Latest news with #EricTrump
Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
It's Turnberry's turn in 2029
Donald Trump is about to fly into the UK, not on a state visit or diplomatic mission but something that to his mind is almost as important, if not more so. He is visiting the golf courses he owns in Aberdeenshire and at Turnberry on Scotland's west coast. Every golfer who has had the privilege to play both in recent years will attest to the work and investment made by Mr Trump and his son Eric to turn them into some of the country's best resorts. The Ailsa course at Turnberry, with its spectacular views of the granite craig in the Firth of Clyde and across to the Isle of Arran and the Mull of Kintyre, is ranked in the top five in the British Isles. It has hosted the Open championship, held last week at Royal Portrush, on four occasions. The first, in 1977, has entered golfing folklore for its extraordinary final round battle between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, known as The Duel in the Sun. In 2009, Watson almost became the oldest player to win a major golf championship at the age of 59, but lost in a play-off. That was the last time the Open was staged at Turnberry, even though it is considered a superior course to many others on the Royal and Ancient's rotating 10-venue list. So when will it get the Open again? The next empty slot is 2028, but its connection to President Trump poses a security problem. Police Scotland are laying on a massive presence for his four-day visit. The R&A wants the focus to be on just the golf and believe transport connections must be improved. The answer, surely, is to earmark 2029 or 2030 for Turnberry. Better road and rail links should be built by then. But more importantly, Mr Trump will no longer be in office and the brouhaha surrounding his presidency might have died down.
CTV News
21 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
CNN exclusive: Newly discovered photos and video shed fresh light on Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein
Donald Trump and his kids, Eric and Ivanka Trump, are seen with Jeffrey Epstein at the Harley Davidson Cafe opening in New York in 1993. (Dafydd Jones via CNN Newsource) Newly uncovered archived video footage and photos reveal fresh details about Donald Trump's past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Photos from 1993 confirm for the first time that Epstein attended Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples. Epstein's attendance at the ceremony at the Plaza Hotel was not widely known until now. In addition, footage from a 1999 Victoria's Secret fashion event in New York shows Trump and Epstein laughing and chatting together ahead of the runway event. CNN's KFile uncovered the raw footage during a review of archival video of Trump at events in the 1990s and 2000s. Trump and Epstein appeared together in at least one video among the limited archival footage reviewed. The new footage and photos, which have not been widely reported and pre-date any of Epstein's known legal issues, come amid renewed scrutiny of Trump's past relationship with Epstein. The U.S. Justice Department's recent decision not to release long-promised files related to Epstein has spurred outrage in some corners of Trump's MAGA movement, where people developed an expectation for bombshell revelations into Epstein's alleged co-conspirators. In a brief call with CNN on Tuesday, President Trump, asked about the wedding photos, responded, 'You've got to be kidding me,' before repeatedly calling CNN 'fake news' and hanging up. In a statement to CNN, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said, 'These are nothing more than out-of-context frame grabs of innocuous videos and pictures of widely attended events to disgustingly infer something nefarious. 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media.' Allegations that Epstein sexually abused underage girls first surfaced in 2005, leading to his arrest a year later. He was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and later died in jail, fueling numerous conspiracy theories. The medical examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging. Donald Trump Epstein Exclusive Jeffrey Epstein is seen at Donald Trump and Marla Maples wedding at the Plaza Hotel in New York in December 1993. (Dafydd Jones via CNN Newsource) A past relationship Trump's relationship with Epstein dates back to the 1980s and included regular appearances at social events in Palm Beach and New York. No law enforcement authorities have ever accused Trump of wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. The two had a falling-out in the mid-2000s, according to the Washington Post, stemming from a dispute over a high-profile real estate deal in Palm Beach. Before then, photos and video repeatedly showed the two were friendly. In 2019, NBC posted footage of a party showing Trump socializing with Epstein in 1992. A year later in October 1993, high-society photographer Dafydd Jones took photos at the opening of the Harley Davidson Cafe in New York, capturing Trump and Epstein together. 'There was this guy there who struck me — the way he was looking — and he gave me his card. It said: Jeffrey Epstein, financial advisor,' Jones recalled in an interview with CNN this week. Jones captured photos of Trump with his arm around his two young children as he stands next to Epstein, leaning on a railing. Two months later, in December 1993, Jones was assigned by a media organization to photograph Trump's wedding. Among the photos he took was one of Epstein entering the event. 