The Irish Times view on Trump and Epstein: a story which still has a way to run
Trump's political enemies are happy to stoke the controversy. Some of this may be unfair, given the lack of evidence to date, but they will calculate that any link to Epstein will be damaging for the president, as it has been for so many others.
The Journal's story last week of a lewd letter allegedly sent by Trump to Epstein has
prompted the president to sue the paper
for defamation and to banish it from the presidential press pool. 'The Murdochs' bizarre assault on the president galvanised his base because of both content and process,' former adviser and key Maga leader Steve Bannon observes. 'Now we are united as Trump goes on offence – against the Murdochs, the courts and the deep state.'
Even Elon Musk, who had earlier this year claimed Trump was named in the FBI's files, said he did not believe the letter was real. 'It really doesn't sound like something Trump would say,' he said.
READ MORE
In response to weeks of uproar on social media at the administration's failure to release the files, Trump ordered his attorney general to seek a court order freeing up some of the secret grand jury testimony on Epstein.
Law enforcement agencies have not accused Trump of any Epstein-related wrongdoing, although reports
have emerged in recent days
that 1996 efforts to call law enforcement attention to him had implicated Trump.
The president's base, schooled in lurid conspiracy theory, is unlikely to accept his assurances 'that there's nothing to see here, please move on.' This one still has a way to run.
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Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Taoiseach welcomes trade deal between EU and US
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has welcomed a deal between the European Union and the United States, which will see a 15% tariff on most EU imports to the US. The deal was reached during a meeting between Donald Trump and the president of the European Commission on Sunday. The US president met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to hammer out the final details on the trading relationship between Europe and the US. Reacting to the deal, Mr Martin said the agreement was very welcome. 'It brings clarity and predictability to the trading relationship between the EU and the US – the biggest in the world,' the Fianna Fail leader said. 'That is good for businesses, investors and consumers. It will help protect many jobs in Ireland. 'The negotiations to get us to this point have been long and complex, and I would like to thank both teams for their patient work. 'We will now study the detail of what has been agreed, including its implications for businesses exporting from Ireland to the US, and for different sectors operating here. 'The agreement is a framework and there will be more detail to be fleshed out in the weeks and months ahead.' Mr Martin said the higher tariffs will have an impact on trade between the EU and the US, which will make it more expensive and more challenging. US President Donald Trump enjoyed a round of golf before his meeting with Ursula von der Leyen 'However, it also creates a new era of stability that can hopefully contribute to a growing and deepening relationship between the EU and the US, which is important not just for the EU and the US, but for the global economy,' he added. 'Given the very real risk that existed for escalation and for the imposition of punitively high tariffs, this news will be welcomed by many.' The deal was also welcomed by deputy Irish premier and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Harris, who said it brings clarity to businesses. 'While we have yet to see the detail, I welcome that an agreement has been announced by Commission President von der Leyen and US President Trump,' Mr Harris said in a statement. 'A deal provides a measure of much-needed certainty for Irish, European and American businesses who together represent the most integrated trading relationship in the world. Ireland makes a key contribution to this with the Ireland-US economic relationship valued at more than one trillion euros. 'The US had made clear, and this has been replicated in other recent agreements, which the US has reached with other countries, that a baseline tariff was always going to be part of the outcome. 'I have always stressed that tariffs are damaging and will have a negative impact on companies exporting to the US. 'While Ireland regrets that the baseline tariff of 15% is included in the agreement, it is important that we now have more certainty on the foundations for the EU-US trade relationship, which is essential for jobs, growth and investment. 'President von der Leyen described this as 15% tariffs across the board, all-inclusive.' He said further detail is needed around pharma, aviation and other sectors. Mr Harris said he will examine the details of the agreement over the coming days to establish the effect on Irish businesses and the economy. Earlier, EU commissioner Michael McGrath said the meeting was a 'significant and decisive moment'. Mr McGrath, EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, said it would involve substantive negotiations between both sides. 'It's a significant moment, we hope a decisive moment, and it builds on an enormous amount of work that has been done over quite a period of time,' Mr McGrath said ahead of the meeting. 'President Trump invited President von der Leyen to Scotland for a meeting. 'This follows on the back of intensive negotiations over a number of months. He added: 'It is not a case of turning up and signing on the dotted line. There will be a real discussion that will happen, and it will take on a dynamic of its own, and let's see what happens over the course of the afternoon. 'But from the EU's point of view, we are determined to do all that we can to get a deal for European businesses, because we recognise the cost of uncertainty. 'It manifests in trade and in investment decisions and ultimately in employment and of course tariffs can cost consumers at the end of the day. 'We want a good deal. We have negotiated hard, and we're at a point now where hopefully the two leaders can today bring it to a concluding phase.' Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Will tech giants finally take online safety for children seriously?
