Trump won't recommend special counsel in Epstein case
Trump is facing pressure from some of his supporters and renewed public scrutiny on the convicted sex offender's connections to powerful figures.
"The president would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case. That's how he feels," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday.
Leavitt said Trump had already directed the Justice Department and Attorney General Pam Bondi to conduct an "exhaustive review of all files", dismissing the renewed interest in Epstein as politically motivated and accusing Democrats of ignoring the issue during their time in power.
Epstein, a wealthy financier, was facing federal charges of sex-trafficking minors when he died by suicide in jail in 2019. He had pleaded not guilty, and the case was dismissed after his death.
The topic returned to the news last week after the Trump administration reversed course on its pledge to release documents it had previously suggested would offer major revelations about Epstein and his alleged clientele.
Officials said Epstein did not maintain a much-hyped "client list" and said the evidence was clear he had died by suicide despite conspiracy theories to the contrary.
That reversal has enraged some of Trump's most loyal followers.
News organisation Just the News published excerpts on Wednesday from a Trump interview in which the president said he would be open to having a special counsel look into "anything credible" related to Epstein, as well as other long-standing grievances he and his supporters have long raised.
But Leavitt appeared to close the door on a special counsel for the Epstein investigation, saying "the idea was floated from someone in the media to the president".
Justice Department regulations allow for the attorney general to appoint and supervise an outside special counsel to investigate allegations of criminal wrongdoing in instances when prosecutors might face a potential or perceived conflict of interest.
The department in recent years has appointed a succession of special counsels — sometimes, though not always, plucked from outside the agency — to lead investigations into politically sensitive matters, including into conduct by former president Joe Biden and by Trump.
On Wednesday, Trump attacked supporters who have been critical of his administration's handling of the Epstein case.
"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!" Trump said on his platform Truth Social.
Later in the day, he said Bondi should release whatever she thinks is credible.
"Whatever's credible, she can release," he told reporters. "If a document's there that's credible, she can release. I think it's good."
With AP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
30 minutes ago
- Fox News
Cambodia to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize for role in ending country's conflict with Thailand
Cambodia will nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize after he helped the country reach a ceasefire agreement to end its border conflict with Thailand. Sun Chanthol, Cambodia's deputy prime minister, thanked Trump for bringing peace to the region while speaking to reporters earlier Friday in the country's capital of Phnom Penh. Chanthol said the American president deserved to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the highest-profile international award given to a person or organization for doing the most to "advance fellowship between nations." "We acknowledge his great efforts for peace," Chanthol said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month he had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and Pakistani officials said in June they would recommend him for the award for his role in helping to end its conflict with India. Trump urged a ceasefire last week when he spoke to the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand and threatened that the U.S. would not get back to the "trading table" with the Southeast Asian countries until the fighting stops. A ceasefire was negotiated in Malaysia on Monday, ending the heaviest conflict between the two countries in over a decade. "Numerous people were killed and I was dealing with two countries that we get along with very well, very different countries from certain standpoints. They've been fighting for 500 years intermittently. And, we solved that war ... we solved it through trade," Trump told reporters during his recent trip to Scotland. Following news of the ceasefire, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X that Trump's direct involvement led to the truce. "President Trump made this happen. Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!," she said. The fighting began last week after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Each side blamed the other for starting the clashes, which lasted five days. At least 43 people were killed and more than 300,000 people were displaced on both sides of the border. "I said, 'I don't want to trade with anybody that's killing each other,'" Trump continued while in Scotland. "So we just got that one solved. And I'm going to call the two prime ministers who I got along with very, very well and speak to them right after this meeting and congratulate them. But it was an honor to be involved in that. That was going to be a very nasty war. Those wars have been very, very nasty." Chanthol, who also serves as Cambodia's top trade negotiator, said his country was also grateful to Trump for a reduced tariff rate of 19%. The Trump administration had initially threatened a tariff of 49% before later reducing it to 36%, a level that would have decimated Cambodia's vital garment and footwear sector, Chanthol told Reuters.
CNN
34 minutes ago
- CNN
‘Very risky business': John Bolton reacts to Trump's nuclear subs order
President Donald Trump issued a rare threat of nuclear escalation on Friday, saying he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be strategically positioned near Russia in response to what he said were aggressive remarks by Dmitry Medvedev, the country's former president and current deputy chairman of its Security Council. Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton joins CNN's Kaitlan Collins to discuss his take.
CNN
35 minutes ago
- CNN
‘Very risky business': John Bolton reacts to Trump's nuclear subs order
President Donald Trump issued a rare threat of nuclear escalation on Friday, saying he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be strategically positioned near Russia in response to what he said were aggressive remarks by Dmitry Medvedev, the country's former president and current deputy chairman of its Security Council. Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton joins CNN's Kaitlan Collins to discuss his take.
