Senate Republican: ‘America is safer with Pam Bondi as attorney general'
'I do,' Barrasso said, when asked in an interview on NBC News's 'Meet the Press' whether he has confidence in Bondi.
'We ran to make this country safer and more prosperous. Pam Bondi and her team are getting hardened criminals off the streets,' he continued. 'America is safer with Pam Bondi as attorney general.'
Barrasso said, 'I do,' when moderator Kristen Welker followed up to ask if he has confidence in Patel.
The interview comes after President Trump reiterated his confidence in Bondi on Saturday amid fierce backlash from segments of his base over her handling of the Epstein files.
The Justice Department released a memo on Monday concluding there was no evidence Epstein kept a 'client list,' nor that the convicted sex offender sought to blackmail powerful figures implicated in his crimes. The memo also found no evidence suggesting foul play involved in Epstein's death, which had previously been ruled a suicide.
Those revelations contradict conspiracy theories pushed by several right-wing media personalities and internet influencers; many of whom fumed Monday over the memo and alleged a cover-up was taking place.
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USA Today
5 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump: Epstein grand jury records unlikely to satisfy critics
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump acknowledged on July 19 he's unlikely to satisfy the clamor for more information about Jeffrey Epstein. Even if a court fully approves his request to release grand jury testimony about the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, that probably won't be enough, Trump said on social media. 'Nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request,' the president wrote. 'It will always be more, more, more. MAGA!' More: $10 billion lawsuit. More documents coming. Here's the latest on Trump and Epstein. Trump previously accused the Biden administration of hiding a list of Epstein clients. The Department of Justice teased that more files would be coming out, but then on July 7, Attorney General Pam Bondi said there was no client list and no further disclosure was needed. That led to a wave of backlash from Trump's MAGA base. "No one believes there is not a client list," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, a close Trump ally, posted on X July 8. On July 18, federal prosecutors asked a federal court in Manhattan to unseal grand jury transcripts in the criminal cases against Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein's federal sex-trafficking case was still pending when he was found dead in a jail cell in 2019. 'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,' Trump wrote on social media. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who filed legislation to release all the government's Epstein records, wrote in social media post that Trump's move indicates the pressure campaign is 'working.' 'But we want all the files,' Massie added. It could take time for the courts to release any records, and the grand jury documents are just a portion of the unreleased files. 'What about videos, photographs and other recordings?' Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman, a former prosecutor, wrote on social media in response to Bondi saying she'd seek the release of grand jury testimony. 'What about FBI… (witness interviews)? What about texts and emails?' Contributing: Zac Anderson, Aysha Bagchi, Joey Garrison.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Trump says ‘left lunatics' won't be satisfied with Epstein grand jury testimony
President Trump on Saturday said even if his administration releases all of the grand jury testimony in the case related to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, it will not be enough to satisfy the 'troublemakers and radical left lunatics.' 'I have asked the Justice Department to release all Grand Jury testimony with respect to Jeffrey Epstein, subject only to Court Approval. With that being said, and even if the Court gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'It will always be more, more, more. MAGA!' The Justice Department (DOJ) filed two nearly identical motions to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Friday, asking the federal court to unseal the grand jury transcripts in the Epstein case. It is uncommon for a grand jury transcript to be made public over sensitive information, but it can be achieved. DOJ said in the motions, which were filed by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, that it would strike the names of potential victims and other 'personal identifying information' before the release of the transcript. The pair of motions came a day after Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release 'pertinent grand jury testimony.' 'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,' he wrote Thursday online. 'This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now.' The administration has faced increased pressure from the president's MAGA base to produce more documents related to the case, particularly after an unnamed joint FBI and DOJ memo published last week concluded that Epstein — who ran in high-powered circles — died by suicide in 2019 and that he did not keep a so-called 'client list.' The findings unnerved some, who claim they contradict comments Bondi made earlier this year, including vowing transparency in the case. The latest move to unseal the testimony came after The Wall Street Journal reported on an alleged letter Trump sent to Epstein for the financier's 50th birthday. The letter, a copy of which was not published in the article, contains text framed by the outline of a naked woman and has the words 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.' The president has denied that he sent the letter and sued the newspaper on Friday for defamation in federal court. 'Defendants concocted this story to malign President Trump's character and integrity and deceptively portray him in a false light,' his legal team said. Trump has in recent days criticized Republicans for being fixated on the issue and urged his allies to move on, to no avail. He's also questioned why Democrats did not bring up the files when they had control of the Senate and White House. 'BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!' he wrote Friday.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
$10 billion lawsuit. More documents coming. Here's the latest on Trump and Epstein.
