Latest news with #scandal
Reuters
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US House Speaker Johnson says Epstein case 'not a hoax'
WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal was "not a hoax" in an interview released on Thursday, as the case continued to stoke turmoil within President Donald Trump's party. Trump has denounced the furor over his late friend, a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender as "the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax" and urged his fellow Republicans without success to drop the issue. "It's not a hoax. Of course not," Johnson said in an interview with CBS News. Johnson said on Tuesday he would send lawmakers home a day early for a five-week summer recess to avoid a political fight over whether to make public additional files on Epstein, who hung himself in a New York City jail in 2019, according to New York City's chief medical examiner. Even so, a Republican-controlled subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday approved a subpoena seeking all Justice Department files on Epstein. Three Republicans joined five Democrats to back the effort, in a sign that Trump's party was not ready to move on from the issue. "We want full transparency. We want everybody who is involved in any way with the Epstein evils — let's call it what it was — to be brought to justice as quickly as possible. We want the full weight of the law on their heads," Johnson told CBS in the interview, conducted on Wednesday. A disclosure on Wednesday about Trump's appearance in the Justice Department's case records threatened to deepen a political crisis that has engulfed his administration for weeks. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that his name appeared in investigative files related to Epstein.
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Seth Meyers on the Epstein files: ‘The more you try to hide something, the more people want to see what it is'
Late-night hosts continue to sort through Donald Trump's Jeffrey Epstein files mess as more old photos and videos demonstrate their close relationship. Seth Meyers took the Late Night stage on Wednesday to relish another especially bad week for Donald Trump. 'Even with his established history of unraveling, the last few weeks he seems to be losing his shit in a new sustained way over the Epstein scandal,' Meyers said. Trump lashing out at his base, calling them 'losers', comes even as his loyalists try to convince him they're still on his side. Meyers played a clip of rightwing commentator Charlie Kirk trying to assure Trump that the base wanted him to release the files for his own best interest, because they care about him so much. 'When are these guys gonna learn that Donald Trump doesn't care about what you care about?' Meyers laughed. 'You thought he was going to bring down inflation, deport violent criminals and release all the Epstein files. Inflation is heating up, he's putting innocent people in camps, and he's in more pictures with Jeffrey Epstein than Hall is with Oates.' 'In fact, more pictures of Trump with Epstein keep coming out.' On Tuesday, CNN obtained new, unseen photos of Trump with Epstein, including one showing that Epstein attended Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples at New York's Plaza Hotel. 'Maga is trying to reconcile their loyalty to Trump and their demand to see the Epstein files,' as Trump lashes out at Republicans asking for more information, such as Kentucky representative Thomas Massie, who introduced a House resolution ordering the justice department and the FBI to release 'all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials' in their possession. Trump blasted Massie online, calling him 'lazy and slow-moving' – which are 'obviously the most accurate ways to describe Donald Trump', said Meyers. 'He moves like his entire diet consists of eucalyptus leaves. Even a Trump fan can't deny that he lumbers like Frankenstein with an ACL tear.' 'Trump is so scared of whatever is in those files, the Republicans have decided that instead of voting, they should just all go home,' Meyers continued. The House speaker, Mike Johnson, sent Congress home on an early summer recess to avoid any vote on the issue. 'The more you try to hide something, the more people want to see what it is,' Meyers said. 'That's why people still talk about Area 51, and you never hear shit about the other 50 areas.' 'Every day we learn more about how Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were closer than your junk and the TSA guy's hand during a patdown,' said Stephen Colbert on The Late Show. 'There's been a lot of smoking guns in this case,' but shortly before the taping of Wednesday's show, 'we got the smokiest one yet', as the Wall Street Journal reported that back in May, the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, informed Trump that he was in the Epstein files. 'What?! But he said he hardly knew the guy!' Colbert deadpanned. 'You know how they say there's no such thing as bad publicity? They're not talking about this,' he continued. The Journal also reported that the documents included hundreds of other names, according to a source. 'Of course! Names like Donald Trump, Donald John Trump, Donald J Trump, Donnie Trump, Donald Trump Jr's father, Big Daddy Bronzer AKA the Donald and a mystery man only known as Micro-Penis DJT.' You're best friends with a pedophile for 10 years ONE TIME, and the world never forgets it And on The Daily Show, new guest host Josh Johnson mocked Trump's anger over continued attention on his longtime friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 'You're best friends with a pedophile for 10 years one time, and the world never forgets it!' Johnson joked. 'This whole time, Trump already knew that he was in the Epstein files,' he continued. 'Which is a good reminder that if someone is acting guilty, they're probably guilty. No one's ever gonna be like, 'Don't look at my browser history, you'll see all the charities I volunteer for!'' 'But the good news for Trump is this is America. We don't read. As long as there's no video coming out, he should be A-OK.' Except, well, CNN published new photos and videos of Trump socializing with Epstein, including photos of Epstein at Trump's 1993 wedding to Maples. 'It's getting to the point where it's harder and harder to find a photo of Donald Trump without Jeffrey Epstein in it. As Donald Trump, you're only hope is to be like, 'Hey, I'm in pictures with lots of people, alright? I'm in pictures with OJ, Diddy, I'm in pictures with Harvey Weinstein,'' Johnson said next to all such photos. Trump continues to lash out at any focus on the subject; when a CNN reporter called Trump to ask about the wedding photos, the president dismissed the network as 'fake news'. 'Wait … you can just call Donald Trump?' Johnson marveled. 'And he'll just pick up the phone himself? A president shouldn't be that available. 'I think this just shows how lonely Trump is,' he added. 'He just wants someone to talk to. It's actually kinda sad. Because remember – his best friend died in prison back in 2019.'
