Latest news with #conspiracytheory
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump accused of ‘running scared' over Epstein files as he peddles Obama-Russia ‘hoax': Live
Donald Trump has been accused of 'running scared' over the Jeffrey Epstein case as the Democrats ramp up their demands for the president to release the files tied to the convicted sex offender. The president has been accused of attempting to distract from the Epstein scandal by peddling a conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama orchestrated the Russia investigation into Trump's 2016 campaign. Late Monday, Trump said that there was 'irrefutable evidence' that ' Obama himself manufactured the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX.' Refuting the president's claim of a 'Democratic-led conspiracy theory,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters: 'Why do we think President Joe Biden or President Barack Obama 's names are being invoked? Because Donald Trump is running scared.' Earlier Monday, the Trump administration also released more than 6,000 files on the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, which saw the daughter of the slain civil rights activist, Bernice King, tweet: 'Now, do the Epstein files.' The White House also removed a Wall Street Journal reporter from joining Trump on his visit to Scotland this week, following the newspaper's damning accusations that the president sent a bawdy 50th birthday card to Epstein. Trump and Epstein allegedly engaged in 'locker room talk' about teenage girl in financier's office Jeffrey Epstein accuser Maria Farmer alleged that Donald Trump and the financier engaged in 'locker room talk' in the sex offender's office in 1995. Farmer, who on Sunday said she twice told the FBI about Trump's ties to Epstein, spoke to CNN's Erin Burnett on Monday after the White House denied the president had ever visited Epstein's office. The woman, who was 25 years old at the time, accused Trump of standing over her, smirking, in a 'very imposing way' inside the office. Farmer told Burnett that Epstein told Trump, 'She's not here for you, follow me.' Farmer said that Trump then made a 'vulgar' comment that she speculated may be 'locker room talk in the 1990s.' 'He made a joke to Epstein: 'I thought she was 16,'' she added. James Liddell22 July 2025 11:00 Stephen Colbert tells Trump 'go f*** yourself' after Late Show cancellation Stephen Colbert had a very blunt message for President Donald Trump after the president celebrated CBS's cancellation of The Late Show. In his Monday monologue, Colbert brought up a Truth Social post Trump made on Friday, where he had written: 'I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.' Responding to his post, Colbert said: 'How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?' Looking into the 'Eloquence Cam,' the talk show host did not pull his punches, telling the president: 'Go f*** yourself.' Shahana Yasmin has more: Colbert tells Trump 'go f*** yourself' as he warns gloves are off after cancellation The US president posted on social media saying Colbert's 'talent was even less than his ratings' James Liddell22 July 2025 10:30 The Epstein List: Who has been named? After years of peddling conspiracy theories about the Jeffrey Epstein files, President Donald Trump is now attempting to shift focus away from the case and his relationship with the convicted sex offender. The Trump administration continues to face backlash after a Department of Justice and FBI memo released last week stated that there was no evidence that the disgraced financier, who socialised with royalty and celebrities and was accused of running a large network of underage girls for sex, had a 'client list.' While judges, court staff, and legal representatives have been excluded, The Independent has listed some of the names that appear in the legal records connected to Epstein: The Epstein List: Full list of names revealed in unsealed court records Donald Trump, Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton are among the names included in court documents James Liddell22 July 2025 10:00 Former congressman makes dig at Trump amid Epstein files drama Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger made a dig at President Donald Trump Monday night as the administration faces backlash over its handling of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 'Trump releases MLK Jr files…. Didn't limit it to 'pertinent' and 'grand jury.' So do the same for Epstein,' Kinzinger, who has been a vocal critic of Trump, wrote on X. Kinzinger was referring to the Trump administration's push to release federal documents on famous assassinations like civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.'s death, while limiting the information disclosed in Epstein's case. The feds released more than 230,000 pages of documents related to King's shooting on Monday. The Trump administration has faced backlash, including from its own base, after it said earlier this month there was never any so-called Epstein client list, which people suspected had the names of powerful people who may have partaken in the wealthy financier's crimes. