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Trump criticises own supporters in Epstein documents row

Trump criticises own supporters in Epstein documents row

Irish Examiner2 days ago
President Donald Trump has lashed out at his own supporters as he tries to clamp down on criticism of his administration's handling of much-hyped records in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.
'Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this 'bullshit' hook, line, and sinker,' Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.
'They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.'
'Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore! Thank you for your attention to this matter,' he went on.
The schism between the Republican president and some of his most loyal supporters centres on his administration's handling of the Epstein case.
Last week, the Justice Department and the FBI acknowledged that Epstein did not maintain a 'client list' and they said no more files related to the wealthy financier's sex trafficking investigation would be made public despite promises from Attorney General Pam Bondi that had raised the expectations of conservative influencers and conspiracy theorists.
Mr Trump has since defended Ms Bondi and chided a reporter for asking about the documents.
Mr Trump and many figures in his administration, including FBI director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, have spent years stoking dark and disproved conspiracy theories, including embracing QAnon-tinged propaganda that casts Mr Trump as a saviour sent to demolish the 'deep state'.
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Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' canceled by CBS, ends May 2026
Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' canceled by CBS, ends May 2026

Irish Examiner

time7 minutes ago

  • Irish Examiner

Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' canceled by CBS, ends May 2026

US TV network CBS is canceling 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' next May, shuttering a decades-old TV institution in a changing media landscape and removing from air one of President Donald Trump's most prominent and persistent late-night critics. Thursday's announcement followed Colbert's criticism on Monday of a settlement between Trump and Paramount Global, parent company of CBS, over a '60 Minutes' story. Colbert told his audience at New York's Ed Sullivan Theater that he had learned Wednesday night that after a decade on air, 'next year will be our last season. ... It's the end of 'The Late Show' on CBS. I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away.' The audience responded with boos and groans. 'Yeah, I share your feelings,' the 61-year-old comic said. Three top Paramount and CBS executives praised Colbert's show as 'a staple of the nation's zeitgeist' in a statement that said the cancellation 'is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.' In his Monday monologue, Colbert said he was 'offended' by the $16 million settlement reached by Paramount, whose pending sale to Skydance Media needs the Trump administration's approval. He said the technical name in legal circles for the deal was 'big fat bribe.' 'I don't know if anything — anything — will repair my trust in this company,' Colbert said. 'But, just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help.' Trump had sued Paramount Global over how 60 Minutes edited its interview last fall with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Critics say the company settled primarily to clear a hurdle to the Skydance sale. Colbert took over 'The Late Show' in 2015 after becoming a big name in comedy and news satire working with Jon Stewart on 'The Daily Show' and hosting 'The Colbert Report,' which riffed on right-wing talk shows. The most recent ratings from Nielsen show Colbert gaining viewers so far this year and winning his timeslot among broadcasters, with about 2.417 million viewers across 41 new episodes. On Tuesday, Colbert's 'Late Show' landed its sixth nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding talk show. It won a Peabody Award in 2021. David Letterman began hosting 'The Late Show' in 1993. When Colbert took over, he deepened its engagement with politics. Alongside musicians and movie stars, Colbert often welcomes politicians to his couch. Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California was a guest on Thursday night. Schiff said on X that 'if Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.' Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts released a similar statement. Colbert's counterpart on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel, posted on Instagram 'Love you Stephen' and directed an expletive at CBS. Actor and producer Jamie Lee Curtis noted in an interview in Los Angeles that the cancellation came as the House passed a bill approving Trump's request to cut funding to public broadcasters NPR and PBS. 'They're trying to silence people, but that won't work. Won't work. We will just get louder,' said Curtis, who has previously criticized Trump and is set to visit Colbert's show in coming days. Colbert has long targeted Trump. The guests on his very first show in September 2015 were actor George Clooney and Jeb Bush, who was then struggling in his Republican presidential primary campaign against Trump. 'Governor Bush was the governor of Florida for eight years,' Colbert told his audience. 'And you would think that that much exposure to oranges and crazy people would have prepared him for Donald Trump. Evidently not.' Late-night TV has been facing economic pressures for years; ratings and ad revenue are down and many young viewers prefer highlights online, which networks have trouble monetizing. CBS also recently canceled host Taylor Tomlinson's 'After Midnight,' which aired after 'The Late Show.' Still, Colbert had led the network late-night competition for years. And while NBC has acknowledged economic pressures by eliminating the band on Seth Meyers' show and cutting one night of Jimmy Fallon's 'The Tonight Show,' there had been no such visible efforts at 'The Late Show.' Colbert's relentless criticism of Trump, his denunciation of the settlement, and the parent company's pending sale can't be ignored, said Bill Carter, author of 'The Late Shift.' 'If CBS thinks people are just going to swallow this, they're really deluded,' Carter said.

