The Latest: Trump deflects questions about Epstein files and revives old grievances

Independent

5 days ago

President Donald Trump on Tuesday deflected questions over the Justice Department's decision to interview Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of helping the financier sexually abuse underage girls and is now serving a lengthy prison sentence.
Trump instead lashed out at old grievances following a new report from his intelligence director aimed at casting doubt on long-established findings about Moscow's interference in the 2016 election.
Trump is under pressure from conspiracy-minded segments of his political base to release more about the Epstein case. He's tried to move on, which Democrats say is because of his association with Epstein. Trump has denied knowledge or involvement of Epstein's crimes and said he ended their friendship years ago.
Also Tuesday, Trump said after meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House that the two countries had agreed on a trade deal.
Here's the latest:
What's happening with forgiveness for student loans on income-based repayment plans?
Amid a federal overhaul of student loan plans, many borrowers have been left wondering what it means for their hopes of loan forgiveness. In particular, those who are enrolled in a repayment plan known as income-based repayment, or IBR, have wondered if forgiveness will still be available to them.
A recent update from the Education Department said forgiveness through the IBR plan is paused while systems are updated. 'IBR forgiveness will resume once those updates are completed,' the agency said.
IBR is not affected by a federal court's injunction blocking former President Joe Biden's Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan. The IBR plan was created by Congress separately from other existing repayment plans, including those known as PAYE and ICR. It's also exempt from some changes coming from President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill.
▶ Read more on what to know about IBR
Commanders GM says non-football topics such as Trump's comments don't reach him
Washington's NFL franchise used to be in the news all the time for reasons other than football.
That seemed to have changed under new team ownership, but the president's remarks about the team name and possibly holding up a stadium deal are making waves just as training camp opens.
Still, Commanders general manager Adam Peters made clear Tuesday — at a news conference with coach Dan Quinn a day before the team's first training camp practice — that he doesn't expect any of that sort of outside conversation to interfere with their real jobs.
'Whether it's the stadium or anything else (non-football-related), those things don't really make it to us,' Peters said. 'We're just trying to focus on what's going on here and getting ready for the season.'
The Commanders were formerly the Redskins, a name that was considered offensive to and by Native Americans.
Trump threatened in a weekend social media post to hold up the stadium deal if the name is not changed.
US government employee barred from leaving China
The employee at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, part of the Commerce Department. traveled there in a personal capacity, the State Department said Tuesday. It is the latest case in which Beijing has stopped a U.S. national from departing.
The State Department did not identify the person but said it was 'tracking this case very closely' and engaged with Chinese officials to resolve the situation.
Beijing restricts people from leaving if they are involved in investigations, including business disputes, but it has been accused of using the tool to arbitrarily keep both Chinese and foreign nationals in the country.
That and other concerns previously prompted the State Department to tell Americans to reconsider travel there. The advisory was eased in November after China released three U.S. citizens who were detained for years.
Asked about the government employee, Guo Jiakun, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said: 'I have no details to share. China upholds the rule of law and handles entry and exit affairs in accordance with the law.'
Trump's former lawyer Alina Habba's term as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor ends
Habba, who served as the president's defense lawyer and a White House counselor and became one of the most high-profile U.S. attorneys, saw her 120-day interim stint end Tuesday.
Chief Judge for the District of New Jersey Renee Marie Bumb said in an order that first Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Leigh Grace has been named her successor.
Habba, 41, could have remained if federal judges in the state kept her on. Bumb's order did not offer an explanation for the decision and said it was effective Tuesday.
Habba's tenure included the high-profile prosecution of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, which was eventually dropped, and the ongoing assault case involving Rep. LaMonica McIver. Both cases, involving Democrats, stemmed from a visit to a privately operated immigration detention center.
Messages seeking comment were left with Habba's office and the Justice Department.
Army's head of aviation, who was criticized by lawmakers after crash, moved to new job
Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman became chief of the Army Enterprise Marketing Office this month to focus on advertising and branding to boost recruitment, according to his new bio on an Army website
The switch comes just before the National Transportation Safety Board holds hearings on a midair collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial jet in January that killed 67 people and was the nation's deadliest crash since November 2001.
