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.
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Key Points
- Jeffrey Epstein accuser who 'named Trump twice' to FBI responds to White House claims
- Trump ‘running scared’ over Epstein with Obama Russia ‘hoax’ theory
- After Trump unseals MLK files, Bernice King demands Epstein release
- Wall Street Journal booted from White House press trip to Scotland
Former congressman makes dig at Trump amid Epstein files drama
09:29
,
Rachel Dobkin
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.
Trump releases MLK Jr files…. Didn’t limit it to “pertinent” and “grand jury.”
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) (@AdamKinzinger) July 22, 2025
So do the same for Epstein.
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.
Trump ‘running scared’ over Epstein with Obama Russia ‘hoax’ theory
09:06
,
James Liddell
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.”
Jeffries: Epstein was a friend of Trump.. Why do we think Biden’s or Obama's names are being invoked? Because Donald Trump is running scared. What are they hiding from the American people? Release the files. pic.twitter.com/XiQTRY4Qdc
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 21, 2025
After Trump unseals MLK files, Bernice King demands Epstein release
09:00
,
James Liddell
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.”
Now, do the Epstein files. pic.twitter.com/rzlub3WucQ
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) July 21, 2025
The rise of the QAnon conspiracy and why the Epstein files matter
08:00
,
Rachel Dobkin
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.
Read more from Art Jipson:
Thomas Massie on Epstein files: 'I don't think this is going to go away'
07:00
,
Rachel Dobkin
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.
Massie says over August recess, “I think momentum will build for transparency,” predicting at least 12 Rs and enough signatures to force a vote on his bill. “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”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 22, 2025
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.
Trump calls Thomas Massie a 'loser' and calls for opponent he can 'vigorously campaign for' amid Epstein files drama
06:00
,
Rachel Dobkin
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.
Flashback: Fox News asks Trump if he'll declassify the Epstein Files in 2024
04:45
,
Rachel Dobkin
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.”
Mike Johnson shuts down congressional action to force the release of the Epstein files
04:15
,
Rachel Dobkin
House Speaker Mike Johnson shut down the idea of congressional action to force the release of files related to the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Johnson portrayed a united front between the Trump administration and House Republicans on Monday, despite some members of the GOP working with Democrats to push for a vote to force the release of all of the Epstein files.
“My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing, and if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we will look at that. But I don’t think we are at that point right now because we agree with the president,” Johnson told reporters, including CNN’s Manu Raju.
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.
Trump at risk of losing MAGA base if Epstein files are not released, says MTG
03:45
,
Oliver O'Connell
Marjorie Taylor Greene hinted that if the Department of Justice does not release more information about convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the president’s MAGA base will turn on him.
Without naming Epstein, the Georgia Republican Representative seemed to issue a warning to Trump, who has recently attempted to dismiss the so-called Epstein files as a Democratic “hoax,” drawing criticism from his supporters, many of whom believe the government is hiding information about Epstein’s associates.
Isabel Keane reports.
Treasury secretary calls for review of the Federal Reserve
03:15
,
Rachel Dobkin
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called for an “exhaustive internal review of its non-monetary policy operations” at the Federal Reserve on Monday as President Donald Trump pressures Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates.
“Significant mission creep and institutional growth have taken the Fed into areas that potentially jeopardize the independence of its core monetary policy mission,” Bessent said.
Today in a CNBC interview, I called for a review of the Federal Reserve. It is my belief that the central bank should conduct an exhaustive internal review of its non-monetary policy operations. Significant mission creep and institutional growth have taken the Fed into areas that…
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) July 21, 2025
Fox News tosses softballs at Karoline Leavitt - right after Press Secretary bans sister outlet Wall Street Journal over Epstein bombshell
02:45
,
Rachel Dobkin
Moments after the Wall Street Journal was removed from the White House travel press pool as retribution for the newspaper’s bombshell about Donald Trump’s alleged birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was greeted on the WSJ’s sister network with softball questions about Hunter Biden.
