logo
Trump seeks release of grand jury transcripts as Epstein uproar widens

Trump seeks release of grand jury transcripts as Epstein uproar widens

Al Jazeera18-07-2025
United States President Donald Trump has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to request a court release grand jury testimony in the Jeffrey Epstein case, as uproar over the controversy widens.
The case of deceased high-profile sex offender Epstein has dominated news recently after the Trump administration reversed course last week on its pledge to release documents it had suggested contained damning revelations about Epstein and his alleged elite clientele.
That reversal enraged many of Trump's most loyal followers and prompted allegations that his administration is covering up lurid details of Epstein's crimes to protect rich and powerful figures.
Trump himself had been associated with Epstein and once called him a friend.
'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. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform late on Thursday.
Shortly after Trump's statement, Attorney General Bondi said on social media that the Justice Department was ready to ask the court on Friday to unseal the grand jury transcripts.
'President Trump – we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts,' Bondi wrote.
The latest development comes just hours after Trump threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal after it published a story about an alleged risque letter he wrote to Epstein that featured a drawing of a naked woman. The WSJ story, which quickly reverberated around the US capital, says the note to Epstein bearing Trump's signature was part of a collection assembled for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003.
The newspaper said it reviewed the letter but did not print an image.
'The Editor of The Wall Street Journal… was told directly by [White House Press Secretary] Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE,' Trump wrote on his social media platform.
'Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway,' he said.
'President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. [Rupert] Murdoch, shortly. The Press has to learn to be truthful, and not rely on sources that probably don't even exist,' he added.
The alleged letter, which Trump denies writing, involves several lines of typewritten text, contained in an outline of a naked woman drawn with a marker.
'The future president's signature is a squiggly 'Donald' below her waist, mimicking pubic hair,' the Journal reported.
'The letter concludes: 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.''
Trump told the WSJ: 'This is not me. This is a fake thing.'
'I don't draw pictures of women,' he said. 'It's not my language. It's not my words.'
Epstein took his own life in a New York prison in 2019 – during Trump's first term – after being charged with sex trafficking in a scheme where he allegedly groomed young and underage women for sexual abuse by the rich and powerful.
The Trump-supporting far-right has long latched onto the scandal, claiming the existence of a still-secret list of Epstein's powerful clients and that the late financier was, in fact, murdered in his cell as part of a cover-up.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

With Trump go-ahead, Skydance and Paramount to complete merger in August
With Trump go-ahead, Skydance and Paramount to complete merger in August