An Army spokesperson said the plan to move Braman was in place last fall and had nothing to do with the crash.
Braman was among those who faced criticism from some lawmakers in Congress. In March he acknowledged during a hearing that military helicopters were still flying over the capital with a key system broadcasting their locations turned off during most missions because they were deemed sensitive.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called it 'shocking and deeply unacceptable.'
Trump administration promotes ICE hotline for getting back at an abusive ex
The Trump administration is promoting one way to get away from an abusive ex: report them to immigration enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security jumped on a viral social media post by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
'We recently got a tip from someone whose abusive ex overstayed a tourism visa. He is now cued up for deportation,' Uthmeier wrote on X. 'If your ex is in this country illegally, please feel free to reach out to our office. We'd be happy to assist.'
He didn't identify the accuser or the ex.
In response, DHS posted on X: 'From domestic abuser to deported loser.'
The post included the phone number to report tips to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Obama's office issues a rare response to Trump
After Trump accused the former president of treason for being the 'ringleader' of the Russia investigation, Barack Obama's office issued a statement saying 'these bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.'
'Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,' said Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush. 'But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.'
Rodenbush emphasized that multiple investigations, including a bipartisan examination by the Senate Intelligence Committee, found that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election.
Trump makes it official by saying Indonesian goods to be tariffed at 19%
Trump has formally announced a trade framework with Indonesia, placing a 19% tax on goods imported from that nation.
Indonesia would charge no tariffs on 99% of its trade with the United States and drop its non-tariff barriers such as taxing internet traffic and removing pre-shipment inspections of U.S. goods, said a senior Trump administration official who briefed reporters on the terms under the condition of anonymity. The official said the deal with Indonesia would be worth $50 billion.
The U.S. president had previously released top-line details of the framework, but his Truth Social post on Tuesday provided more context.
— Josh Boak
Trump envoy heads to Mideast as Gaza hunger crisis worsens
Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy for the Middle East, headed to the region Tuesday to pursue a U.S.-backed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
'We all, the president, the secretary and the envoy, have a strong hope that we will come forward with another ceasefire' as well as a better flow of aid to Gaza, Bruce said.
Witkoff's trip comes after the U.N. World Food Program accused Israeli forces of firing on a crowd of Palestinians who were seeking humanitarian aid over the weekend, killing 85 people.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry called it one of the deadliest attacks on aid-seekers in the war, which has driven the territory to the brink of famine.
▶ Read more about the Israel-Hamas war
What to know about Gabbard's new report on the Russia investigation
A new report from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard represent the Trump administration's latest attempt to rewrite the history of the Russia investigation, which has infuriated him for years.
The report, released Friday, downplayed the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 election by highlighting Obama administration emails showing officials had concluded before and after the contest that Moscow had not hacked state election systems to manipulate votes in Trump's favor.
But President Barack Obama's Democratic administration never suggested otherwise even as it exposed other means by which Russia interfered in the election. Those included a massive hack-and-leak operation of Democratic emails by intelligence operatives working with WikiLeaks, and a covert foreign influence campaign aimed at swaying public opinion and sowing discord through fake social media posts.
Gabbard's report appears to suggest the absence of manipulation of state election systems is a basis to call into question more general Russian interference.
Army spent about $30 million on 250th anniversary parade
The Army spent about $30 million on its 250th anniversary parade last month that coincided with President Donald Trump's birthday.
It falls within the Army's initial estimated cost of between $25 million and $45 million.
Army spokesperson Steve Warren said Tuesday that the total cost covered the festivities and parade, including the cost of transporting tanks to and from Washington and other setup.
Not included was overtime pay for police officers and expenses for the Department of Homeland Security, Warren said, adding that he didn't have those numbers.
The June 14 parade consisted of more than 6,000 soldiers, 128 Army tanks, aircraft flyovers and the Army's Golden Knights parachuting over the National Mall. Trump, who had long sought such an event, watched from a special viewing stand south of the White House.
Republicans look to name Kennedy Center's Opera House after Melania Trump
Naming the Kennedy Center's second-largest theater after the first lady is part of a broader effort by Republicans and the Trump administration to leave their mark on Washington's iconic arts center.