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social last week, 'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche filed a motion with a federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in Epstein's case the next day. Rachel Dobkin22 July 2025 09:29 Trump 'running scared' over Epstein with Obama Russia 'hoax' theory Trump been accused of attempting to distract from the Jeffrey Epstein case by peddling a conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama 'manufactured' allegations of Russian interference into Trump's 2016 campaign. Late Monday, Trump said that there was 'irrefutable evidence' that 'Obama himself manufactured the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX.' Refuting the president's claim of a 'Democratic-led conspiracy theory,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters: 'Why do we think President Joe Biden or President Barack Obama's names are being invoked? Because Donald Trump is running scared.' James Liddell22 July 2025 09:06 After Trump unseals MLK files, Bernice King demands Epstein release On Monday, the Trump administration released more than 6,000 files on the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, which saw the daughter of the slain civil rights activist, Bernice King, tweet: 'Now, do the Epstein files.' James Liddell22 July 2025 09:00 The rise of the QAnon conspiracy and why the Epstein files matter The Justice Department asked a federal court on July 18, 2025, to unseal grand jury transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein's case. The direction from President Donald Trump came after weeks of frustration among some far-right groups over his administration's refusal to release the complete and unredacted 'Epstein files.' Epstein's 2019 arrest and death became a central focus for QAnon followers, who saw them as proof of a hidden global elite engaged in child trafficking and protected by powerful institutions. The release – or withholding – of the Epstein files is often cited within QAnon movement circles as evidence of a broader cover-up by the so-called 'deep state.' Some followers of the MAGA – Make America Great Again – movement and the Republican Party believe in the false claim that the United States is secretly controlled by a cabal of elites who are paedophiles, sex traffickers and satanists. Over time, what started as a baseless conspiracy on obscure platforms has migrated into the mainstream. It has influenced rhetoric and policy debates, and even reshaped the American political landscape. The rise of the QAnon conspiracy and why the Epstein files matter Epstein's arrest and death became a central focus for QAnon followers, who saw this as alleged proof of a hidden global elite engaged in child trafficking Rachel Dobkin22 July 2025 08:00 Thomas Massie on Epstein files: 'I don't think this is going to go away' Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said Monday night, 'I don't think this is going to go away,' referring to the drama surrounding the release of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Trump administration has faced backlash, including from its own base, after it said earlier this month there was never any so-called Epstein client list, which people suspected had the names of powerful people who may have partaken in the wealthy financier's crimes. Massie has been working with Democrats and some other Republicans to push for the release of all of the Epstein files. He told CNN's Manu Raju, 'I think momentum will build for transparency' over Congress' August recess. 'I don't think this is going to go away. And I think when we return in September, we'll get phase two of the Epstein files,' he said. President Donald Trump announced last Thursday he had asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release certain Epstein files, 'subject to court approval.' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche filed a motion with a federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in Epstein's case the next day. Rachel Dobkin22 July 2025 07:00 Trump calls Thomas Massie a 'loser' and calls for opponent he can 'vigorously campaign for' amid Epstein files drama President Donald Trump has called Representative Thomas Massie a 'loser' and called for an opponent he can 'vigorously campaign for' as the Kentucky Republican pushes for the release of all files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 'Thomas Massie, the worst Republican Congressman, and an almost guaranteed NO VOTE each and every time, is an Embarrassment to Kentucky. He's lazy, slow moving, and totally disingenuous - A real loser! Never has anything positive to add. Looking for someone good to run against this guy, someone I can Endorse and vigorously campaign for!' Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday night. The Trump administration has faced backlash, including from its own base, after it said there was never any so-called client list, which people suspected had the names of powerful people who may have partaken in Epstein's crimes. Rachel Dobkin22 July 2025 06:00 Flashback: Fox News asks Trump if he'll declassify the Epstein Files in 2024 In a 2024 interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump said he would declassify files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But he said he would declassify them 'less so' than other federal documents 'because you don't want to affect people's lives if it's phony stuff in there.' 22 July 2025 04:45
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Biden Calls BS on ‘Liar' Trump's Autopen Conspiracy Theory
Former President Joe Biden once again weighed in on his successor's wild autopen conspiracy theory. In a new interview with The New York Times, Biden shut down President Donald Trump's claims that his presidential aides were secretly running the show via autopen near the end of his term. Trump has repeatedly floated theories that Biden's declining mental cognition allowed those in his circle to grant pardons and commutations on his behalf. 'I made every single one of those,' Biden said of the clemency decisions. 'I understand why Trump would think that, because obviously, I guess, he doesn't focus much. Anyway, so—yes, I made every decision.' In March, Trump speculated in a late-night Truth Social post that the pardons of his perceived political enemies, including former chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, were issued 'without the knowledge or consent' of Biden because they were done by autopen. 'Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!' Trump wrote. 