile people to be named by the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday as it began a congressional probe that lawmakers believe may show links to President Donald Trump and former top officials. The request by the Republican-controlled committee came while Congress is on a month-long break, indicating that interest in the Epstein files remains high - despite efforts by Trump to move past it. Lawmakers from both major political parties, as well as many in the Republican president's political base, have refused to let go of the issue. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the oversight committee, noted in letters to Attorney General Pam Bondi and the former officials that the cases of Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell 'have received immense public interest and scrutiny.' 'While the Department undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell's cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government's enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell,' Comer said. Since Epstein's 2019 death in a New York jail cell as he awaited trial for sex trafficking charges, conspiracy theories have swirled around over what information investigators gathered on Epstein — and who else knew about his sexual abuse of teenage girls. Conservative conspiracists have formed a core part of Trump's base, and his decision to rein back on his promise of releasing the files has created fury within some circles. The renewed focus on the Epstein files has also galvanised public opinion on the issue, with many polls showing a majority of Americans now believe they should be released. Bill Clinton was among a number of senior politicians acquainted with Epstein, a wealthy financier, before the criminal investigation against him in Florida became public two decades ago. Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by any of the women who say Epstein abused them. One of Epstein's victims, Virginia Giuffre, once gave a newspaper interview in which she described riding in a helicopter with Clinton and flirting with Trump, but she later said in a deposition that those things hadn't actually happened and were mistakes by the reporter. Clinton has previously said through a spokesperson that while he travelled on Epstein's jet, he never visited his homes and had no knowledge of his crimes. The committee is also demanding interviews under oath from former attorneys general spanning the last four presidential administrations: Merrick Garland, William Barr, Jeff Sessions, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder and Alberto Gonzales. Lawmakers also subpoenaed former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller. The committee has also subpoenaed the Trump administration's Justice Department for its files on Epstein, in a move spearheaded by the Democrats on the committee. They were joined by some Republicans last month to successfully initiate the subpoena through a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee. 'Today was an important step forward in our fight for transparency regarding the Epstein files and our dedication to seeking justice for the victims,' said Democrats Robert Garcia and Summer Lee, who initiated the subpoena, in a joint statement. They added: 'Now, we must continue putting pressure on the Department of Justice until we actually receive every document.' The subpoenas give the Justice Department until August 19 to hand over the requested records, though such requests are typically open to negotiation and can be resisted by the Trump administration. The committee is also asking the former officials to appear for the depositions throughout August, September and October, concluding with Hillary Clinton on October 9 and Bill Clinton on October 14. Multiple former presidents have voluntarily testified before Congress, but none has been compelled to do so. Trump resisted efforts to get him to testify in 2022 about the January 6 riots, with the committee ultimately withdrawing the subpoena. The committee had previously issued a subpoena for an interview with Maxwell, who had been serving a prison sentence in Florida for luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein but was recently transferred to a Texas facility. However, Comer has indicated he is willing to delay that deposition until after the Supreme Court decides whether to hear an appeal of her conviction. She argues she was wrongfully prosecuted. As the Justice Department has tried to appease demands for more disclosure, it has turned its attention to Maxwell. Officials interviewed her for several days last month. But Democrats stressed the importance of gaining direct access to the investigative files, rather than relying on Maxwell's words.
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Elon Musk is the least popular public figure in America
Elon Musk is the least popular public figure in America, according to a new study. Pollster Gallup found that out of a list of 14 prominent figures, the tech billionaire came dead last, ranked just below Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. Gallup asked 1,000 random American adults between July 7 and July 21 what they thought of the figures, with 61 percent of respondents having an unfavorable opinion of the Tesla boss. Others on the list included Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden and Pope Leo XIV. Though the overwhelming majority had negative reactions towards him, 33 percent of respondents to the survey said they liked Musk, and six percent said they had no opinion on him at all. The world's richest man's fall from grace has been a speedy one, having enjoyed the self-proclaimed status of 'First Buddy' to Donald Trump – currying favor with the president and his stalwart MAGA base and leading controversial efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash spending. Gallup put his 'net favorability rate' at -4 at the beginning of the year. However, following an explosive fallout between the pair in early June, in which they traded blows from their respective social media platforms, Musk was ousted from Trump's inner circle – with the president even suggesting that the South African-born businessman 'go back where he came from.' Gallup now puts his 'net favorability rate' at -28. Trump's lack of faith and endorsement have also mirrored that of Tesla 's stocks, which have been in steady decline. The electric vehicle manufacturer last month posted a 16 percent drop in net income for the second quarter of 2025 and a 12 percent fall in revenue for the same period. Musk and his reputation have even managed to turn people off EVs in general, according to a study by Williams College. While Trump's favorability was better than his former bestie's, the president still sits at 'net favorability' of -16; 57 percent of respondents hold a negative view of the president and 41 hold a positive one. Only two percent had no opinion. Several members of the president's close circle are viewed more positively, including vice president JD Vance, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, and even Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Netanyahu and Rubio occupy the second and third lowest spots on the poll, with -23 and -26 'net favorability' respectively.
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump is nearly halfway through Project 2025 agenda in just the first six months of his presidency
Nearly half of the initiatives laid out in Project 2025 — which is considered by many to be a blueprint for the second Trump administration — have already been implemented by the president, a rolling analysis has found. Just over six months into Donald Trump's second term, approximately 115 of the 317 objectives set forth in the far-right playbook, authored in 2023 by the Heritage Foundation, have become a reality. That's about 46 percent, according to the Project 2025 Tracker, an online spreadsheet created by two Reddit users and updated as Trump announces policies. It appears to be one of the only publicly available resources regularly updated with data on Project 2025 objectives and administration action. Some of those objectives have been implemented through executive orders, such as shutting down the Department of Education, eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) language from the federal government, and restoring implementation of the death penalty for certain crimes. Other objectives have been pushed forward through Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed by Congress in July. Some of those objectives include eliminating electric vehicle incentives and adding work requirements for Medicaid. It's unsurprising that many of Project 2025's 'Mandate for Leadership' objectives have become part of Trump's agenda. Several of his senior staff are authors of or contributors to Project 2025, including Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, senior trade adviser Peter Navarro, border czar Tom Homan, Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley, and others. Other staffers have ties to the Heritage Foundation, which produced the more than 900-page mandate. Despite the administration's close ties to the Heritage Foundation and enacting some nearly identical policies to those named in Project 2025, Trump had insisted on the campaign trail that he knew 'nothing' about the mandate and acted as though he was very unfamiliar with it. The Project 2025 Tracker says that around 63 policies in Project 2025 are currently 'in progress. One example is the language in Project 2025 that encourages the president to revoke guidance that prohibits adoption or foster agencies from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity. While Trump has not signed an executive order directly doing so, his executive order establishing the White House Faith Office includes language that encourages the team to make recommendations 'promoting foster care and adoption programs in partnership with faith-based entities' while promoting religious freedom. In January, Paul Dans, a conservative lawyer who oversaw Project 2025, told CNN t hat Trump's first few actions were 'exactly' what the Heritage Foundation set out to do. 'This is exactly the work we set out to do,' Dans said at the time. 'It's still in the early first stages of bearing fruit, but we wanted to make sure the president was ready to hit the ground running on day one. The rapidity and the depth of what they've rolled out this quickly is a testament to the work done in Project 2025 and other presidential transition projects.'