On Tuesday, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee voted to adopt an amendment that would name the Kennedy Center's Opera House the 'First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.' It isn't currently named after anyone.
The amendment was introduced during a committee markup of the bill funding the Interior Department and would likely have to become part of a government funding package this fall to become law.
The president has already reshaped the center's leadership by firing board members and announcing he would serve as the board's chair.
Trump says he closed a US trade deal with the Philippines
Trump says the Philippines' president, Ferdinand Marcos, will open his country's market and the U.S. won't pay any tariffs.
On the other hand, Trump set a tariff rate of 19% for the Philippines, down from the previously threatened 20% rate. Trump says the two countries will also work together 'militarily.'
Trump wrote on social media that Marcos' visit was 'beautiful' and that it was a 'Great Honor' to host such a 'very good, and tough, negotiator.'
National Science Foundation workers decry budget cuts and job losses
Nearly 150 National Science Foundation employees expressed concern over grant terminations and staff firings, making them the latest group of federal employees to issue letters of criticism.
Science foundation employees said they are committed to serving Americans through research and innovation but 'cannot do so under fear, censorship and institutional sabotage,' they wrote in a letter Tuesday sent to Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, the top Democrat on the House Science Committee.
Earlier this year, the NSF announced a new set of priorities and began cutting hundreds of grants for research on a range of topics including misinformation, computer science, environmental science and diversity, equity and inclusion.
The White House's budget proposal for the next fiscal year cuts NSF funding by over half. And last month, employees were told that the foundation's current headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, will soon become the base for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Thousands of Afghans in the US face deportation after court refuses to extend their protected status
Thousands of Afghans in the U.S. are no longer protected from deportation after a federal appeals court refused to postpone the Trump administration's decision to end their legal status.
A three-judge panel of the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia said in a ruling late Monday there was 'insufficient evidence to warrant the extraordinary remedy of a postponement' of the administration's decision not to extend Temporary Protected Status for people from Afghanistan and Cameroon.
TPS for Afghans ended July 14 but was briefly extended by the appeals court through July 21 while it considered an emergency request for a longer postponement.
The Department of Homeland Security said in May that it was ending Temporary Protected Status for 11,700 people from Afghanistan in 60 days. That status, which had been in place since 2022, had allowed them to work and meant the government couldn't deport them.
Trump says Harvard won't 'get very much' federal money in the future
The president made the comment Tuesday when asked about a Monday court hearing in Harvard's legal challenge to more than $2 billion in federal funding cuts imposed by the Trump administration.
Trump called the judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, 'very hostile.' But he said the government plans to win on appeal.
Burroughs has not decided on the case.
Speaking to the government's legal arguments, Trump said 'we easily won the case' even as he appeared to write off the lower court's decision as a loss. Instead he suggested Harvard will remain cut off from much of its federal funding in the future.
Trump supports DOJ attempt to interview Maxwell
The president said it's 'appropriate' for the Justice Department to seek a new interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein who was convicted of helping the financier sexually abuse underage girls.
Asked Tuesday about Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's announcement that the department reached out to Maxwell's lawyers for an interview, Trump said he didn't know about it 'but that would be, sounds appropriate to do.'
Added Trump, who has faced a political crisis over records related to Epstein's sex trafficking investigation: 'I don't really follow that too much. It's sort of a witch hunt.'
▶ For more on Epstein
White House officials to visit the Fed's headquarters mid-renovation
White House officials will tour the Federal Reserve's under-construction headquarters, after having suggested that Fed Chair Jerome Powell misrepresented changes to the $2.5 billion renovation project in testimony before Congress.
James Blair, the White House deputy chief of staff who was recently named to the National Capital Planning Commission, said on X: 'We go Thursday!'
Blair is seeking any information on changes to the project that the planning commission previously approved, attacking Powell for the cost of the renovations and the possibility that the project was changed without additional submissions to the commission.
Trump has aggressively criticized Powell for not cutting benchmark interest rates, indicating that the renovation could be grounds for firing the Fed chair.
Blair has said the Fed initially offered a tour of the site at 7 p.m. last Friday, and the Fed released a video of the site in an attempt to address criticisms.
