Trump calls for MAGA base to end 'Epstein Files' obsession
They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his death by suicide at a New York prison in 2019, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe.
The move was met with incredulity by some on the US far-right -- many of whom have backed Trump for years -- and strident criticism of Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.
"What's going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals?' They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!" Trump said Saturday in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform.
"We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein," he added, referring to his "Make America Great Again" movement.
Many among the MAGA faithful have long contended that so-called "Deep State" actors were hiding information on Epstein's elite associates.
"Next the DOJ will say 'Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed,'" furious pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Alex Jones tweeted after last week's move. "This is over the top sickening."
Far-right influencer Laura Loomer called for Trump to fire Bondi over the issue, labeling her "an embarrassment."
But on Saturday, Trump came to the defense of his attorney general, suggesting that the so-called "Epstein Files" were a hoax perpetrated by the Democratic Party for political gain, without specifying what benefits they hoped to attain.
On Saturday, Trump struck an exasperated tone in his admonishment of his supporters.
"For years, it's Epstein, over and over again," he said. "Let's...not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about."
The US president called for Patel and Bondi to instead focus on what he terms "The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020," which Trump lost to Joe Biden.
The Republican has repeatedly perpetuated unfounded conspiracy theories about his loss being due to fraud.
He called for the FBI to be allowed to focus on that investigation "instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same old, Radical Left inspired Documents on Jeffrey Epstein. LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB — SHE'S GREAT!"
Trump, who appears in at least one decades-old video alongside Epstein at a party, has denied allegations that he was named in the files or had any direct connection to the financier.
"The conspiracy theories just aren't true, never have been," said FBI Director Patel on Saturday, hours before Trump's social media post.
Not everyone, however, seemed to be on the same page.
US media reported that Dan Bongino -- an influential right-wing podcast host whom Trump appointed FBI deputy director -- had threatened to resign over the administration's handling of the issue.
© 2025 AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
8 minutes ago
- Euronews
Trump to slam Russia with 100% tariffs if no Ukraine deal in 50 days
US President Donald Trump said on Monday he has struck a deal with NATO to purchase the weapons that will be delivered to Ukraine, as he met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington. "We made a deal today where we will be sending weapons to (Ukraine) and NATO will be paying for it," Trump announced at a press conference at the White House. The US is ready to implement 100% tariffs on Russia in response to President Vladimir Putin's lack of interest in ending his war in Ukraine, which could kick in in 50 days, according to Trump. "We're very unhappy with Russia and we'll be doing very severe tariffs … at about 100%," Trump said. "We've spent $250 billion on this war … and we want to see it end. I am disappointed in Putin because I thought we'd have a deal two months ago," he added. Trump has publicly expressed irritation with Russian President Vladimir Putin's reluctance to reach a peace deal in Ukraine, accusing the Russian leader of throwing "bulls**t" at Washington. "I am very disappointed with President Putin," Trump said. "I thought he was somebody that meant what he said. And he'll talk so beautifully and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that." In an about-turn last week, Trump said that Washington would send sophisticated weapons, including Patriot air defence systems, to Ukraine via NATO. The Patriot missile system can detect and intercept a wide range of oncoming air targets, high-end ballistic missiles in particular, and is regarded as one of the world's best, at a time when Moscow is increasing its nightly missile and drone attacks amid its all-out war against Ukraine, now well into its fourth year. Speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on Thursday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Germany would pay for two of the systems, while Norway has agreed to supply one. Other European partners have also said they are prepared to help, Zelenskyy said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that some of the US-made weapons that Ukraine is seeking are already deployed with NATO allies in Europe. Those weapons could be transferred to Ukraine quickly, with European countries buying replacements from the US, he said. "It's a lot faster to move something, for example, from Germany to Ukraine than it is to order it from a (US) factory and get it there," Rubio told reporters during a visit to the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. After repeated Russian drone and missile onslaughts on Kyiv, authorities announced on Friday that they are establishing a comprehensive drone interception system under a project called Clear Sky. The project includes a 260-million-hryvnia (approximately €5.3 million) investment in interceptor drones, operator training, and new mobile response units, according to Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the Kyiv military administration. Rutte will be in Washington on Monday and Tuesday for talks with Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and members of Congress. "I'm gonna have a meeting with the secretary general who's coming in tomorrow," Trump told reporters in Washington on Sunday night. "But we basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated (weapons) and they're gonna pay us 100% for them." Trump and Rutte last met at the NATO summit in the Hague in late June.