The wild west of social media self-regulation has come to an end, but the battles that will define this new era have only just begun after a very busy week in this hotly contested space. Last Monday, the second part of Ireland's regulator Coimisiún na Mean's Online Safety Code came into force. It came after a nine-month lead in time for companies to prepare its systems for the code aimed at keeping people, particularly children, safe online. This Part B of the nascent code means that the video-sharing platforms under its remit that allow pornography, like X, must use effective age assurance controls to make sure children can't watch it. In other words, the Elon Musk-owned platform formerly known as Twitter must make sure people are aged 18 or over to view porn that is available on it. There are other aspects to it too including prohibiting and sharing of content harmful to children such as content promoting eating disorders, self-harm or suicide, cyberbullying, hate speech, and extreme violence. Critics have claimed parts of the code are too vague and don't provide clear enough timelines to take action against those in breach. These same critics say it will be on the regulator to show it has the teeth to hold platforms to account. In theory, X or any of the other firms to which it applies like Meta and Youtube could face heavy penalties if they don't adhere to it. €20m or 10% of turnover, whichever is greater, can come in fines for breaches of the code. The latter percentage figure could run into billions of euro for some firms. But, just because the code came into force on Monday, it didn't mean things had changed overnight. Fine Gael TD Keira Keogh, who chairs the Oireachtas Children's Committee, said the following day that children could still set up accounts which 'opens a doorway to unlimited inappropriate, disturbing and damaging content'. 'Parents are understandably frustrated that as of now, nothing has changed and their kids are still at risk of being exposed to all that is sinister in the world of social media,' she said. Given the availability and proliferation of the kinds of nasty content people have become used to on social media feeds, advocates had stressed how much firms shouldn't be let avoid their obligations any longer now Coimisiún na Meán had its powers in place. 'Platforms have benefited from a substantial nine-month implementation period since the Code's publication in October 2024, allowing them more than enough time to develop robust age verification systems other than self-declaration, stringent content controls to prevent child exposure to harmful material, and clear and easy-to-use reporting systems,' charity CyberSafeKids said. It appears that the regulator agreed. No age checks On Wednesday, Coimisiún na Meán wrote to X seeking an explanation as to why there were still no age checks to watch pornography and asking them for an explanation as to how they were complying with their obligations by Friday. 'Platforms have had nine months to come into compliance with Part B of the Code,' it said. 'We expect platforms to comply with their legal obligations. Non-compliance is a serious matter which can lead to sanctions including significant financial penalties.' The regulator also said it would take further action if there is evidence of non-compliance with the Online Safety Code. 'We are continuing to review all of the designated video-sharing platforms to assess their compliance with the Code and will take any further supervisory, investigative or enforcement action required,' it added. The pressure on X and other platforms isn't just coming from Ireland. Across Europe, regulators are trying to get to grips with regulating this kind of content online. In the UK, its Online Safety Act sets out children's codes which came into force on Friday that will see some services, including pornographic websites, starting to check the age of UK users. Again, non compliance can see a fine of 10% of turnover, or even its executives jailed. From Friday, anyone trying to access pornographic content in the UK would've been met with a new check on their age before they could access that site, as platforms clearly got the UK's message. On the other hand, concerns have been raised over a wider restriction on content deemed 'unsuitable' and whether that amounts to censorship online. At home, the Irish regulator's work also fits in with wider European legislation, namely the Digital Services Act, and investigations from the European Commission into major platforms. It's all very complex, but our Online Safety Code sits with the Digital Services Act and the EU's laws on terrorist content online. All together, they're supposed to allow regulators to hold the social media companies to account in a variety of ways. In the UK, Reddit and Bluesky introduced age checks in advance of the new rules coming into force there too showing that platforms are clearly hearing the obligations they now face. Picture: Anatoliy Babiy Under the Digital Services Act, for example, the European Commission recently opened formal proceedings against sites including Pornhub and XVideos while member states also grouped together to take action against smaller pornographic platforms. The Commission said these major sites hadn't put in appropriate age verification tools to safeguard minors. An in-depth investigation is now under way. Curiously timed as it fell within the same week as Ireland's and the UK's safety codes came into force, X did publish the methods it will use to check users ages, which include the use of a live selfie with an AI used to determine age or using someone's email address to estimate their age. 