Comer issues subpoenas for DOJ's Epstein files, depositions with former officials
The move is the latest in a broader battle over the Epstein files, which took the Trump administration by storm last month as anger boiled over from within MAGA circles about the administration's handling of the case.
The committee's subpoena of Bill Clinton in particular seems more symbolic than substantive. No former president has ever testified to Congress under the compulsion of a subpoena — and lawmakers have tried only twice before: once in 1953, when the House Un-American Activities Committee subpoenaed Harry Truman, and once in 2022, when the Jan. 6 select committee subpoenaed Donald Trump.
Neither president testified in those instances, and the Justice Department has long cited Truman's example — though not backed by any legal precedent — to suggest that it is improper for Congress to compel even former presidents to testify, given separation of powers concerns.
While the president has tried to brush off the growing outcry — and lashed out at The Wall Street Journal over its report of a letter he allegedly wrote to the disgraced financier for his birthday, which he denies authoring — Republicans have split over their approach to the issue.
Trump has publicly raged about the case, suggesting it was a Democratic plant to undermine him. He's also sought to mollify his angry base, directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of grand jury documents amid outrage from within his own MAGA sphere, although it is not clear if there would be anything revelatory in those documents.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche also met with Epstein co-conspirator and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell last month amid the heightened public pressure.
Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for child sex trafficking and other crimes, was moved to a minimum-security federal prison camp in Texas just days after her meetings with Blanche — a transfer that came as Trump has made clear that a pardon for the convicted sex offender is within his purview.
Kyle Cheney contributed to this report.
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The Hill
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Top Armed Services Democrat calls Trump-Putin summit ‘very disappointing'
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Newsweek
a minute ago
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Gavin Newsom's Team Unveils New Nickname for JD Vance
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If you have issues with what I'm putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns with what he's… — Acyn (@Acyn) August 14, 2025 White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Newscum's obsession is getting a little creepy at this point. Gavin will never be ready for primetime!" What Happens Next It is unclear how long Newsom and his team will continue to mock the president and his social media posting style, but the bitterness between the two is unlikely to dissipate. Newsom's time in office ends next year, and he is rumored to be contemplating a run for president.
CNN
a minute ago
- CNN
Body language expert breaks down Trump-Putin meeting
Body language expert Mary Civiello examines the non-verbal behaviors of President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin before and after their summit in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday.
