Latest news with #Trump-Russia
Int'l Business Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Epstein Distractions List: Everything Critics Say Trump Admin Has Done to Deflect From Scandal
In the weeks since the White House declared that nothing in the classified Jeffrey Epstein files is worth releasing, President Donald Trump has unleashed a barrage of accusations, investigations, and proposals that have been criticized as attempts to distract from the scandal captivating public imagination. On July 7, the DOJ released a memo stating that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had no "client list," that there was nothing suspicious about his prison suicide, and the case was officially closed — news that ignited outrage among Trump's fiercely loyal MAGA base. The controversy has since ballooned into a bipartisan issue, with Democrats and far-right conspiracy theorists finding unexpected common ground. After attempts to ignore and downplay the controversy proved unsuccessful, Trump has been accused of trying to divert media attention away from Epstein to everything from the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. to the ingredients in Coca Cola. In lieu of an "Epstein List," here is a list of the Trump administration's attempts to distract and deflect: July 8: FBI announces criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey for their handling of the Trump-Russia probe and accused the officials of making false statements to Congress. The same day, Trump exploded at a reporter who asked Attorney General Pam Bondi about Epstein. "Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?" he interrupted. "I can't believe you're asking a question about Epstein at a time like this, when we're having some of the greatest success, and also tragedy, with what happened in Texas," the president said, referring to deadly flash flooding that devastated central Texas over the holiday weekend. July 12: Trump took to Truth Social, where he threatened to revoke the citizenship of his longtime rival, comedian and actress Rosie O'Donnell, who moved to Ireland following Trump's election. Also on Truth Social, the president addressed his "'boys,' and in some cases, 'gals,'" urging them to move on and "not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody nobody cares about." July 15: Trump accused political adversary Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) of mortgage fraud, calling for a criminal investigation. July 16: Amid growing outcry from MAGA demanding the release of the Epstein files, Trump blasted his own base as "weaklings." In a post decrying the "Russia scam," Hunter Biden's "Laptop from Hell," and Hillary Clinton, the president blamed Democrats for the "Jeffrey Epstein Hoax," announcing that he no longer wanted the support of critics within his base. That afternoon, Trump announced he had convinced Coca-Cola to use cane sugar instead of corn syrup in their US soft drinks. July 17: Trump declared he would sue the Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp and Rupert Murdoch for publishing a letter Trump reportedly gave to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday. "If there were any truth at all on the Epstein Hoax, as it pertains to President Trump, this information would have been revealed by Comey, Brennan, Crooked Hillary, and other Radical Left Lunatics years ago," a Truth Social statement read. "This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS!" That evening, Trump asked Bondi to release grand jury transcripts on Epstein. July 18: The White House announced that the president had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency following speculation regarding visible swelling in his ankles and a recurring bruise on his hand. Meanwhile, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard posted a series of infographics claiming the Obama Administration engaged in "treasonous conspiracy" to undermine Trump's 2016 election. July 20: Trump complained that the Washington Commanders NFL team and Cleveland Guardians MLB team should revert to their former names, the Redskins and Indians. He threatened to block the construction of a Washington stadium and claimed, "Indians are being treated very unfairly." In a barrage of late-night posts, Trump again floated jailing Sen. Schiff, shared an image of fake mugshots featuring Obama administration members in prison uniforms, and shared an AI-generated video depicting former President Barack Obama being arrested and imprisoned. July 21: The Trump administration shared digital copies of over 230,000 pages of previously unreleased documents related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Secretary of State and Acting US Archivist Marco Rubio called the move a "historic step in the Trump Administration's ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability." July 22: For the second time, Trump pulled the US out of UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — claiming the United Nations agency "supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes that are totally out-of-step with the commonsense policies" of the Trump administration. In the afternoon, Trump said that late night talk show hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon would soon be fired. "It's really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!" he wrote on Truth Social. Originally published on Latin Times
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Mike Johnson willing to bring Obama before Congress over Trump-Russia investigation
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday he would not hesitate to bring former President Barack Obama before a congressional committee to testify on the 2016 Trump-Russia investigation by his administration. Johnson (R-La.) called recent revelations by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard 'deeply problematic' and suggested that Obama's status as a former president wouldn't shield him from receiving a subpoena, should lawmakers deem it necessary. 'We have no concern about that. If it's uncomfortable for him, he shouldn't have been involved in overseeing this, which is what it appears to us has happened,' Johnson told Christian Broadcasting Network commentator David Brody. 4 House Speaker Mike Johnson downplayed concerns about bringing a former president before a congressional panel. CBN News Presidential testimony before Congress is rarely sought and and requests are often challenged due to separation of powers concerns. The two most recent former presidents to appear before Congress were Harry Truman in 1955 and Gerald Ford in 1983. Last year, then-President Joe Biden turned down an invitation to appear before the House GOP impeachment inquiry against him. The since-defunct House Jan. 6 Select Committee subpoenaed Trump for testimony in late 2022, but he spurned that demand and didn't face legal consequences for doing so. 