Al Jazeera

time2 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

With Trump go-ahead, Skydance and Paramount to complete merger in August

The entertainment company Paramount Global is expected to close its $8bn merger agreement with Skydance Media on August 7, a date that marks two weeks after the administration of President Donald Trump gave its approval. On Friday, the two companies announced the final stage of the year-long deal, which was first announced in July 2024. The merger is considered a massive shake-up in the media landscape of the United States, drawing to a close the reign of the powerful Redstone family over the Paramount entertainment empire. But the merger has garnered even more attention in recent weeks for its political backdrop. On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave the green light for the merger to go forward, after a series of moves under Paramount that were widely interpreted as concessions to the Trump administration. The FCC is technically an independent agency of the federal government, but since taking office in January for his second term, President Trump has sought to bring such agencies under his influence, including by appointing loyal allies to their leadership. That put the fate of the Paramount-Skydance merger in question, particularly given Trump's combative relationship with CBS Broadcasting Inc, one of Paramount's premier properties. Conflicts over content Trump has long taken an adversarial approach to the news media, and CBS's flagship news programmes were no exception. Some of those tensions came to a head in the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election, when Trump, a Republican, was facing off against Democratic contender Kamala Harris. The TV news magazine 60 Minutes had a tradition of interviewing each of the major party nominees for the presidency in the lead-up to the vote, and it had invited both Trump and Harris to participate. Harris accepted the invitation, but 60 Minutes said Trump cancelled. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, disputed that characterisation. 'There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in,' Cheung wrote on social media. 'They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.' The back-and-forth escalated when 60 Minutes aired two different cuts from its interview with Harris. One version, which aired on a sister programme Face The Nation, featured more of Harris's answer about her stance towards Israel. The other version, which aired on the 60 Minutes broadcast, was shorter. Trump called the different edits evidence of deceptive reporting tactics and filed a lawsuit against Paramount, CBS's parent company. 'CBS used its national platform on 60 Minutes to cross the line from the exercise of judgment in reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news,' his court filing alleged. 'That is false,' 60 Minutes responded in a statement to its website. 'When we edit any interview, whether a politician, an athlete, or movie star, we strive to be clear, accurate and on point. The portion of her answer on 60 Minutes was more succinct, which allows time for other subjects in a wide ranging 21-minute-long segment.' While many media experts expected Paramount to prevail on the merits of the case, the company instead sought to negotiate an end to the case. Earlier this month, it agreed to pay $16m to Trump, to go to his future presidential library. Shortly thereafter, another top CBS show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, revealed it had been cancelled, allegedly for financial reasons. But the timing and unexpected nature of the cancellation drew speculation that it might have been an attempt to appease Trump and streamline the merger, given the fact that Colbert frequently lambasted the Republican president on his show. Trump himself posted on Truth Social, 'I absolutely love that Colbert' got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.' The Late Show was consistently the top-rated late-night comedy show, and it had won a Peabody Award and multiple Emmy nods. South Park TV show takes aim Within weeks of both the 60 Minutes lawsuit settlement and the cancellation of The Late Show, the FCC gave its blessing to the merger between Paramount and Skydance. Under the merger, Skydance founder David Ellison, the son of Oracle Corporation CEO Larry Ellison, is expected to helm operations. Upon the merger's approval, Trump's appointee to lead the FCC, Brendan Carr, released a statement echoing some of the president's criticisms of major news outlets. He also hinted that the merger would result in changes to CBS's news output. 'Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly,' he wrote. 'It is time for a change. That is why I welcome Skydance's commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcasting network.' 'In particular, Skydance has made written commitments to ensure that the new company's programming embodies a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum.' To ensure compliance with that commitment, Carr said an ombudsman would be appointed to the media giant for a period of at least two years. Carr added that the merger between Skydance and Paramount would also bar the new mega-company from implementing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, which are designed to create an equal playing field for people regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion or ability. But hours after the FCC granted its approval, the Paramount-owned channel Comedy Central aired an episode of the animated series South Park that mocked President Trump and satirised its parent company's $16m settlement. In one scene, an animated Jesus attempts to warn the show's characters about Trump. 'The guy can do whatever he wants now that someone backed down, OK?' the animated Jesus says. 'You guys saw what happened to CBS? Yeah, well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount! You really want to end up like Colbert?' The Trump administration has since blasted the show as irrelevant.

Donald Trump set for trade talks with Europe as he arrives in Scotland
Donald Trump set for trade talks with Europe as he arrives in Scotland