'I must have recognized him going in [to the event],' Jones said to CNN, adding he only took select photos of attendees he thought looked interesting. 'I wish now I took more of him with Trump,' he said. 'I had the job of photographing the Trump wedding, so I stood with the press and photographed him. The image you have is from the contact sheet — the negatives were lost.' Another photo captures Epstein at Trump's wedding, part of LIFE's archive that was reviewed by CNN. It shows Epstein smiling in the background — his head just visible between other guests and shock jock Howard Stern and Robin Leach of 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,' who were taking a group picture. LIFE's collection of dozens of photos of Trump's wedding are available online through Google Images and Shutterstock, and a CNN review of photos found multiple photos with Epstein. Donald Trump Epstein Exclusive Alison Stern, Robin Leach, Jeffrey Epstein, Cecilia Nord and Howard Stern are seen at Donald Trump's wedding to Marla Maples in New York in December 1993. Note: CNN has highlighted a portion of this photo to more clearly identify Epstein in the picture. (DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock via CNN Newsource) Together at a fashion show The 1999 fashion show wasn't the first Victoria's Secret event the pair attended together. Two photos from Getty Images show Trump and Epstein appearing at a 1997 Angels party in New York, two years before the footage uncovered by CNN. Epstein's presence at the 1999 fashion show also reflects his longstanding ties to Leslie Wexner, the billionaire founder of Victoria's Secret's parent company. Epstein managed Wexner's finances from 1987 to around 2007. The two later severed ties, and Wexner has said he was unaware of Epstein's alleged crimes during their association. In 2002, Trump was quoted in a New York Magazine profile of Epstein — 'Jeffrey Epstein: International Moneyman of Mystery' — describing him as 'a terrific guy,' saying he's known Epstein for 15 years. 'It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,' Trump said. Trump flew on Epstein's jets between Palm Beach and New York, at least seven times according to flight logs. In his 2004 book, 'Trump: How To Get Rich,' Trump wrote about taking a call from a man he named 'the mysterious Jeffrey.' 'As mysterious as Jeffrey is, he's one of the few people I know who can get by on just a first name. My staff never asks for a last name in his case, which in a way puts him up there with Elvis. Not that Elvis calls in much these days, but you never know,' Trump wrote. It's unclear if the 'mysterious Jeffrey' is Epstein and White House did not address it in a comment to CNN. Images published in the Palm Beach Post in 2000 also show Trump, Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell — who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking — and Prince Andrew in attendance at a charity fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on a birthday message sent bearing Trump's name for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. According to the Journal, it contained an outline of a naked woman and a typed note that ended with the line: 'Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.' Donald Trump Epstein Exclusive Donald Trump and Marla Maples are seen at their wedding in December 1993. (DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock via CNN Newsource) Following the report, the Trump administration pledged to release grand jury materials related to Epstein. The federal judge overseeing Maxwell's case set a deadline for the Justice Department to provide information so he can determine whether to unseal the transcripts. The Department of Justice also said Tuesday it has reached out to Maxwell for a meeting amid backlash over the administration's handling of files related to Epstein. Maxwell's attorney told CNN they 'are in discussions with the government' on the matter. 'Ghislaine will always testify truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case,' attorney David Oscar Markus said. Trump has denied authoring the note and drawing, calling the report false. On Friday, he sued the newspaper for libel in federal court in Florida. By Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck, CNN
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump lashes out at CNN after 'new' Epstein photos with his young kids Ivanka, Eric and ex-wife surface
Donald Trump was enraged when CNN confronted him with newly unearthed decades-old images of him and his young kids with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After just 30 seconds on a call with Andrew Kaczynski on Tuesday, the president hung up when asked about the resurfaced images showing Epstein at Trump's 1993 wedding to his second wife, Marla Maples. The photographs also show Epstein that same year socializing with Trump and his children Ivanka and Eric at the Harley Davidson Cafe opening in New York. The images are not new, but they have not been widely reported. Kaczynski said that Trump dismissed the resurfacing of the images as his administration faces a slew of criticism from his MAGA base over the Justice Department's botched Epstein files review. 'We were not on the phone very long,' he said on CNN after the article was published on Tuesday. 'I think our call was about 30 seconds or so.' 'When I asked him about the wedding photo… he sort of paused for a second and then said, 'you've got to be kidding me,' before calling CNN 'fake news' and then hanging up on me,' the journalist recalled of Trump shutting down the conversation. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung doubled down on the fake news claims and reiterated how Trump kicked Epstein out of his club for 'being a creep.' 'These are nothing more than out-of-context frame grabs of innocuous videos and pictures of widely attended events to disgustingly infer something nefarious,' he said in a statement on the resurfaced images. It's widely known that Trump socialized with Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell in the 1980s and 1990s. He is listed as one of the many famous and rich people who flew on Epstein's private plane, known as the Lolita Express. Family members of Trump are also listed on the flight log from the same period. This includes his son Eric, his second wife Marla Maples and their daughter Tiffany. Previously revealed images show Trump and his third wife and current First Lady Melania alongside Epstein and Maxwell in 1997 at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. No charges have been brought against Trump in relation to Epstein and there is no known wrongdoing by the president during his time associating with Epstein. While CNN branded the latest images as 'never been seen' before, Kaczynski admitted in his article that the photos were available on Google images and content library Shutterstock. The outlet paid to have exclusive rights to a few of the photos for a month. Kaczynski said they 'have not been widely reported and pre-date any of Epstein's known legal issues.' Trump is not pleased with how his base is still obsessing over the Epstein investigation. When Attorney General Pam Bondi released a joint memo with the FBI earlier this month concluding no one else would be charged in relation to his child sex trafficking crimes, it immediately sparked fury among the MAGA base. Many of Trump's biggest fans have stoked conspiracies that Epstein did not kill himself in prison in 2019 and that he was actually murdered to keep quiet about co-conspirators. Additionally, they were clamouring for a so-called 'client list' that would reveal those who worked with Epstein. But Bondi's review found that no such list existed. Trump was forced to give into pressure from his supporters' demanding the administration continue pushing for more answers. He directed Bondi last week to request the grand jury testimony from the court case in the Southern District of New York be unsealed. Additionally, Bondi announced that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is looking to speak with Maxwell 'in the coming days' to find out what she knows. Maxwell remains the only living person paying the price for Epstein's crimes. She is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence – though her lawyers tried to get the Supreme Court to take up her case arguing she shouldn't have been charged due to a 2008 plea deal Epstein struck with prosecutors. The DOJ opposed Maxwell's request for appeal earlier this month.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Don Jr. and Eric Trump's Middle East jaunt cost US taxpayers over $40,000 in hotel rooms and rental cars
Amid wanton budget cuts by the Trump Administration that put thousands of government employees out of work, canceled school lunch programs for needy kids and zeroed out funding for crucial research into cancer, U.S. taxpayers shelled out for rental cars and hotel rooms as the president's two eldest sons pursued private business deals in the Middle East. Federal procurement data reviewed by The Independent shows more than $40,000 in disbursements by the Secret Service, whose agents accompanied Don Jr. and Eric Trump to Qatar and Saudi Arabia this spring, underwritten by the American public. One transaction, a $13,984 payment arranged by the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and funded by the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, describes the outlay as: 'ERIC TRUMP Protective USSS Visit – 4 rental vehicles.' It was prepared on April 20, and approved on May 13, 2025, the same day President Trump arrived in the kingdom. However, Eric, 41, was not part of the official delegation, according to reports. A second transaction, for $26,813.24, was arranged by the State Department and funded by the U.S. Embassy in Doha, covered a room for Donald Trump Jr., 47, at The Ned, a 5-star hotel and members-only club located in a building formerly occupied by the Qatari Interior Ministry. 'Trump Jr Visit – May 25 – Team X,' reads the expenditure, which was prepared on May 11 and approved on May 18, 2025, nearly a week after the president was in town. 'Expect tactile furnishings, classical details, and all the essentials for a comfortable home away from home,' the property's website tells prospective travelers. 'Guests enjoy access to Ned's Club Spa and Gym throughout their stay. Airport transfers in our BMW 7 Series can be arranged upon request.' Together, lodging and local transportation for Trump's two adult sons cost taxpayers at least $40,797.24, a figure that does not include air travel, agents' salaries, meals, and other significant outlays. Donald Trump, Jr. and brother Eric Trump are entitled to round-the-clock Secret Service protection and a recent trip to the Middle East cost taxpayers (AFP via Getty Images) A Secret Service spokesman on Monday told The Independent, 'We support any of our protectees, that go anywhere in the world, including foreign trips. For these foreign trips, we have personnel on the ground before a protectee gets there, so we may be on the ground several days in advance, working with the local government and local authorities.' The contracts themselves, such as the hotel rooms and rental cars required for Don