Trump repeats previous exaggerations about terrorism in the Philippines
The president is recycling exaggerated claims from his first term about the U.S. having saved the Philippines from Islamic State terrorism.
Trump said during his Oval Office meeting with Marcos that the Philippines were 'loaded up' with IS and other terrorist groups.
'We cleaned it up,' Trump said, adding, 'and now you have a solid country again.'
Trump made similar claims in 2020, vastly overstating then, as now, both the threat IS posed to the Philippines and what the U.S. did about it.
In May 2017, IS-aligned local militants, backed by foreign jihadists who only numbered in the dozens, laid siege to Marawi, a small Islamic city. Philippine troops routed them months later, as U.S. and Australian aircraft helped with surveillance.
Trump says 'it's time to go after people'
The president said he let Hillary Clinton 'off the hook' after he got elected the first time. Now, he said, it's time to target his political enemies.
He listed James Comey, John Brennan, Barack Obama and others who he accused of illegally plotting against him.
'After what they did to me, whether it's right or wrong, it's time to go after people.'
Trump repeated falsehoods and longtime grievances about the Russia investigation and his election loss to Biden.
'The leader of the gang was President Obama,' he said. 'He's guilty. ... This was treason.'
Trump talks of a possible upcoming visit to China
'We'll probably be doing that in the not to distant future,' Trump said.
Answering questions in the Oval Office during a meeting with Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Trump said he'd been invited by President Xi Jinping to visit China. Such a trip might be 'a little bit out. But not too distant,' Trump said.
"I've been invited by a lot of people, and we'll make those decisions soon,' he said.
Marcos and Trump meet in the Oval Office with trade deal expected
Trump greeted Marcos outside the West Wing. Asked about his message for the Filipino people, Trump said 'we love them' and 'we respect their leader greatly.'
The two presidents are expected to talk trade.
'I think we will' get a deal done, Trump said before they headed into the Oval Office, where Marcos said 'our strongest, closest, most reliable ally has always been the United States.'
The Philippines is a key American partner, particularly in the Pacific region when China has been expanding its influence.
Trump said 'they're very important militarily.'
Johnson says GOP is 'transparent.' Democrat calls it 'a coverup'
The House announced it will recess a day early as Democrats — and some Republicans — are pushing to release the Epstein files
Rep. Ted Lieu, vice-chair of the Democratic caucus, said 'Trump is all over the Epstein files.' He called the Republican lawmakers' move 'a coverup of epic proportions.'
Unable to act on other legislation, Johnson's leadership team announced it would recess for August a day early, after Wednesday's session. The speaker criticized Democrats for playing political games.
'We've all been very clear and transparent,' Johnson said. 'You have to allow the administration space to do what it is doing.'
Republicans Point Away from Epstein, Back to Biden
Amid internal conflict over how to handle the release of information related to Jeffrey Epstein, Republican leaders are working to shift the spotlight.
'If the Democrats want to talk transparency, I'm happy to rewind the tape,' Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Tuesday. '366 days ago, President Joe Biden was unceremoniously forced off the Democrat ticket.'
The pivot comes as GOP leadership canceled many House votes this week, a move prompted by members on both sides of the aisle attempting to force a vote on releasing the so-called Epstein files. At a weekly press conference, Johnson largely tried to turn focus back to Biden, who left office nearly six months ago.
'The same Democrats who lied to us for years are now trying to convince you they stand for transparency,' Johnson said. 'They participated in one of the greatest political scandals in all of history.'
Speaker refuses to take up Epstein vote as House set to recess early
With House business grinding to a near standstill — again — over Republicans' refusal to vote on the Epstein files, Mike Johnson is making no moves to act and instead says he wants to give the White House 'space' to release some of the information on its own.
'There's no purpose for the Congress to push an administration to do something they're already doing,' Johnson said at his weekly press conference, the last before lawmakers recess for August. The Republican from Louisiana insists he, too, wants the files released but only those that are 'credible,' echoing the White House's position.
Johnson downplayed the effort from fellow GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky to force a floor vote as potentially misguided. 'Bless his heart,' the speaker said.