Al Jazeera

time2 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

Donald Trump set for trade talks with Europe as he arrives in Scotland

United States President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland, where he is set to meet with European and British leaders for trade negotiations and visit his golf courses. Trump landed in the United Kingdom late on Friday, where he will hold talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Before departing from the White House, the US president told reporters that he will discuss the trade deal between Washington and London with Starmer and 'maybe even improve it'. Von der Leyen said earlier on Friday that she had a 'good' call with Trump. 'We have agreed to meet in Scotland on Sunday to discuss transatlantic trade relations, and how we can keep them strong,' she said in a social media post. Shortly after coming into office, Trump imposed tariffs on imports from across the world, and he invited countries to negotiate bilateral deals with the US to avoid or lessen any further trade barriers. The UK agreed to a trade agreement with the US in June that expanded access to American goods in the British market. The deal also set the tariffs on the first 100,000 UK vehicles exported to the US annually at 10 percent. But the US trade war with the European Union has, by contrast, intensified. Earlier this month, Trump announced 30-percent tariffs on EU imports starting on August 1. European leaders have expressed willingness to negotiate a deal while also threatening to impose their own trade measures against the US. Trump said on Friday that the prospects of securing a trade deal with the EU are at a '50-50 chance, maybe less than that'. 'It'll be a deal where they have to buy down their tariffs,' he said. Beyond economic negotiations, Trump is expected to visit his golf courses in Aberdeen and Turnberry in Scotland, where he said he will host Starmer for dinner. The US president — whose mother was Scottish — is expected to face protests as he moves around Scotland. A group dubbed the Stop Trump Coalition has announced plans on Saturday for protests that it described as a 'festival of resistance', featuring environmental and anti-war advocates. 'Donald Trump may shake hands with our leaders, but he's no friend of Scotland,' Alena Ivanova, a campaigner with the group, said in a statement. 'We, the people of Scotland, see the damage he has done – to democracy and working people in the US, to the global efforts to tackle the climate crisis, to the very principles of justice and humanity.' The daily newspaper The National, which advocates for Scottish independence, described Trump's visit in a front-page headline as: 'Convicted US felon to arrive in Scotland'. Trump's visit to Scotland comes as he faces mounting pressure at home over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffery Epstein. In the UK, Starmer will meet Trump amid growing calls — including from within his own Labour Party — for London to recognise a Palestinian state amid the Israeli-imposed starvation crisis in Gaza. Earlier on Friday, Trump dismissed an announcement by French President Emanuel Macron that Paris will recognise Palestine's statehood. 'Here's the good news: What he says doesn't matter,' Trump told reporters. 'It's not going to change anything.'

US confirms it will destroy contraceptives previously designated as aid
US confirms it will destroy contraceptives previously designated as aid

Al Jazeera

time5 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

US confirms it will destroy contraceptives previously designated as aid

Washington, DC – The United States has confirmed reports that it will destroy reproductive health supplies previously designated as assistance, sparking fury from advocates and aid groups. The US Department of State said on Friday that the decision stems from US regulations that restrict aid to groups that perform or promote abortions. 'Only a limited number of commodities have been approved for disposal. No HIV medications or condoms are being destroyed,' a State Department spokesperson told Al Jazeera in a statement. Reproductive health advocates decried the US decision on Friday, saying that Washington is incinerating 'life-saving contraceptives' rather than handing them to aid groups to distribute them in poorer countries. Several advocacy groups – including International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Sensoa and Countdown 2030 Europe – released a statement calling the US move a 'cruel and ideologically driven'. 'Despite multiple offers from international humanitarian organisations, governments and global health actors to purchase or redistribute these supplies, the US government has refused all alternatives,' the statement said. 'Instead, they are choosing waste and extremist ideology over care, human rights, safety and health.' The groups said they offered to transport, repack, store and distribute the supplies at 'no cost to the US government', but their proposal was turned down. The Reuters news agency had reported that the supplies, set to be destroyed in France, are worth $10m. The State Department spokesperson said the destruction of the commodities, purchased under the administration of former President Joe Biden, will cost $167,000. The US statement added that the administration of President Donald Trump managed to cancel previously placed orders worth $34.1m. Trump has upended US humanitarian aid programmes, all but dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and cutting assistance to countries and groups across the world. Since running for office the first time in 2015, Trump has presented himself as a staunch opponent of abortion. During his first term, the Republican president appointed three conservative justices to the US Supreme Court, who helped overturn the constitutional right to abortion in 2022. The decision to destroy reproductive health supplies, instead of donating or even selling them, has drawn the ire of critics across the world. Micah Grzywnowicz, regional director of IPPF European Network, said the move shows 'complete lack of basic empathy'. 'It's the height of hypocrisy for a government to preach efficiency and cutting waste, only to turn around and recklessly destroy life-saving supplies when the need has never been greater. This isn't just inefficient — it's unconscionable,' Grzywnowicz said in a statement.. 'This action seriously undermines global public health efforts and limits access to essential care, particularly for communities already facing significant barriers.' Earlier this week, Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu said she was 'horrified' by the Trump administration's move. 'The Trump admin is burning $10M in taxpayer-funded birth control despite years left before expiration & the UN ready to deliver it to women in need,' Chu said in a social media post. 'This is cruel, disgraceful, and a needless waste of your taxpayer dollars.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store