Jr. and Eric, are executed on behalf of the Secret Service by U.S. embassies in the destination countries, according to the agency spokesman. He said the members of the Trump family 'are our protectees, we protect them, regardless of where they go. When you're a protectee, you have round-the-clock protection anywhere in the world. It doesn't matter what type of trip it is, they're getting protection.' The Trump Organization, which is being nominally run by Don Jr. and Eric while their father serves a second term in the White House, recently partnered with a Qatari real estate firm – backed by the country's sovereign wealth fund – to build a Trump-branded luxury golf resort in the emirate. The deal was announced two weeks before Trump made the jaunt to Qatar, which subsequently 'gifted' the president a $400 million Boeing 747 for his own use. The Trump family is also developing two new real estate projects in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, as well as a Trump Tower to be erected in Jeddah. 'Combining coastal elegance with urban sophistication, Trump Tower Jeddah delivers an unmatched lifestyle,' read an April 30 press release issued by the Trump Organization. 'From refined residences to world-class amenities and personalized service, every detail reflects the signature Trump standard of excellence.' Trump was in Saudi Arabia and Qatar while his sons were there drumming up new business for the family company, which cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in travel expenses (Getty Images) Two weeks later, the White House formally announced that Saudi Arabia had committed to buying at least $100 billion worth of military equipment from the U.S., and said Qatar had agreed to purchase $200 billion worth of U.S.-built jets from Boeing, as well as some $3 billion in American-made drones from General Atomics and Raytheon. The trips by Don Jr. and Eric raised numerous questions about the Trump family's aggressive monetization of the presidency, which administration officials attempted to minimize as a non-issue. During the president's first term, the Trump Organization vowed not to pursue any foreign deals while the company's namesake was in office – a promise promptly broken, according to an investigation by anti-corruption watchdog Global Witness. When Trump returned to the White House in January 2021, he released an ethics agreement that said the Trump Organization would not directly strike any deals with foreign governments. However, it included no prohibition on doing business with private companies abroad, and the president's family business is now involved in no fewer than 21 Trump-branded projects throughout the world, according to CItizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Still, prior to Trump's Middle East sojourn, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that the notion Trump would personally benefit from his family's private business pursuits was, in a word, 'ridiculous.' 'The president is abiding by all conflict of interest laws,' Leavitt said. 'The president is a successful businessman, and I think, frankly, that it's one of the many reasons that people reelected him back to this office.' In October 2018, U.S. taxpayers were hit with a $90,000-plus hotel bill for First Lady Melania Trump and her Secret Service detail, who were in Cairo for six hours but did not spend the night. A vacation to Berlin the previous year by Tiffany Trump, the president's youngest daughter, cost taxpayers at least $22,000 in hotel stays for the Secret Service agents accompanying her and her boyfriend. But when the Secret Service traveled with members of the Trump family to Trump-owned hotels, the agency was reportedly charged 'exorbitant' markups far above the usual room rate, contradicting Eric Trump's previous claim that agents were provided lodging 'at cost.' At the same time, a vindictive Trump has sought revenge on officials he believes wronged him during his first term by revoking Secret Service details assigned to protect President Joe Biden's adult children, along with those looking after former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, and a host of others. During Barack Obama's time in office, before Trump's foray into national politics, he raged on Twitter about the cost of providing security for the president and his family, taking aim at supposed 'taxpayer funded vacations' costing the American people 'millions of dollars.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Exclusive: Don Jr. and Eric Trump's Middle East jaunt cost US taxpayers over $40,000 in hotel rooms and rental cars
Amid wanton budget cuts by the Trump Administration that put thousands of government employees out of work, canceled school lunch programs for needy kids and zeroed out funding for crucial research into cancer, U.S. taxpayers shelled out for rental cars and hotel rooms as the president's two eldest sons pursued private business deals in the Middle East. Federal procurement data reviewed by The Independent shows more than $40,000 in disbursements by the Secret Service, whose agents accompanied Don Jr. and Eric Trump to Qatar and Saudi Arabia this spring, underwritten by the American public. One transaction, a $13,984 payment arranged by the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and funded by the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, describes the outlay as: 'ERIC TRUMP Protective USSS Visit – 4 rental vehicles.' It was prepared on April 20, and approved on May 13, 2025, the same day President Trump arrived in the kingdom. However, Eric, 41, was not part of the official delegation, according to reports. A second transaction, for $26,813.24, was arranged by the State Department and funded by the U.S. Embassy in Doha, covered a room for Donald Trump Jr., 47, at The Ned, a 5-star hotel and members-only club located in a building formerly occupied by the Qatari Interior Ministry. 