'There's a lot of allegations on the table. Our job is to go and follow each of those trails and to find out the truth,' Johnson added. 4 Critics argue that the Obama administration gave a misleading impression to the public about the extent of Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. Getty Images 'So those are very serious allegations with very serious implications, but we're going to have very serious people working on it, and we will get the answers.' The House speaker also said that 'of course,' Republicans will consider pursuing testimony from other Obama administration figures, such as former US Attorney General Eric Holder and former CIA Director John Brennan. 'I think we have a responsibility to follow the truth where it leads and to do it in an unbiased fashion,' the speaker said. 'The greatest threat of all this is not just what they've done to President Trump as an individual, it's what they're doing to the institutions.' Last week, Gabbard released more than 100 pages of emails, memos and other documents that she described as evidence of a 'years-long coup against President Trump' and a 'treasonous conspiracy' by the Obama administration. The documents showed that the intelligence community was prepared to conclude in December 2016 that Russia didn't hack that year's presidential election to change its outcome. 4 President Trump has been seen laughing it up with Barack Obama multiple times despite their fierce disagreements. AFP via Getty Images However, the FBI dissented from that conclusion 'based on some new guidance,' and on Dec. 9, 2016, Obama tasked the intelligence community with producing a 'comprehensive assessment' on 'Russia election meddling.' That evaluation culminated in a probe by special counsel Robert Mueller, which found that Russian agents encroached on the 2016 campaign in a 'sweeping and systemic fashion,' but there was insufficient evidence that any member of the Trump team had been 'taking part in a criminal conspiracy.' Gabbard has teased that more documents will be released, shedding additional light on the intelligence community's activities. 4 The Obama administration had investigated Russia's efforts to manipulate the 2016 election. AP 'I do expect that whether there's a special counsel appointed, which some are suggesting, and/or in conjunction with the House investigations, that we will get the answers and there will be accountability to the extent that we're able to do that, referring people to the DOJ for prosecution,' Johnson said. Trump has tapped Ed Martin to helm the Justice Department's Weaponization Working Group, which is looking into Obama administration activity during the transition into Trump's first term. A rep for the 44th president did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
FBI lapses, missed leads, and fresh interviews: Trump admin releases Martin Luther King Jr., Hillary Clinton probe files; what do they reveal?
Martin Luther King Jr and Hillary Clinton The Trump administration dropped documents on Monday, and no, it wasn't the long-awaited Epstein files. Instead, the release spotlighted two old favourites: the FBI's surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr and his assassination in 1968, and Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and mishandling of highly classified information during her time as Secretary of State. More than 6,000 documents — adding up to nearly 250,000 pages — tied to the 1968 assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and 35 pages from Hilary Clinton's file were made public late Monday. Hillary Clinton, who held the position of secretary of state in Barack Obama's administration between 2009 and 2013, faced an FBI investigation regarding allegations of inappropriate handling of classified information through a private email server. In 2016, prior to the significant presidential election between Clinton and Donald Trump, the FBI recommended to the Department of Justice against pursuing criminal charges in the matter. This came after director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's bombshell claims that Obama-era officials reportedly "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gold Is Surging in 2025 — Smart Traders Are Already In IC Markets Learn More Here are some key facts about Clinton's file "This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI's investigation of former Secretary Clinton's email usage and mishandling of highly classified information," Grassley said in a Monday press release. "Under Comey's leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor. The Comey FBI's negligent approach and perhaps intentional lack of effort in the Clinton investigation is a stark contrast to its full-throated investigation of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, which was based on the uncorroborated and now discredited Steele dossier. Comey's decision-making process smacks of political infection," he added. The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General's Clinton addendum reveals that while the FBI acquired USB drives from an informant during their Clinton investigation, senior officials including Director James Comey, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Special Agent Peter Strzok and colleagues neglected to conduct specific, focused examinations of these storage devices, despite their relevance to the enquiry. The report demonstrated that due to this oversight, the FBI's investigation of the Clinton matter was incomplete, failing to properly assess the national security implications of Clinton's negligent handling of classified materials. The DOJ OIG noted that these drives contained sensitive data extracted from various US government departments, including State Department files, correspondence from then-President Barack Obama, and possibly congressional materials. Despite a preliminary FBI memo suggesting otherwise, these storage devices never underwent proper scrutiny as part of the Clinton investigation. The DOJ OIG findings additionally indicate that whilst these drives warranted immediate analysis for potential foreign intelligence concerns, this crucial step was overlooked. "The intelligence reports alleged that the Obama administration took efforts to scuttle the investigation into Clinton and protect her candidacy," Grassley's release reported. Martin Luther King Jr lost his life to an assassin's shooting in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, while broadening his focus beyond the peaceful movement for African American civil rights to encompass economic equality and peace advocacy. His tragic passing sent shockwaves across the United States during a tumultuous year marked by racial unrest, protests against the Vietnam War, and the subsequent assassination of presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy. Here are some key details from King Jr files: Gabbard released the documents in partnership with the justice department, central intelligence agency, national archives and the FBI, detail the federal investigation into the shooting at Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., which resulted in 39-year-old King's death. 