As has largely been the case since the president filed his $10 billion lawsuit against the WSJ , its parent company News Corp and its owner Rupert Murdoch over the story, Fox News – which is also owned by Murdoch – once again ignored the White House’s vendetta against the right-wing network’s 94-year-old founder.
Despite the Trump administration going on the “warpath” against Murdoch, Fox News’ The Story anchor Martha MacCallum instead conducted a friendly and non-adversarial chat with the White House flack over the five-minute segment.
MacCallum took the opportunity to get Leavitt’s “quick reaction” to something that is “getting a lot of attention.” But rather than the continued fallout over the Epstein saga, the president’s lawsuit and the White House’s continued retribution against the WSJ, MacCallum instead wanted Leavitt to respond to Hunter Biden profanely blasting Democrats in a recent podcast appearance.
“Clearly, they’ve learned nothing from President Trump’s overwhelming victory on November 5th,” Leavitt responded, leaning heavily on her tried-and-true talking points. “The American people want deportations. They want secure borders. That’s why we had the most successful six months of any administration!”
Read more from Justin Baragona:
Florida man arrested for threatening to ‘kill everyone’ on so-called Epstein client list
02:15
,
Rachel Dobkin
A Florida man has been arrested after being accused of threatening graphic murder against three named government officials and anyone else he believed to be in league with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Federal prosecutors named Terell Deshawn Bailey-Corsey, 31, as the suspect behind a series of lurid and extremely violent threats posted on Elon Musk's social network X after the Trump administration reneged on its promises to release more documents about Epstein.
The Department of Justice declared last week that it does not possess any Epstein "client list", and allegations that Epstein trafficked abuse victims for rich and powerful "clients" have never been definitively proven.
But in a long and furious exchange with X's built-in AI chatbot, Grok, Bailey-Corsey allegedly refused to accept the official story.
"Well @grok you're wrong. Everyone involved if I see them in real life I will KILL. On sight. With a machete so everyone can see the blood and gore of the moment," he posted, according to charging documents first reported by Court Watch.
Read more from lo Dodds:
Epstein accuser Maria Farmer responds to White House denying 1995 Trump interaction
01:45
,
Rachel Dobkin
Maria Farmer, who has accused the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, of sexually assaulting her, said the White House was “lying” when they effectively denied a 1995 interaction between her and President Donald Trump.
Farmer has claimed that in 1995, when she was 25 years old, she met Epstein, who was a wealthy financier, at his office in New York City after he had hired her to help him acquire art.
When she arrived there late at night, she said she saw a man in a business suit walk in and claimed it was Trump.
“ He walked up about a few feet from me and just stood over me in a very imposing way and looked at me like he was in on some secret or something,” Farmer said.
When Epstein walked out of his office, he told Trump, “She’s not here for you,” Farmer said.
Trump was escorted into another room, but before he walked in, he said under his breath, in a joking manner, “Oh, I thought she was 16.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung denied Trump ever even went to Epstein’s office.
“The president was never in Epstein’s office,” Cheung told CNN. “In fact, the president kicked him out of his club for being a creep.”
Trump had socialized with Epstein decades ago when he was a New York real estate mogul.
In response to Cheung’s statement, Farmer told CNN’s Erin Burnett, Trump was “absolutely in the offices” and that the White House was “lying.”
“ They're being disrespectful to the fact that I have given up my entire life for this case, just to have it investigated,” she added.
Farmer has urged the FBI to investigate people in Epstein’s social circle, including Trump, in 1996 and again in 2006.
Epstein accuser Maria Farmer says she warned the FBI twice about Trump's ties to disgraced financier
01:30
,
Rachel Dobkin
Epstein accuser Maria Farmer says she warned the FBI twice about President Donald Trump's ties to disgraced financier.
The White House has effectively denied Farmer’s allegations of an interaction between her and Trump in Epstein’s New York City office in 1995.