'The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime.' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later had to walk back Trump's comments, branding the pardons 'void, vacant, and of no further force or effect.' Biden said he used an autopen simply 'because there were a lot of them.' Aside from the pardons, he also issued commutations that protected about 1,500 people serving home confinement since the pandemic from having to return to prison; reduced the sentences of around 2,500 nonviolent drug offenders; and granted life without parole for 37 of the 40 inmates on death row, according to The Times. 'The autopen is legal,' Biden said. 'As you know, other presidents used it, including Trump. But the point is that, you know, we're talking about a whole lot of people.' Biden explained that he orally communicated his decisions to his aides, who read him a list of names and asked him what he wanted to do with each one. 'I was deeply involved,' he said. 'I laid out a strategy how I want to go about these, dealing with pardons and commutations. I was—and I pulled the team in to say this is how I want to get it done generically and then specifically. And so, you know, that's just—this is how it worked.' Biden also said he granted preemptive pardons to his own family members because he knew that Trump would go after them. 'I know how vindictive he is. I mean, everybody knows how vindictive he is. So we knew that they'd do what they're doing now,' Biden said with a laugh. 'All it would do is, if he went after them, is run up legal bills. I just know how he operates.' The House Oversight Committee has launched an investigation into Biden's use of the autopen. Last week, Biden's physician Kevin O'Connor fueled conspiracy theories over the former president's mental acuity by pleading the Fifth Amendment after he was called to testify behind closed doors. Biden, however, remained defiant when asked about Trump and other Republicans' claims that he was incapacitated near the end of his term, allowing his aides to abuse the autopen. 'They're liars. They know it,' he said. 'They've done so badly. They've lied so consistently about almost everything they're doing. The best thing they can do is try to change the focus and focus on something else... I think that's what this is about.'
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Fans burn Labubu toys, fear they resemble demon Pazuzu, sparking lively debate in China
A conspiracy theory speculating that the popular Chinese plush toy Labubu is possessed by a demon has gone viral, leading some fans to burn their dolls. Labubu is a series of cute, fuzzy dolls produced by Chinese company Pop Mart and designed by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung. The character is distinguished by its nine pointy teeth, which give it a mischievous appearance. Recently, it has been this unique look that inspired the conspiracy theory. Some users on non-Chinese social media platforms linked Labubu with Pazuzu, a Mesopotamian demon traced back to folklore from the first millennium BCE. Some users on non-Chinese social media platforms have connected Labubu with Pazuzu, a Mesopotamian demon rooted in folklore dating back to the first millennium BCE. Photo: Facebook Pazuzu is depicted as having the face of a lion or a dog and exceptionally bulging eyes. A circulating cartoon drawing shows the demon smiling, its pointy teeth on display, resembling Labubu. Some individuals have warned about the potential risk of possession by the demon if they keep their Labubu dolls. One person from overseas even burned their doll and shared the video online. Lung, Labubu's creator, previously explained that the character was inspired by ancient European elf legends. He first introduced Labubu in his illustrations a decade ago as part of his The Monsters family, which also includes characters like Tycoco and Zimomo. Lung began collaborating with Pop Mart in 2019. According to the company's description, Labubu is a kind-hearted character despite its mischievous appearance.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Epstein lawyer: Bondi, Trump not withholding client list
David Schoen, a former attorney for Jeffrey Epstein, said Tuesday that President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi were not withholding a 'client list' of the disgraced financier. Schoen, who helped secure Epstein's 2008 plea deal on state prostitution charges, argued that the public's push for the release of names is based on fallacies. 'I don't believe for a second there's a client list out there. That wasn't Jeffrey Epstein,' he said during an appearance on NewsNation's 'Cuomo.' The lawyer also signaled that his former client had 'no plan' to blackmail the people in his inner circle — a conspiracy theory that gained prominence after Epstein's death in 2019. Investigators did recover 300 gigabytes of data held by the deceased financier that included graphic images of minors, lists of victim names and likenesses, physical descriptions, places of birth, associates and their employment history, according to a memo released by the Justice Department and FBI earlier this month. That memo, which has sparked backlash, also concluded Epstein did not keep a list and that his death in his New York City jail cell was a suicide. 'I know that people want to see it as a certain period of interest in all of these things,' Schoen told host Chris Cuomo when asked about whether officials in the Trump administration were withholding names. 'It's tantalizing, but I don't think that information is out there,' he added. He suggested Epstein's connection to celebrities and political officials created a window for speculation. 