'Today, after nearly 60 years of questions surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are releasing 230,000 MLK assassination files,' Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard wrote on X. "The American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation's great leaders," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department of Justice is proud to partner with Director Gabbard and the ODNI at President Trump's direction for this latest disclosure." The newly released King assassination files contain investigative leads, interviews with associates of James Earl Ray, and previously undisclosed information about international intelligence cooperation during Ray's pursuit, according to US government officials. A recently disclosed audio recording features a police interview with Jerry Ray, the brother of James Earl Ray. Officials noted that these documents had remained undigitised and neglected in various federal facilities for many years. The quality of numerous documents has deteriorated significantly due to age and digitalisation. The records encompass diverse aspects of the investigation, including newspaper articles, public information, details about Ray's attendance at dance lessons and locksmith training, and his preference for using pseudonyms inspired by James Bond literature.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
2016 elections probe: Trump accuses Obama of Russia ‘hoax'; calls it ‘crime of the century'
US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack against Barack Obama , accusing the former president of orchestrating the false story that Russia helped Trump win the 2016 election. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and others were part of what he called 'the crime of the century' and said there is clear proof against them. 'Obama himself manufactured the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. Crooked Hillary, Sleepy Joe, and numerous others participated in this, THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY! Irrefutable EVIDENCE. A major threat to our Country!!!' Trump's comments come just as the US department of justice formally received a criminal referral from former Congresswoman and director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard . The referral alleges a 'treasonous conspiracy' by senior Obama-era officials to undermine Trump's 2016 electoral victory and cast doubt over the legitimacy of the democratic process. On Friday, Gabbard made public more than 100 pages of internal documents which, she claims, show deliberate efforts by members of the Obama administration to suppress benign intelligence in the closing weeks of Obama's presidency. 'Their goal was to usurp President Trump and subvert the will of the American people,' Gabbard posted on X (formerly Twitter). 'No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo The integrity of our democratic republic depends on it.' Among the released records were assessments dating back to December 2016 from US intelligence agencies, which stated unequivocally that foreign adversaries had not altered the outcome of the presidential election via cyberattacks. 'We have no evidence of cyber manipulation of election infrastructure intended to alter results,' one of the reports read, cited by the New York Post. Despite this, those findings were reportedly excluded from the Presidential Daily Brief after the FBI, then led by James Comey, expressed dissent based on what was described as 'new guidance.' Just two days later, President Obama met with senior intelligence and security chiefs, including James Clapper, Andrew McCabe, and CIA Director John Brennan, in the Oval Office to discuss what would later become the cornerstone of the Trump-Russia collusion narrative. Gabbard said she has turned over all related materials to the DOJ and is urging a full-scale investigation into what she labelled the 'boldest and most coordinated political deception' in modern American history. While the Department of Justice has yet to comment publicly, the explosive nature of Gabbard's claims, paired with Trump's renewed accusations, sets the stage for yet another high-profile political battle.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Trump shares AI video showing Obama getting arrested
Washington: Stepping up his offensive against Barack Obama, Donald Trump has posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social depicting former President Obama being arrested by FBI agents inside the Oval Office. The video shows that Obama in handcuffs being taken by FBI agents from Oval Office as Trump watches, smiling. The 45-second clip begins with a doctored voiceover of Obama saying, 'Especially the President is above the law,' followed by a montage of various US political figures—Democrats and Republicans—declaring, 'No one is above law.' The video then transitions to a fictional scene showing Obama being handcuffed by FBI agents in the same office he once occupied. It ends with an AI-generated image of the former President standing in a jail cell, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, as the Village People's 'YMCA' plays in the background. No disclaimer was attached to the video clarifying it is fake or fictional, drawing sharp criticism from opponents who called the act 'deeply irresponsible'. The video was posted after Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard said she had 'overwhelming' evidence that senior Obama administration officials fabricated the Trump-Russia collusion narrative following the 2016 election. Gabbard has publicly called for a criminal trial against members of the former administration, alleging they weaponised intelligence agencies to subvert Trump's presidency. 'Americans will finally learn the truth about how, in 2016, intelligence was politicised and weaponised by the most powerful people in the Obama administration to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President Donald Trump,' Gabbard wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding that this effort undermined American democracy. She said she plans to forward the documents her office uncovered to the FBI and the Department of Justice for criminal referral. According to her, the records indicate that prior to the 2016 election, there was no actionable evidence of Russian collusion and that narratives around Trump were deliberately distorted for political purposes. However, a 114-page declassified report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) presents a different picture. The document states that, as of November 2016, the US intelligence community had consistently assessed that Russia was 'probably not trying to influence the election using cyber means.'
