
Trump tears into his 'crazy' haters as he bets big on risky move amid new Epstein revelations
Convinced that his haters are trying to distract from his 'great' first six months back in office, Trump is hoping that his direction to unseal grand jury testimony will be his saving grace among MAGA loyalists who are growing impatient.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump vowed transparency on the Epstein files and claimed his administration would release troves of government secrets, including in the child sex trafficking case.
Trump dubbed the entire ordeal a 'con job' and 'scam' as he again tore into the continuation of the saga in a Thursday night Truth Social post.
It comes as yet another piece of evidence emerged that may shine additional light on Trump's relationship with Epstein.
The New York Times reported that the president called Epstein 'the greatest' in a newly unearthed message he wrote for the disgraced billionaire on a copy of his 1997 book 'Trump: The Art of the Comeback.'
The report comes as Trump is grappling with the fallout from a story by the Wall Street Journal claiming that the president signed a birthday note with a drawing of an outline of a naked woman to Epstein in 2003.
Epstein's longtime girlfriend and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell wrote an introductory letter to a leather-bound book of birthday notes, which the Times also published.
Trump has fiercely denied ever drawing the picture and sued the Journal for $10 billion for libel claims.
Shortly after the WSJ article was published, Trump shot back in a post to Truth Social saying: 'The supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE.'
The report claimed that Trump wrote in his birthday note to Epstein: 'May every day be another wonderful secret.'
Trump's communications director has a standard statement he appears to be sending to all media who ask about Trump's connection to the Epstein debacle, and dismissing the reports as more 'fake news.'
'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep,' Cheung said in the statement sent to multiple outlets, including the Daily Mail.
'This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about,' he concludes.
Trump is now all-in on his direction for the Justice Department to request courts unseal grand jury testimony.
'As things are revealed and, I hope will take place quickly, you will see that it is yet another Democrat con job,' Trump said on Truth Social in relation to the Epstein files.
'Hopefully, the Grand Jury Files will put an end to this hoax,' the president wrote on Truth Social shortly after the NYT piece was published.
'Everyone should see what is there, but people who are innocent should not be hurt.'
Trump last week instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to request the grand jury testimony on the Epstein case amid mounting pressure from his base to release more information.
However, his plan is already hitting a snag.
The Southern District of Florida this week denied the request for the highly-sensitive materials to be made available.
And the Southern District of New York asked Trump's DOJ to respond to a request for more information on why they are seeking the additional court documents.
It's very difficult to get grand jury testimony unsealed as it's one of the more highly-protected and secretive pieces of court materials.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche flew to Florida on Wednesday and met with Maxwell on Thursday to find out what more she knows and can reveal about Epstein.
It's no secret that Trump associated with Epstein in the 1980s and 1990s.
They ran in similar circles in New York City and Palm Beach and were oftentimes pictured at the same events.
CNN unearthed images this month that showed Epstein attended Trump's second wedding to Marla Maples on December 20, 1993 at The Plaza Hotel in New York.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Reuters
25 minutes ago
- Reuters
US states sue over Trump demands for data on food stamp recipients
July 29 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. states has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the administration of President Donald Trump from requiring them to hand over information on millions of people who receive food stamp benefits. The 20 mostly Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C., said the Trump administration's efforts to amass a database of food stamp recipients to check their immigration status and identify fraud violate federal privacy laws and the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in California on Monday. About 42 million people receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which is largely funded by the federal government and administered by states. Immigrants in the United States illegally are not eligible for SNAP. The states in their lawsuit say that federal privacy laws and rules governing state food stamp programs bar them from disclosing applicants' personal information. 'You don't promise to help someone eat, then punish them for sitting at the table,' California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said at a press conference. New York, Michigan, Illinois and New Jersey are among the other states that joined the lawsuit. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, said it does not comment on pending litigation. The department said in June, opens new tab that it would gather information from states to build the database with the goal of reducing waste and strengthening SNAP, and in keeping with Trump's directives to promote data-sharing across the federal government. The data sought by the department includes the Social Security numbers, immigration status and other information of people who have received, are receiving or have applied to receive SNAP benefits, according to agency documents. States could lose SNAP funding if they refuse to comply. The massive U.S. tax cut and policy bill approved by Congress earlier this month makes various changes and cuts to SNAP, including requiring states to partially fund benefits and imposing work requirements and time limits.