News.com.au
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
New footage of cosy CEO embrace at Coldplay concert emerges
Newly discovered video shows a fresh angle to Astronomer CEO Andy Bryon wrapping his arms around his HR chief, Kristin Cabot, at the Coldplay show where their cheating was caught on the kiss-cam. A fan shared the footage of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin singing up close — with the disgraced former CEO cuddling Cabot on a balcony behind him, reports the New York Post. 'POV: Trying to get the best photo of Coldplay but you end up getting this viral affair as well,' the caption read, with the pair seen swinging to the music together in the first row of the mezzanine. Byron and Cabot — who are both married to other people — were caught copying up at the concert when they were unexpectedly caught on the kiss-cam in a notoriously viral video. The pair, while initially smiling, started to panic under the spotlight, with Cabot quickly covering her face and Byron ducking out of view, the viral video shows. Coldpay's Martin, seeming a bit confused by the awkward situation, joked, 'Either they're having an affair or they're very shy.' The video immediately took the internet by storm, and the couple faced swift repercussions. Andy was forced to resign from Astronomer over the scandal, and Cabot has been placed on leave.
Wall Street Journal
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
Mysteries: ‘Pariah' by Dan Fesperman
Hal Knight, a 47-year-old comedian-turned-congressman, is the title character in Dan Fesperman's 13th novel, 'Pariah.' In the wake of a #MeToo-era scandal over his behavior on a film set, Hal is out of politics and the entertainment world. He's been dropped by his fiancée and is no longer welcome in polite U.S. society. In disgrace, Hal makes his way alone to a small Caribbean island where he hopes to hide in isolation while pondering 'Plan Z': downing the poison pills concealed in his luggage. 'Fast-acting, mostly painless.' But two unexpected things occur: The despotic president of the Eastern European nation of Bolrovia (an avowed fan of Hal's comedy) invites him for an all-expenses-paid visit and celebratory banquet-concert; and three mysterious Americans (two men and their female supervisor) drop by Hal's hotel to suggest he accept that invite—for his good, their good and the good of his country. Who are they? 'Anyone who says he's CIA is almost certainly an imposter,' the former congressman figures. 'Only someone who cagily avoids mentioning CIA can really be an Agency employee.' Hal says yes to both offers. He's grateful for the career attention (though wary of being perceived as the 'court jester of a wannabe dictator') and hopes maybe he can now do something worthwhile to make amends for his past mistakes and misdeeds. Mr. Fesperman, a former foreign correspondent as well as a veteran fiction writer, handles the absurdist elements of his plot with a light touch appropriate to the travails of (in Hal's mocking words) 'the Jerry Lewis of Bolrovia.' Yet the laughter takes a back seat to some real peril once things go awry and Hal starts improvising an unpredictable script. 'Pariah' is a most unusual and entertaining espionage caper, one in which the protagonist's serious flaws at last yield to the redeeming qualities of his better angels.