Johnson said he speaks with Trump multiple times a day. Massie has been the subject of Trump's repeated criticisms.
UN says over 1,000 have been killed seeking food in Gaza since May as hunger crisis worsens
Most of the killings of Gazans seeking food have happened in the vicinity of aid sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, the United Nations human rights office said Tuesday.
Desperation is mounting in the territory of more than 2 million, which experts say is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and ongoing 21-month offensive. Gaza's Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, said Tuesday that 101 people, including 80 children, have died in recent days from starvation.
A breakdown of law and order has led to widespread looting and chaos and violence around aid deliveries. Israel is allowing just a trickle of aid in through the longstanding U.N.-run system and the newly created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or GHF, an American contractor.
A GHF statement rejected 'false and exaggerated statistics,' and blamed U.N. aid convoys for the deadliest incidents.
▶ Read more on the deaths linked to food aid distribution in Gaza
House members to see increase in funds for private security
Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries informed members Tuesday morning that they would see an increase in funds that could be used for private security.
The 'pilot program' will run through the end of September, said Johnson, and comes as members head back to their districts for August.
'We live in an enhanced threat environment,' said Johnson, adding that 'we have to protect members' security and everybody who works here on the Hill.'
At the end of September, Johnson said that leadership will 'evaluate all the data points, see how effective it was that was utilized, and then make decisions going forward.'
Hunter Biden isn't hiding his feelings about George Clooney
Former President Joe Biden's son used a string of expletives to describe the actor and Democratic Party donor's decision to call on the elder Biden to abandon his 2024 reelection bid. Clooney made his feelings known in an influential opinion piece in The New York Times.
Biden left the race a few weeks later and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump. In a rare online interview, Hunter Biden questioned why anyone should listen to Clooney. He told Andrew Gallagher of Channel 5 that the 'Ocean's Eleven' actor had no right to 'undermine' his father.
Trump's Labor Department wants to deregulate workplaces
The U.S. Department of Labor is aiming to rewrite or repeal more than 60 'obsolete' workplace regulations. Critics say the proposals would put workers — women and minorities in particular — at greater risk of harm.
Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said the goal is to deliver on Trump's commitment to restore American prosperity by reducing costly, burdensome rules.
The proposed changes have public comment periods and other hurdles before they would take effect. They include:
1. eliminating minimum wages and overtime pay for home health care workers and people with disabilities
2. removing protections against retaliation for migrant farmworkers who file a complaint or testify in official proceedings
3. lowering standards governing exposure to harmful substances
4. dropping certain safety requirements at constructions sites and in mines
5. preventing Occupational Health and Safety Administration from punishing employers for certain unsafe working conditions
'People are at very great risk of dying on the job already,' said Rebecca Reindel of the AFL-CIO. 'This is something that is only going to make the problem worse.'
▶ Read more about Labor's proposed rule changes
Ghislaine Maxwell lawyer says she'll tell the truth to Trump administration lawyers
'I can confirm that we are in discussions with the government and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case,' says Tuesday's statement from attorney David Oscar Markus.
Maxwell was convicted of helping her former boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. If she 'has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a post on X, adding that Trump 'has told us to release all credible evidence.'
The overture to Maxwell, who in 2022 was sentenced to 20 years in prison, comes as the Justice Department tries to cast itself as transparent amid backlash from Trump's base over an earlier refusal to release additional Epstein investigation records.
▶ Read more about the Epstein investigation files
Planned Parenthood wins partial victory amid Medicaid cuts
A partial victory for Planned Parenthood in its legal challenge of Trump's efforts to defund the organization will keep Medicaid funding available to member organizations that don't provide abortion care or don't seek at least $800,000 annually in reimbursements.
A Planned Parenthood statement praised Monday night's preliminary injunction but predicts 'chaos, confusion, and harm for patients who could now be turned away when seeking lifesaving reproductive health care' at other clinics.
Government lawyers said Trump's tax and budget law 'stops federal subsidies for Big Abortion.'
'All three democratically elected components of the Federal Government collaborated to enact that provision consistent with their electoral mandates from the American people as to how they want their hard-earned taxpayer dollars spent,' they wrote.