Trump deflects questions about Epstein files and revives old grievances
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: Japanese prime minister acknowledges trade agreement with US
Shigeru Ishiba said the deal placing a 15% U.S. tariff on imports from Japan would benefit both sides and help them work together to serve their international roles.
Ishiba, who faces growing calls to step down over his party's historic loss in Sunday's parliamentary election, declined to comment on his possible move, saying he first has to examine the trade deal closely. Colorado attorney general accuses sheriff's deputy of illegally sharing information with immigration agents
Phil Weiser, a Democrat, sued the deputy for allegedly helping federal immigration agents find and arrest a college student over an expired visa.
Weiser said he was acting Tuesday under a new state law that bars agencies from sharing information with immigration officials. Weiser said he wanted to send a message that the law will be enforced.
The deputy allegedly shared the driver's license, vehicle registration and other information of a 19-year-old female nursing student in a Signal chat.
He is also accused of providing immigration officers with information about another motorist, who overstayed his visa.
Weiser also disclosed that his office is investigating whether other officers on a regional drug task force that the deputy worked on have been sharing information to help immigration agents make arrests in violation of state law limiting such cooperation.
The Trump administration has sued Colorado over such laws.
▶ Read more about the attorney general's actions and the deputy Trump calls Tulsi Gabbard 'hottest person in the room' after Russia report
The president praised his director of national intelligence as 'hotter than everybody' after she issued a new report aimed at casting doubt on long-established findings about Moscow's interference in the 2016 election.
Trump has sometimes used 'hottest' to mean something akin to in-demand or buzzy, including during his 45-minute remarks Tuesday night, when he repeatedly referred to the U.S. as 'the hottest country anywhere in the world.'
Trump said he was very happy with Gabbard and said: 'Tulsi, great job — and I know you have a lot more coming.'
In issuing the report, Gabbard appeared to recover her standing in Trump's orbit, which just one month ago seemed uncertain after the president said she was 'wrong' when she previously said she believed Iran was not building a nuclear weapon. Appeals court declines to reinstate AP access to presidential events
An appeals court in Washington turned down the news organization's request for immediate reinstatement into covering smaller presidential events like meetings with reporters in the Oval Office and Air Force One.
But that doesn't end the legal wrangling related to the president's decision last February to bar AP access because of is refusal to rename the Gulf of Mexico, as Trump has sought, in all of its copy.
AP sued and won a district court ruling against Trump, but the administration successfully convinced a three-judge appeals court panel to delay implementation of that ruling until its full appeal can be heard this fall.
An AP spokesperson expressed disappointment in Tuesday's ruling, saying, 'As we've said throughout, the press and the public have a fundamental right to speak freely without government retaliation.'
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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