Donald Trump requests release of Epstein grand jury transcripts amid report of ‘bawdy' birthday note
Donald Trump requests release of Epstein grand jury transcripts amid report of ‘bawdy' birthday note

Irish Examiner

time37 minutes ago

  • Irish Examiner

Donald Trump requests release of Epstein grand jury transcripts amid report of ‘bawdy' birthday note

Donald Trump said on Thursday he had directed his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to seek the release of grand jury testimony related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking case as he sought to tamp down controversy over a story that he allegedly contributed a sketch of a naked woman to Epstein's 50th birthday album. The president said on Truth Social he had authorized the justice department to seek the public release of the materials, which are under seal, citing 'the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein'. Bondi, who has weathered days of accusations by Trump's far-right supporters that she had mismanaged and failed to deliver on promises to release previously secret documents about the Epstein case, responded to Trump's post with a post of her own that vowed to comply with the directive. The flurry of activity followed a story in the Wall Street Journal that reported Trump had contributed a letter, described as 'bawdy' and featuring a drawing of a naked woman's silhouette around a typewritten personal message to Epstein, to the birthday album compiled by Ghislane Maxwell. Jeffrey Epstein. File Picture: New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP 'A pair of small arcs denotes the woman's breasts, and the future president's signature is a squiggly 'Donald' below her waist, mimicking pubic hair,' the Journal said of the alleged drawing. It added the letter concluded: 'Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.' Trump denied to the Journal that he was the author of the birthday tribute and, hours after the story was published, announced he intended to file a lawsuit in a lengthy post on Truth Social, decrying the reporting as fake and condemning it as what he called 'the Epstein Hoax'. Legal threat The president said in the post that he had personally told Rupert Murdoch and the publication's editor-in-chief Emma Tucker that the letter was fake and that he would sue if a story about the letter was published. 'Mr Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but obviously did not have the power to do so,' Trump wrote. 'Instead they are going with a false, malicious, defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing the Wall Street Journal, News Corp and Mr Murdoch shortly.' The statement from Trump followed attempts by the president and White House officials to try to undercut the story, including by pressing the Journal to furnish a copy of the letter, which it did not provide, according to people familiar with the matter. As the existence of the story became increasingly known in Washington, whether the story would run and whether Trump would actually draw a figure of a woman became something of a parlor game between administration officials and Trump allies and reporters alike. The outlet conceded it was not clear how the letter with Trump's signature was prepared, but said it contained a typewritten note said to be styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein. The note reportedly began: [backtint=start} 'Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything,' the note began. Donald: Yes, there is, but I won't tell you what it is. Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is. Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey. Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it. Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that? Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you. Donald: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.

My chat with young lad in Warsaw hit home grim reality of war in Ukraine – how can Ireland be neutral in face of Putin?
My chat with young lad in Warsaw hit home grim reality of war in Ukraine – how can Ireland be neutral in face of Putin?

The Irish Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Irish Sun

My chat with young lad in Warsaw hit home grim reality of war in Ukraine – how can Ireland be neutral in face of Putin?

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