WASHINGTON – After being on the defensive over his administration's handling of disclosures about Jeffrey Epstein's case, President Donald Trump is on the attack. In a lawsuit filed July 18, Trump is seeking $10 billion in damages over the Wall Street Journal's publication of an article saying the future president wrote a lewd letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday. "We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS 'article' in the useless 'rag' that is, The Wall Street Journal," Trump wrote on social media. He filed the lawsuit the day after directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce more Epstein documents amid public clamor for the records - a fascination Trump said he doesn't understand about what he called a 'pretty boring' case. And on July 19, Trump doubted the upcoming records release will satisfy his critics. "It will always be more, more, more," Trump said on social media. Here's what to know about the latest developments in Trump's dealings with the continued interest in the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. What does Trump want? Trump wants $10 billion in damages from the Wall Street Journal, its parent company, owner and two reporters claiming libel and slander. A $10 billion award would far exceed the largest defamation judgments and settlements in recent history, according to Reuters. More: Trump sues WSJ, Rupert Murdoch and two reporters for Epstein letter story To win, Trump has to prove the Wall Street Journal acted with 'actual malice,' a standard set by the Supreme Court in 1964. The court in March declined an appeal from top Republican donor and former casino magnate Steve Wynn asking the court to overturn that ruling. What did the Wall Street Journal report? At issue is a story published July 17 describing a letter from Trump that the Journal wrote was part of a leather-bound birthday book with dozens of other letters that was presented to Epstein in 2003. Trump's letter ends with 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,' according to the report. Trump's signature on the letter, which was written in the form of text inside a hand-drawn outline of a nude woman, is "a squiggly 'Donald' below her waist, mimicking pubic hair,' according to the Journal. How has the Wall Street Journal responded to Trump's lawsuit? A Dow Jones spokesperson said July 18 that the Wall Street Journal stands by its story. "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit," the spokesperson said. More: Trump's team promised transparency on Epstein. Here's what they delivered. What new Epstein files does Trump want released? After Trump on July 17 directed Bondi to produce more Epstein documents, federal prosecutors followed up with a motion filed July 18 in federal court in Manhattan seeking to unseal grand jury transcripts in the criminal cases against Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell. 'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,' Trump wrote on social media. More: At Trump's request, Justice Department asks court to release Epstein grand jury records Epstein's federal sex-trafficking case was still pending when he was found dead in a jail cell in 2019. It was a partial about-face for Trump, after his Justice Department released a memo July 7 saying no further Epstein disclosure was warranted. But it's not clear what portion of the government's Epstein files are taken up by that testimony. When will the new information become public? It could take time for the courts to release any records, and the grand jury documents are just a portion of the unreleased files. 'What about videos, photographs and other recordings?' Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman, a former prosecutor, wrote on social media in response to Bondi saying she'd seek the release of grand jury testimony. 'What about FBI… (witness interviews)? What about texts and emails?' Meanwhile, Congress also is considering another, non-binding, resolution calling for the release of Epstein records. The House Rules Committee advanced the resolution July 17 on a party-line vote. Democrats opposed the measure because it is non-binding. What Epstein information was previously released? Trump previously accused the Biden administration of hiding a list of Epstein clients. he Department of Justice teased that more files would be coming out, but then on July 7, Bondi said there was no client list and no further disclosure was needed. More: Jeffrey Epstein had no 'client list,' died by suicide, DOJ and FBI conclude That led to a wave of backlash from Trump's MAGA base. More: Trump bows to Epstein critics clamoring for more records. Will it calm MAGA's fury? What was Trump's reletionship with Epstein? Trump's association with Epstein, whom he knew socially, has dogged him since his first term in office. In 2019, Trump said he'd had a 'falling out' with Epstein, whom he described as a 'Palm Beach fixture,' in the mid-2000s. Trump hasn't explained why, but a 2019 Washington Post story describes a power struggle the two men had that year over an oceanfront Palm Beach mansion. In 2022, Trump called Epstein a "terrific guy." 'He's a lot of fun to be with," Trump told New York magazine. "It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side." Is Trump in the Epstein files? Trump has already appeared in legal documents concerning Epstein's crimes, but never in a way that implicates him. In the 1990s, Trump rode on aircraft owned by Epstein, according to flight logs released in two lawsuits. But that was 30-plus years ago. In Palm Beach County state attorney documents, an image of a message pad communication seized in a Palm Beach police search appeared, but there is nothing more than Trump's name and a phone number. Contributing: Aysha Bagchi, Joey Garrison, Zac Anderson, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Kinsey Crowly, Holly Baltz.