'We are required by regulations including the UK's Online Safety Act, the Irish Online Safety Code and the European Union Digital Services Act, to verify your age for access to certain types of content,' X said on its website. In Ireland, the regulator prescribes that age checks must be robust, effective and protect privacy and it's understood it will be considering X's proposals in this regard. Even in lieu of that, age verification on X appeared to have already come into force as access to such content became restricted over the weekend. Things are changing and changing quickly. Charities working in this space have said that while the legislative obligations on platforms are now clearly present where they hadn't been before, enforcement will be key. In a statement to the Irish Examiner, CyberSafeKids said: 'What we expect to see over the next 12-24 months is tech companies finally stepping up and accepting responsibility and accountability to ensure children are not accessing platforms that were not designed for them in the first place and that they're shielded from the kinds of harmful content they contain. It is still early to fully assess how aggressively and effectively Coimisiún na Meán will act on enforcement; initial results suggest continued and predictable heel-dragging from the large social media providers, so proactive monitoring and swift intervention are now key for the integrity of the Code. It said that if companies continue to drag their heels, the regulator must act firmly to impose quick and substantial financial penalties for non-compliance. Meanwhile, online safety coordinator at the Children's Rights Alliance Noeline Blackwell said given Coimisiún na Meán had opted for a principles-based approach, we will be very reliant on the regulator to be proactive to ensure companies meet their obligations. 'Its Commissioners will need to ensure that they have the people, the expertise, the finances that they need and they will then need to have the will to follow up with the companies,' she said. 'We believe that it is extremely urgent that platforms are scrutinised for compliance and taken to task if they do not comply. 'The real urgency with these regulations is that every day, every hour that the appropriate safeguards are missing is an hour, a day that children active on these platforms are at risk of harm from all the issues that the Code is meant to protect them from. That's the whole point of the legislation. 'It's not a game between the regulator and any or all of the platforms. It's a real threat to children when these systems are not in place.' Read More Social media aimed at kids is driven by profit, not safety
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
EU and US agree tariff deal after months of fractious talks
The European Union and United States have agreed a deal that will lock in tariffs on most EU imports to the US, but prevent the prospect of an economically devastating trade war, sources said on Sunday evening. The final terms were worked out during a meeting between European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and US president Donald Trump at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. The EU hopes the deal will draw a line under months of uncertainty, shifting deadlines and threats from Mr Trump, which have defined the fractious trade negotiations. Speaking before the meeting on Sunday, Mr Trump indicated pharmaceuticals might not be covered by the terms of any agreement, signalling coming tariffs on the sector. 'We have to have them made in the United States, we want them made in the United States ... We can't be in a position where we're relying on other countries,' he said. Mr Trump flew to Scotland on Friday night and was then seen playing golf at his Turnberry resort on Saturday and again on Sunday. Ms von der Leyen, head of the EU executive that has been negotiating with the Trump administration, was pushing to get a preliminary deal on tariffs over the line after months of talks. Speaking to reporters before the start of the meeting on Sunday afternoon, Mr Trump said there were three or four 'sticking points' between the parties. 'I think the main sticking point is fairness,' he said. Mr Trump said he felt Europe needed to open up its market to American agricultural products, a nod to EU rules that ban chlorine-washed chicken or hormone-treated beef. 'They have to open to American products,' he said. 