'You put the names out there, the fact that he knew Bill Richardson, [Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, etc., doesn't mean that they did nefarious, illegal conduct with him,' Schoen said. 'But people start drawing rumors and making claims.' 'Also, the accusers demanded a certain level of privacy, so the judge balanced that when the parties came before him, and that's why he kept some of those files private,' he added. Alan Dershowitz, another of Epstein's former litigators, has also said there was never a client list but he noted accusers have named wealthy men in their affidavits. 'There are several of them from accusers that accuse Jeffrey — that accuse various people of having improper sex, and that has been redacted, the names of the people accused have been blacked out. Now, of course, because I was lawyer and I did all the investigations, I know who all these people are,' Dershowitz said Monday on 'Cuomo.' 'Some of them were previously in office. Some of them are dead. But there is no client list,' he added. 'And the redactions could be undone if you go to court.' Chaos around the files has roiled the GOP in recent days. Trump and Bondi, however, have doubled down on the memo's findings, with the president pushing those in his base to move on from the topic. 'I don't understand it, why they would be so interested. He's been dead for a long time. He was never a big factor in terms of life,' he told reporters Tuesday. 'I don't understand what the interest and what the fascination is. I really don't. And the credible information has been given,' Trump told reporters as he departed an event in Pennsylvania. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Trump slams own supporters as Epstein row grows
By Danny Kemp, AFP Photo: AFP / Brendan Smialowski US President Donald Trump has blasted his own supporters and "stupid" Republicans as he went on the attack against anyone questioning his administration's handling of the case of dead sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Trump took his most combative tone yet to try to shut down the issue, after days of struggling to brush off a conspiracy theory that his base has long embraced, but which he now claims is a Democratic hoax. Trump, 79, began on Wednesday by saying that "my PAST supporters have bought into this 'bull****', hook, line and sinker", in a post on his Truth Social network, and calling them "weaklings". He later took aim at his own party. "It's all been a big hoax. It's perpetrated by the Democrats. And some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net and so they try and do the Democrats' work," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Trump is facing the most serious split in his loyal right-wing base since he returned to power, over claims that his administration is covering up lurid details of disgraced financier Epstein's crimes to protect rich and powerful figures. Epstein died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 -- during Trump's first term -- after being charged with sex trafficking in a scheme where he allegedly groomed young and underage women for sexual abuse by the rich and powerful. The Trump-supporting far-right has long latched on to the scandal, claiming the existence of a still-secret list of Epstein's powerful clients and that the late financier was in fact murdered in his cell as part of a cover-up. Trump supporters expected the Republican to answer their questions on his return to office this January but now find themselves being told the conspiracy theories are false. The Justice Department and FBI said in a memo made public earlier this month there is no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a "client list" or was blackmailing powerful figures. They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his death by suicide, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe. Trump doubled down when he faced repeated questions on the issue during a visit with Bahrain's visiting crown prince, pinning the blame for the wild conspiracy theories on his opponents. He then sought to deflect, rattling off what he said were a list of his economic and foreign policy achievements and complaining that people were instead "talking about a guy who obviously had some very serious problems who died three, four years ago". "And the sad part, it is people that are really doing the Democrats work. They're stupid people." Asked if his post describing supporters who questioned the White House's line as "past" was effectively disowning them, Trump replied: "I lost a lot of faith in certain people, yes". Trump is one of the many currently famous people who were formerly friends with Epstein, but denies having gone to his notorious US Virgin Islands home. He said ahead of his election he would have "no problem" releasing files on the case. But his administration's attempts to brush the issue under the carpet instead have sparked fury among supporters. Beyond that, the issue has opened a schism within his administration, sparking a fiery blow-up between Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who is said to be considering resigning. Trump on Wednesday reiterated that Bondi could release "whatever's credible" in the files. But criticism of Trump's handling of the issue continued -- even from some of his closest allies. Republican Senator Ted Cruz told reporters: "I have long said we should release everything". Retired general Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security advisor in his first term who resigned after lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia, said the "roll out of this was terrible, no way around that". "It is NOT about Epstein or the left. It is about committing crimes against CHILDREN," added Flynn, a frequent stoker of conspiracy theories whom Trump appointed to a board overseeing US military service academies back in March. - AFP