'Trump Jr Visit – May 25 – Team X,' reads the expenditure, which was prepared on May 11 and approved on May 18, 2025, nearly a week after the president was in town. 'Expect tactile furnishings, classical details, and all the essentials for a comfortable home away from home,' the property's website tells prospective travelers. 'Guests enjoy access to Ned's Club Spa and Gym throughout their stay. Airport transfers in our BMW 7 Series can be arranged upon request.' Together, lodging and local transportation for Trump's two adult sons cost taxpayers at least $40,797.24, a figure that does not include air travel, agents' salaries, meals, and other significant outlays. A Secret Service spokesman on Monday told The Independent, 'We support any of our protectees, that go anywhere in the world, including foreign trips. For these foreign trips, we have personnel on the ground before a protectee gets there, so we may be on the ground several days in advance, working with the local government and local authorities.' The contracts themselves, such as the hotel rooms and rental cars required for Don Jr. and Eric, are executed on behalf of the Secret Service by U.S. embassies in the destination countries, according to the agency spokesman. He said the members of the Trump family 'are our protectees, we protect them, regardless of where they go. When you're a protectee, you have round-the-clock protection anywhere in the world. It doesn't matter what type of trip it is, they're getting protection.' The Trump Organization, which is being nominally run by Don Jr. and Eric while their father serves a second term in the White House, recently partnered with a Qatari real estate firm – backed by the country's sovereign wealth fund – to build a Trump-branded luxury golf resort in the emirate. The deal was announced two weeks before Trump made the jaunt to Qatar, which subsequently 'gifted' the president a $400 million Boeing 747 for his own use. The Trump family is also developing two new real estate projects in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, as well as a Trump Tower to be erected in Jeddah. 'Combining coastal elegance with urban sophistication, Trump Tower Jeddah delivers an unmatched lifestyle,' read an April 30 press release issued by the Trump Organization. 'From refined residences to world-class amenities and personalized service, every detail reflects the signature Trump standard of excellence.' Two weeks later, the White House formally announced that Saudi Arabia had committed to buying at least $100 billion worth of military equipment from the U.S., and said Qatar had agreed to purchase $200 billion worth of U.S.-built jets from Boeing, as well as some $3 billion in American-made drones from General Atomics and Raytheon. The trips by Don Jr. and Eric raised numerous questions about the Trump family's aggressive monetization of the presidency, which administration officials attempted to minimize as a non-issue. During the president's first term, the Trump Organization vowed not to pursue any foreign deals while the company's namesake was in office – a promise promptly broken, according to an investigation by anti-corruption watchdog Global Witness. When Trump returned to the White House in January 2021, he released an ethics agreement that said the Trump Organization would not directly strike any deals with foreign governments. However, it included no prohibition on doing business with private companies abroad, and the president's family business is now involved in no fewer than 21 Trump-branded projects throughout the world, according to CItizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Still, prior to Trump's Middle East sojourn, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that the notion Trump would personally benefit from his family's private business pursuits was, in a word, 'ridiculous.' 'The president is abiding by all conflict of interest laws,' Leavitt said. 'The president is a successful businessman, and I think, frankly, that it's one of the many reasons that people reelected him back to this office.' In October 2018, U.S. taxpayers were hit with a $90,000-plus hotel bill for First Lady Melania Trump and her Secret Service detail, who were in Cairo for six hours but did not spend the night. A vacation to Berlin the previous year by Tiffany Trump, the president's youngest daughter, cost taxpayers at least $22,000 in hotel stays for the Secret Service agents accompanying her and her boyfriend. But when the Secret Service traveled with members of the Trump family to Trump-owned hotels, the agency was reportedly charged 'exorbitant' markups far above the usual room rate, contradicting Eric Trump's previous claim that agents were provided lodging 'at cost.' At the same time, a vindictive Trump has sought revenge on officials he believes wronged him during his first term by revoking Secret Service details assigned to protect President Joe Biden's adult children, along with those looking after former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, and a host of others. During Barack Obama's time in office, before Trump's foray into national politics, he raged on Twitter about the cost of providing security for the president and his family, taking aim at supposed 'taxpayer funded vacations' costing the American people 'millions of dollars.'