Telegraph
25 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Don't put tariffs on champagne, France begs Trump
France's champagne and cognac makers are scrambling to secure an exemption from Donald Trump's tariffs on EU imports to head off a crushing hit to sales. French EU diplomats hope to carve out €9bn (£7.8bn) of European wine and spirits exports from the broad 15pc tariff agreed on Sunday between the US president and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president. The trade deal only specifies an exemption for the aviation industry, but Eric Lombard, the French finance minister, said that 'this should also be the case for spirits'. 'This agreement is not complete. There is a base rate of 15pc, and exemptions, which are not yet fully detailed. Work continues, with France remaining vigilant to protect our industries as much as possible,' he said. White House officials have reportedly downplayed the prospect of any further exemptions as the two sides look to thrash out the deal's details by this Friday, when the US will start levying tariffs. But Brussels negotiators and industry representatives are still hopeful the two sides can nail down a 'zero-for-zero' tariff on spirits, which would also buoy America's $1.2bn (£900m) of liquor exports to Europe. France's political elite have been highly critical of the trade deal, which was negotiated at the EU level rather than by each eurozone country. Francois Bayrou, the French prime minister, said it was a 'dark day' for the Continent. Since then, France's wine industry has been ramping up the pressure on the EU to help carve out an exemption. On Monday, Gabriel Picard, head of the French wine and spirits exporters' federation FEVS, said: 'Disaster has been avoided, but the coming days will be crucial for the sector. The agreement ... should confirm the restoration of bilateral trade free of duties for spirits, which we are eager to see confirmed.' Laurent Saint-Martin, the French trade minister who was highly critical of the EU's handling of trade negotiations, also said that he expected to see spirits get an exemption. Brussels may have an effective ally in Bernard Arnault, the French billionaire boss of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, which owns cognac and champagne maker Moet Hennessy. Mr Arnault attended Mr Trump's presidential inauguration in January and visited the White House in May. He has also pledged to open a new Luis Vuitton workshop in Texas. Trade deal hangover Champagne and cognac are helped by their special status as protected geographical brands, meaning there is no option to shift production to the US – one of the aims of Mr Trump's trade war. If champagne producers win an exemption, they will have protected their access to a market that accounts for 18pc of their worldwide exports. Cognac makers send 43pc of their exports to the US, and have only just seen off a threatened 35pc tariff on their sales into China, an even larger overseas market. The wine industry faces a tougher fight. European wine exports to the US dwarf what the Continent buys from California, creating a trade deficit that rankles with Mr Trump. In March, he threatened a 200pc tariff on European wine. 'When it comes to wines, everything is not yet settled. That is why we are encouraging the European Commission and France to fully commit to this final stretch, to obtain the reduction in customs duties on wines, a proposal supported by both American and European stakeholders,' Mr Picard said. The European industry has been telling the US that a tariff would hurt American businesses. 'It is estimated that for every $1 generated by European wine exports to the US, American distribution and hospitality sectors earn $4.50,' said Ignacio Sanchez Recarte, head of the EU wine industry body CEEV. 'The €4.88bn EU wine exported to the US in 2024 would have generated roughly $22bn revenue for US companies.' The Europeans aren't the only producers trying to bend Mr Trump's ear. John Swinney, the Scottish First Minister, used his meeting with Mr Trump in Scotland on Tuesday to urge an exemption for Scotch whisky from the 10pc tariff in the UK-US deal. He said the tariff was costing the Scottish industry £4m a week. 'I believe there is now a window of opportunity to make the case for whisky. And at the invitation of the president, I intend to make further representation to him on this matter,' Mr Swinney said after the meeting. His argument was that since there was no American substitute for Scotch whisky, it didn't make sense to tax it.