Euronews
23 minutes ago
- Euronews
US inflation accelerates to 2.7% as Trump's tariffs start to bite
Consumer prices rose 2.7% in June from a year earlier, the US Labor Department said on Tuesday, up from an annual increase of 2.4% in May. On a monthly basis, prices climbed 0.3% from May to June, after rising just 0.1% the previous month. Worsening inflation poses a political challenge for President Donald Trump, who promised during last year's presidential campaign to immediately lower costs. The sharp inflation spike of 2022-2023 was the worst in four decades and soured most Americans on former President Joe Biden's handling of the economy. Higher inflation will also likely heighten the Federal Reserve's reluctance to cut its short-term interest rate, as Trump is loudly demanding. Trump has often insisted in comments on social media that there is "no inflation" and that as a result, the central bank should swiftly reduce its key interest rate from its current level of 4.3% to around 3%. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core inflation increased 2.9% in June from a year earlier, up from 2.8% in May. On a monthly basis, it picked up 0.2% from May to June. Economists closely watch core prices because they typically provide a better sense of where inflation is headed. 'While US inflation remains on the benign side of things compared to recent history, today's figures perhaps mask darker signs that may just push the US one step closer to a stagflationary environment," Lindsay James, investment strategist at Quilter, said, adding that inflation as well as core inflation are both "moving away from the Federal Reserve's 2% target". What became more expensive? The uptick in inflation was driven by a range of higher prices. The cost of gas rose 1% just from May to June, while grocery prices increased 0.35%. Appliance prices jumped for the third straight month. Trump has imposed sweeping duties of 10% on all imports, plus 50% levies on steel and aluminium, 30% on goods from China, and 25% on imported cars. Just last week, the president threatened to hit the European Union with a new 30% tariff starting 1 August. The acceleration in inflation could provide a respite of sorts for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who has come under increasingly heavy fire from the White House for not cutting the benchmark interest rate. Powell and other Fed officials have emphasised that they want to see how the economy evolves as the tariffs take effect before cutting their key short-term rate. The Fed chair has said that the duties could both push up prices and slow the economy, a tricky combination for the central bank since higher costs would typically lead the Fed to hike rates while a weaker economy often spurs it to reduce them. Trump on Monday said that Powell has been "terrible" and "doesn't know what the hell he's doing". The president added that the economy was doing well despite Powell's refusal to reduce rates, but it would be "nice" if there were rate cuts, because people would be able to buy housing a lot easier". 'Trump continues to bang the drum for the strength of the US economy and the need for lower interest rates, but that is not what the data is suggesting," said James. "With labour markets remaining pretty solid so far, the objective of price stability would usually warrant either a hold or a hike in interest rates at the Fed." Last week, White House officials also attacked Powell for cost overruns on the years-long renovation of two Fed buildings, which are now slated to cost $2.5 billion (€2.14bn), roughly one-third more than originally budgeted. While Trump legally can't fire Powell just because he disagrees with his interest rate decisions, as the Supreme Court has signalled, he may be able to do so for a clear cause such as misconduct or mismanagement. What is ahead for the US inflation? 'It is now seeming likely that the second half of the year will see further price pressures, coupled with potentially stagnating growth," James said, adding that "so far inflation has been held in check by the high level of inventories built up before Liberation Day". Some companies have said they have already raised prices or plan to do so as a result of the tariffs, including Walmart, the world's largest retailer. Automaker Mitsubishi said last month that it was lifting prices by an average of 2.1% in response to the duties, and Nike has said it would implement "surgical" price hikes to offset tariff costs. But many companies have been able to postpone or avoid price increases, after building up their stockpiles of goods this spring to get ahead of the duties. Other companies may have refrained from lifting prices while they wait to see whether the US is able to reach trade deals with other countries that lower the duties.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Russia suggests Trump is emboldening Ukraine, delaying peace
Trump a day earlier gave Russia 50 days to strike a peace deal with Ukraine, voicing fresh frustration with Moscow as he laid out an arrangement with NATO to supply Kyiv with new military aid sponsored by the alliance's members. The Republican forced Moscow and Kyiv to open peace talks to end the conflict, now in its fourth year, but Russia has rejected calls for a ceasefire and launched a record number of drones and missiles at Ukraine in recent months. Moscow said it needed more time to respond fully to Trump's statement, but hinted it did not appear conducive to successful negotiations. "It seems that such a decision made in Washington and in NATO countries and directly in Brussels will be perceived by Kyiv not as a signal for peace but for the continuation of the war," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "President Trump's statement is very serious. We certainly need time to analyse what was said in Washington," he told reporters in Moscow's first reaction to the comments. Trump warned that if no deal was concluded, he would slap severe tariffs on Russia's remaining trade partners in a bid to impede Moscow's ability to finance its military offensive. Pumped up by huge state spending on soldiers and weapons, as well as by redirecting vital energy exports to the likes of China and India, Russia's economy has so far defied Western hopes sanctions would push it into a deep recession. - Weapons deal - Two rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine, held in Turkey in recent months, have made no progress towards ending the fighting and yielded only large-scale prisoner exchanges. Tens of thousands have been killed since Russia launched its offensive, with millions forced to flee their homes in eastern and southern Ukraine, which has been decimated by aerial attacks and ground assaults. Putin has repeatedly rejected calls for a ceasefire and his negotiators have demanded Ukraine shun all Western military support, and pull out of four regions in its east and south that Moscow claims to have annexed. Kyiv and the West have rejected them as a call for Ukraine's de-facto capitulation. Peskov said Russia was open to another round of talks and was "waiting for proposals from the Ukrainian side on the timing." Kyiv has called it "pointless" to hold further talks with the current Russian delegation. Denmark and the Netherlands on Tuesday said they were looking to participate in Trump's plan for Europe to buy American weapons for Ukraine. Under the scheme, some of NATO's European members would pay Washington for the weapons, including vital Patriot air defence systems, which would then be shipped to Ukraine. The United States has been Kyiv's most important military backer since Russia launched its offensive in 2022, but Trump's erratic policy on whether to support Ukraine and his attempts to engage Putin have spooked Europe and Kyiv. 'Game of chess' In Moscow, residents dismissed Trump's statement as little more than politics. "It's a game of chess," Svetlana, an aviation engineer said. "There will still be negotiations... (Trump) gave 50 days, and then there will be more... We are waiting for the next move of our president," the 47-year-old said. Russia has pummelled Ukrainian cities with regular aerial attacks in recent weeks as its troops advance slowly across the battlefield in the east and south. Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the east were hopeful but cautious following Trump's promise of air defences and weapons. "I don't believe him. There have been too many promises that haven't been kept," said one soldier with the call-sign "Shah." Others were worried it might be too little too late. "Of course it's good, but at the same time, time has been lost. Those Patriots could have been sent sooner and could have helped a lot," another fighter called "Master" told AFP. "If there is even the slightest chance to improve the situation for us and worsen it for them, then that's already positive," Ruslan, a 29-year-old soldier, said.