Wall Street Journal booted from White House press trip
01:15
,
Oliver O'Connell
Reporters from The Wall Street Journal have been removed from a pool of journalists covering Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Scotland in the wake of the newspaper’s reporting on the president’s alleged 50th birthday card to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The reporters’ removal, first reported by Politico, also follows the president’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the newspaper and the journalists who wrote the story, as well as right-wing media mogul Rupert Murdoch and parent companies News Corp and Dow Jones.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement shared with The Independent that neither the newspaper nor “any other news outlet are not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in his private workspaces.”
Alex Woodward has the story.
Vance flew to Montana for secret meeting with Rupert Murdoch and Fox News executives
Tuesday 22 July 2025 00:45
,
Oliver O'Connell
JD Vance took a quick day trip to Montana in June to speak to right-wing media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan, who is the chief of both Fox News and its sister corporation News Corp., which publishes the New York Post and Wall Street Journal.
According to the Associated Press, the vice president’s secret meeting also included several executives from Fox News, the conservative cable giant that has largely carried Donald Trump’s water and helped staff up the president’s current administration.
A source familiar with the trip also confirmed to The Independent that the vice president spoke to both Murdochs and a group of executives from the right-wing network at the Murdoch family ranch near Dillon, Montana.
Justin Baragona has the story.
Trump rival Kamala Harris celebrates campaign anniversary, tells supporters 'We are in this fight together'
Tuesday 22 July 2025 00:30
,
Rachel Dobkin
Former Vice President Kamala Harris celebrated the anniversary of her entering the 2024 presidential race on Monday and told her supporters, “We are in this fight together.”
“One year ago today, I began my campaign for President of the United States,” Harris, who was defeated by President Donald Trump last November, wrote on X.
She continued: “Over the 107 days of our race, I had the opportunity and honor to travel our nation and meet with Americans who were fighting for a better future. And today, millions of Americans continue to stand up for our values, our ideals, and our democracy. Their courage and resolve inspires me.
Whether you are attending a protest, calling your representatives, or building community, I want to say: Thank you. We are in this fight together.”
One year ago today, I began my campaign for President of the United States.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 21, 2025
Over the 107 days of our race, I had the opportunity and honor to travel our nation and meet with Americans who were fighting for a better future. And today, millions of Americans continue to stand up… pic.twitter.com/DfppWIIrCy
Report: Epstein accuser claims she met Trump in disgraced financier’s office in ‘troubling encounter’
Tuesday 22 July 2025 00:15
,
Oliver O'Connell
One of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers claimed she met Donald Trump in the convicted pedophile’s New York office in what was described as a “troubling encounter,” according to a report.
Artist Maria Farmer said she urged the FBI to look into people in the disgraced financier’s social circle, including the president, after the alleged encounter in the 90s, she told The New York Times.
New poll: Americans feel Trump has gone too far with mass deportations
Monday 21 July 2025 23:45
,
Oliver O'Connell
If President Donald Trump had his way, the press would stop talking about his administration’s handling of files related to his former friend, the late pedophile and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Rather, he’d wish that they would talk about his “One Big, Beautiful Bill” or his policies related to immigration.
But a series of new polls show that Americans do not approve of at least one of those core policies — Trump’s efforts to deport swaths of immigrants from the country.
Eric Garcia reports.
DOJ allows release of information linked to Hillary Clinton probe as it deals with Epstein files backlash
Monday 21 July 2025 23:38
,
Rachel Dobkin
The Justice Department has announced it honored Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley's request for information related to the FBI’s handling of its probe into Hillary Clinton.
The FBI had investigated Clinton’s use of a private email server for official communications during her time as secretary of state for former President Barack Obama. No charges were filed against Clinton.
“I commend Chairman Grassley for his unwavering, years-long commitment to exposing the truth and holding those who seek to conceal it accountable,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement Monday. “This Department of Justice is fully committed to transparency and will continue to support good-faith efforts in Congress to ensure accountability across the federal government.”