Reuters
25 minutes ago
- Reuters
Explainer: Why is Britain recognising a Palestinian state, and which other countries have done the same?
LONDON, July 29 (Reuters) - Britain announced on Tuesday it was prepared to recognise a Palestinian state in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the "appalling situation" in Gaza and meets other conditions. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision follows in the footsteps of France, after President Emmanuel Macron confirmed his country's intention to pursue recognition of a Palestinian state and to encourage other partners to do the same. Below are some details about Starmer's announcement, driven by a rising global outcry over starvation and devastation in Gaza amid Israel's war against Hamas militants, as well as other nations' position on having Palestinian statehood recognised. Starmer said Britain would make the move at the United Nations General Assembly unless Israel took substantive steps to allow more aid to enter Gaza, makes clear there will be no annexation of the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a "two-state solution" - a Palestinian state co-existing in peace alongside Israel. He said his government would make an assessment in September on "how far the parties have met these steps", but that no one would have a veto over the decision. The prime minister reiterated that there was "no equivalence between Israel and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain, that they must release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm". Successive British governments have said they will formally recognise a Palestinian state when the time is right, without ever setting a timetable or specifying the necessary conditions. Starmer said the move was timed to affect the situation on the ground in Gaza at a moment when the prospect of a two-state solution was under grave threat. A growing number of lawmakers in Starmer's Labour Party have been asking him to recognise a Palestinian state to put pressure on Israel. Starmer has been building warm relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, and Britain has rarely strayed from the United States on foreign policy matters. The two leaders met in Scotland on Monday, but U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Starmer did not discuss Britain's plan during their meeting. When asked on Monday whether he agreed with Starmer's earlier position on Palestinian statehood being a concrete step towards a lasting peace, Trump said: "I don't mind him taking a position. I'm looking for getting people fed right now - that's the number one position. You have a lot of starving people." Following France's announcement last week, Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio outright rejected the plan, calling it a "reckless decision that only serves Hamas". French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X that Britain was "joining the momentum initiated by France for the recognition of the state of Palestine". "Together, through this pivotal decision and our combined efforts, we are putting an end to the endless cycle of violence and reopening the prospect of peace in the region," Barrot said. "Nothing can stand in the way of a just and clear idea." At the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, when Starmer was the opposition leader, he fully backed Israel's right to defend itself. But his stance has shifted over the years to a tougher approach to Israel, especially since his election as prime minister just over a year ago. His government dropped the previous administration's challenge over arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has suspended some weapon sales to Israel. Last month, Britain sanctioned two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians. Last year, Ireland, Norway and Spain recognised a Palestinian state with its borders to be demarcated as they were prior to the 1967 Middle East war, when Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. However, they also recognised that those borders may change in any eventual talks to reach a final settlement, and that their decisions did not diminish their belief in Israel's fundamental right to exist in peace and security. About 144 of the 193 member states of the United Nations recognise Palestine as a state, including most of the global south as well as Russia, China and India. But only a handful of the 27 European Union members do so, mostly former Communist countries as well as Sweden and Cyprus. The U.N. General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012 by upgrading its observer status at the world body to "non-member state" from "entity". Starmer's decision may put pressure on other major countries like Germany, Australia, Canada and Japan to take the same path. Germany said on Friday it was not planning to recognise Palestinian statehood in the short term, with its priority to make "long-overdue progress" towards a two-state solution - Israel and a Palestinian state co-existing in peace. Italy's foreign minister said recognition must occur simultaneously with the recognition of Israel by a new Palestinian state. "A Palestinian state that does not recognise Israel means that the problem will not be resolved," Antonio Tajani told a gathering in Rome.