New York Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Live Updates: Trump to Visit Federal Reserve in New Effort to Divert Attention From Epstein
Mr. Trump at a reception at the White House on Tuesday. He has tried to distract from the outcry over his administration's handling of the Epstein files. Throughout his political career, President Trump has perfected his ability to command media attention through incendiary statements and made-for-headlines announcements. He has also mastered shifting blame to his subordinates and political opponents, turning the public spotlight to his benefit. But the last two weeks have tested this well-worn strategy as Mr. Trump has tried to pivot attention away from his administration's decision to close the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender. He has also sought to distance himself from Mr. Epstein after new reports in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times detailed their past relationship. Here's a timeline of the president's remarks on the scandal, and his various approaches to move on from it: July 22 In his most recent attempts to redirect the conversation from Mr. Epstein, the president has unleashed a barrage of attacks against former President Barack Obama — an old but reliable target for Mr. Trump. For years, Mr. Trump promoted the lie that Mr. Obama was not legitimately elected because he was not born in the United States, a publicity stunt that significantly raised his profile in the Republican Party ahead of his 2016 run for president. On Tuesday, during a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines on trade issues, Mr. Trump accused Mr. Obama of treason, and said that the time had come for his opponents to face criminal charges. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 0:28 - 0:00 transcript Mr. Trump resurfaced his grievances against former President Barack Obama following a meeting with the president of the Philippines in the Oval Office on Tuesday. The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold. Tulsi Gabbard — what they did to this country in 2016, starting in 2016, but going up all the way, going up to 2020 and the election, they tried to rig the election and they got caught. And there should be very severe consequences for that. Whether it's right or wrong, it's time to go after people. Obama has been caught directly. Mr. Trump resurfaced his grievances against former President Barack Obama following a meeting with the president of the Philippines in the Oval Office on Tuesday. Later that evening, during a reception with Republican members of Congress, Mr. Trump renewed his attacks against Mr. Obama, falsely claiming he had used deception in the 2016 election. He also plainly stated his intent to use the attacks against the former president as a means to distract reporters and deflect from negative news coverage, suggesting to his fellow Republicans that they respond to 'inappropriate' questions by reporters by saying, 'Oh by the way, Obama cheated on the election.' July 20 On Sunday, Mr. Trump spent the day posting on social media about pretty much everything other than Mr. Epstein. He started by celebrating strong poll numbers, then went on to urge the Washington Commanders football team to take back its old name, the Redskins. (In another post, he threatened to derail a deal for the N.F.L. team to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C., if it did not comply.) 8:07 AM My Poll Numbers within the Republican Party, and MAGA, have gone up, significantly, since the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax was exposed by the Radical Left Democrats and, just plain 'troublemakers.' 10:17 AM The Washington 'Whatever's' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. Later that afternoon, he resorted to attacking longtime political foes such as Senator Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California, and posted a fake video of Mr. Obama being arrested in the Oval Office. He also posted a three-minute compilation video of stunts. An hour later, he was back to political attacks, this time targeting Samantha Power, the former administrator of U.S.A.I.D. 2:03 PM Adam Schiff is a THIEF! He should be prosecuted, just like they tried to prosecute me, and everyone else. 6:47 PM Image The A.I.-generated video reposted on Mr. Trump's Truth Social account appears to be manipulated footage of an Oval Office meeting in November 2016 between President Barack Obama and Mr. Trump. Credit... @realDonaldTrump via Truth Social 7:56 PM HOW DID SAMANTHA POWER MAKE ALL OF THAT MONEY??? July 17 Following The Wall Street Journal's report that Mr. Trump sent a letter with a lewd drawing to Mr. Epstein for his birthday decades ago, Mr. Trump fired off a number of posts on Truth Social that follow a well-worn playbook for responding to reporting he disagrees with: Deny, attack and threaten to sue. 8:33 PM The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued. First, Mr. Trump declared the report fake and threatened to sue, which he did the very next day. He also offered a concession for those in his base who have been demanding the release of all information about the Epstein case: 9:07 PM 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! Many of Mr. Trump's supporters had been openly flirting with revolt, which could be one reason he also directed Pam Bondi, the attorney general, to seek the public release of grand jury testimony from the prosecution of Mr. Epstein. In his post, Mr. Trump made it clear that he still thought this was unnecessary. (A federal judge in Florida denied the administration's request on Wednesday.) In his last post that evening, Mr. Trump primarily reiterated his first post, although he included an interesting denial: 'I don't draw pictures.' 9:57 PM The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn't print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I'm going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper. Mr. Trump regularly donated drawings to charities in New York in the early 2000s. Moreover, the drawings, many of which appear to be done with a thick, black marker and prominently feature his signature, are not dissimilar to how The Journal describes the image on the birthday note to Mr. Epstein. Image A drawing by Mr. Trump of the Empire State Building for a charity auction in 1995. Credit... Paul Buck/EPA, via Shutterstock July 16 After becoming increasingly exasperated by reporters' questions about Mr. Epstein's death, as well as attacks on Ms. Bondi, Mr. Trump went from gently coaxing his supporters to move on from the case to actively attacking those who continued to speak out about it. He castigated them as 'weaklings' and disavowed them as 'PAST supporters' that 'have bought into this 'bullshit,' hook, line, and sinker.' 9:43 AM I have had more success in 6 months than perhaps any President in our Country's history, and all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax. 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! Later that day, he also made an announcement that took Coca-Cola by surprise. 4:19 PM I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so. I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them — You'll see. It's just better! A spokeswoman for Coca-Cola would not immediately comment on whether it had agreed to do so, and Mr. Trump's version of events ultimately proved somewhat misleading. On an earnings call days later, the company said that it would begin offering a cane-sugar version of Coke in the United States this fall 'to complement the company's strong core portfolio.' But it is not replacing high-fructose corn syrup in existing products. July 12 Image Mr. Trump defended Ms. Bondi, and his administration's decision to close the Epstein investigation, during a cabinet meeting earlier this month. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times 5:21 PM 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! We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening. After days of bruising attacks on Ms. Bondi from influencers within Mr. Trump's far-right political coalition for failing to produce promised new evidence on Mr. Epstein's death, Mr. Trump addressed his supporters directly, wondering aloud why they were choosing to undermine his administration by going after one of his own top officials. The post came after a simmering battle between Ms. Bondi and Dan Bongino, the deputy head of the F.B.I., burst into public view over the Epstein case.