'We do a deal today with the European Union that will be the end of it, we'll go a number of years before we have to discuss it again.' Mr von der Leyen, who described Mr Trump as a 'tough negotiator' and deal maker, said: 'I think the president is right, we have a 50-50 per cent chance to strike a deal.' Negotiators had been working towards an agreement that would see the EU accept blanket tariffs of 15 per cent on future trade with the US. European governments appeared resigned to stomaching that level of tariffs on future trade in order to end the uncertainty Mr Trump's threat of potentially much higher import levies has created in the European economy, or a possible US-EU trade war if no deal was agreed. The EU believed a deal was close to being done for the last number of days, pending final sign-off from Mr Trump. The commission briefed ambassadors from the EU's 27 states on Sunday, giving diplomats an update on where talks stood before Ms von der Leyen and Mr Trump sat down together. US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick travelled from Washington to Scotland on Saturday, with EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic flying in from Brussels. Senior commission figures were in contact with officials from the Japanese government over the weekend in order to gauge how the very final stages of their negotiations played out behind the scenes as a US tariff deal was agreed last week. That agreement saw Japan accept 15 per cent tariffs on its products sold to the US. Cars produced in the EU and sold in the US have faced 25 per cent import duties, while steel and aluminium products have been charged twice that amount. US president Donald Trump playing a round of golf at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland on Sunday. Photograph:A 10 per cent tariff has applied to nearly all trade since the start of April, with two sectors, pharmaceuticals and computer chips, exempt from those measures. Mr Trump has promised to introduce steeper tariffs targeting pharma and semiconductors later. The EU is hoping to secure commitments that future tariffs on pharma, and existing rates on cars, would be capped at 15 per cent. Mr Trump has said the US will impose tariffs of 30 per cent on practically all imports from the EU from August 1st in the event no agreement is reached. In such a scenario the EU has said it will hit back with its own 30 per cent tariffs on €93 billion of US trade. France, Germany and many other EU states are prepared to back the EU opening an investigation to determine if it is facing economic coercion, allowing the bloc to turn to emergency powers in an escalating trade war. The EU's anti-coercion instrument, known as the 'big bazooka', would allow the union to restrict the European operations of US multinationals and tech giants, and introduce export controls on transatlantic trade. Meanwhile, EU commissioner Michael McGrath has said that the European Union is 'aggressively extending' its network of international trade agreements, having recently concluded deals with Mexico, Switzerland, Indonesia and the Mercosur South American trade bloc. He said that the meeting between Mr Trump and the president of the European Commission is a 'significant and decisive moment', with hopes for a tariff deal. The EU is also in trade negotiations with India, Thailand, the Philippines and the UAE as the escalating trade war between Washington and the European bloc continues, Mr McGrath, the EU commissioner for justice and consumer protection, said. The EU's objective is to reach a 'comprehensive final settlement' on all outstanding trade issues, including pharmaceuticals, Mr McGrath told RTÉ's This Week radio programme on Sunday. The 'ideal scenario' would be agreement on a 'zero-for-zero deal' on a range of goods, he added. However, if the US pushes ahead with its threatened 30 per cent tariffs on EU goods, the EU is ready with counter-tariffs on €93 billion worth of US exports, he said. 'The terms of trade that we had up to just six months ago are no longer available. The world has changed, and we have had major disruption to the system of global trade. We have to recognise the reality.' Asked to comment on the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian and starvation crisis in Gaza, and the EU's reluctance to place sanctions on Israel, Mr McGrath said the EU was doing 'all that it possibly can to achieve progress on the ground' within its 'limited mandate'. Unfortunately the EU 'does not speak with one voice on this issue', he said. Police snipers are positioned on the roof of the Trump Turnberry hotel during US president Donald Trump's visit in Turnberry, Scotland. Photograph: Getty Images Hundreds of protesters gathered in both Edinburgh and Aberdeen for demonstrations against Mr Trump's visit, organised by the Stop Trump Coalition. Mr Trump has said there was a 50-50 chance that the US and the 27-member European Union could reach a framework trade pact, adding that Brussels wanted to 'make a deal very badly'. - Additional reporting Reuters and PA