The DOJ’s announcement comes as the Trump administration faces backlash for its handling of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Earlier this month, the DOJ and FBI released a memo stating 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.
This memo was anticlimactic for Americans who believe there is more to be uncovered in the Epstein case.
Dershowitz says Ghislaine Maxwell knows ‘everything’ and should get immunity to testify before Congress
Monday 21 July 2025 23:15
,
Oliver O'Connell
Jeffrey Epstein’s former defense lawyer wants the financier’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, to receive immunity if she testifies before Congress.
Maxwell, 63, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after she was convicted of child sex trafficking and other charges in 2021 in connection with Epstein. She is appealing her conviction. Now, attorney Alan Dershowitz says she “knows everything” about Epstein’s sex trafficking case and is prepared to testify before Congress — if she’s granted immunity.
Katie Hawkinson reports.
ANALYSIS: How Trump is deflecting from his Epstein Files bungle using MAGA greatest hits
Monday 21 July 2025 22:55
,
Oliver O'Connell
John Bowden writes:
Donald Trump’s efforts to shift his base’s focus away from the so-called Epstein Files fallout continued over the weekend as the president dove headfirst back into the culture war and leaned into his own favorite topic: the supposed Deep State’s efforts to persecute him.
Ahead of a trip to Scotland this week, Trump is desperate to move the news cycle off of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and a declaration by the Justice Department that a list of the convicted pedophile’s co-conspirators did not exist within the files of the DOJ’s investigation — despite his dutiful Attorney General Pam Bondi having said she had such files “sitting on my desk.”
What happened next was a wildfire that engulfed the president’s online MAGA base and even spread into the broader podcasting “manosphere.”
Read on...
Exasperated judge blasts Trump for blackout over public money
Monday 21 July 2025 22:44
,
Oliver O'Connell
A federal judge gave Donald Trump’s administration some simple instructions when it comes to “violating” the law: Stop doing it.
In a ruling on Monday, District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington, D.C. found that the White House Office of Management and Budget illegally took down a public website showing how federal agencies spend taxpayer money.
“There is nothing unconstitutional about Congress requiring the Executive Branch to inform the public of how it is apportioning the public’s money,” Sullivan wrote in a 60-page opinion.
Alex Woodward reports.
Trump team ignoring one-third of major judicial rulings against them, analysis finds
Monday 21 July 2025 22:35
,
Oliver O'Connell
Multiple federal court judges have accused the Trump administration of deliberately defying court orders by being slow to respond, misrepresenting facts in filings, and not taking prompt action as President Donald Trump continues an unprecedented campaign to expand his executive authority.
In an analysis of 165 court orders filed against the Trump administration, the Washington Post found that it was accused of resisting court orders in at least 57 of those cases – approximately 34 percent.
Ariana Baio reports.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s family says renewed Epstein interest has made her a target in prison
Monday 21 July 2025 22:24
,
Oliver O'Connell
The family of Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and associate of sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein, is worried the Epstein-related scandal washing over the Trump administration is putting her at risk as she serves out a 20-year prison sentence.
“For sure she remains at great, if not greater, risk and has expressed her real concerns about this to me,” her brother Ian Maxwell told The Times of London.
Josh Marcus reports.
Obama-appointed Florida judge to preside over Trump’s $10 billion suit against Murdoch and WSJ
Monday 21 July 2025 22:15
,
Oliver O'Connell
The federal judge randomly assigned to oversee Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal is a former federal prosecutor appointed to the bench by Barack Obama.
Judge Darrin P. Gayles with the Southern District of Florida is a former U.S. attorney who was appointed by the former president in 2014. He was unanimously confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 98-0.
Alex Woodward reports.
Pentagon to withdraw 700 Marines from Los Angeles
Monday 21 July 2025 22:03
,
AP
Seven hundred Marines sent to Los Angeles will leave the city, the Pentagon said Monday.
The Marines were sent to the