A Wednesday night gathering at Vice President JD Vance’s residence aimed to bring together Trump officials to discuss the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, four sources told CNN. However, the meeting was moved or rescheduled amid media scrutiny. Vance denied that any Epstein strategy meeting was ever planned.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche were expected to attend, according to NBC News.
President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has been given until 12 p.m. ET on Friday to address privacy concerns raised by Epstein victims and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, about the possible release of grand jury transcripts and exhibits from the sex trafficking investigation.
Officials are also reportedly considering whether to release a recording of Maxwell’s interview with Blanche, in which the Epstein co-conspirator reportedly said she never saw Trump do anything concerning with the late financier. Conspiracy theories continue to circulate as the disgraced socialite has since been moved to a low-security prison camp.
CNN reported that officials are considering asking podcaster Joe Rogan to help ease the uproar over the Epstein files with an interview. He has been very critical of the administration’s handling of the information.
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What you need to know...
- JD Vance hosted meeting to discuss Epstein fallout back on, report says
- Watch: Vance denies meeting is about Epstein files scandal, which Trump call 'bulls***' and 'hoax'
- Trump admin considering asking Joe Rogan to help diffuse Epstein files furore, report says
- Ghislaine Maxwell told DOJ she never saw Trump do anything of concern with Epstein
- Trump team weighs releasing Ghislaine Maxwell’s interview with DOJ officials, report says
- Tulsi Gabbard asked directly if Epstein was an 'intelligence asset'
Trump shares thoughts on economy, trade, Texas and running again
Tuesday 5 August 2025 14:33
,
Oliver O'Connell
Good morning and welcome to our ongoing coverage of the latest news from the Trump White House and beyond.
President Donald Trump started his day with a phone interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box, where he stated he would like to run for president again, highlighting his “record” numbers in the 2024 Texas election, and dismissing polling showing his approval rating in the 30s as “fake."
Focused mainly on the economy and trade, Trump threatened to increase tariffs on India, considered taking additional action against the European Union if promised investments did not materialize, and floated a 200% tariff on imported pharmaceuticals to boost domestic manufacturing.
Trump also hinted at potential candidates for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and defended mid-decade redistricting plans in Texas that would give the Republican Party five more seats in Congress.
We’ll be covering these topics and more throughout the day.
Trump considering 'Kevin and Kevin' to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Tuesday 5 August 2025 14:37
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump is considering four individuals to replace Jerome Powell as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve.
Leading contenders include his current economics director, Kevin Hassett, and former Fed governor Kevin Warsh.
Speaking on CNBC on Tuesday morning, Trump stated: “I think Kevin and Kevin, both Kevins are very good.”
Two other candidates are also under review. Current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is not among them, as he wishes to remain in his current role.
The president confirmed a decision would be made “soon”, adding: “It’ll be one of four people.”
Trump says he hired Fed chair Powell as a ‘favor’ after CNBC host presses him on labor bureau firing
Tuesday 5 August 2025 14:43
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump defended some of his more controversial recent decisions, such as firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while distancing himself from past choices he’s grown unhappy with, such as hiring Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, in a lengthy interview with CNBC on Tuesday morning.
Phoning in to Squawk Box, Trump spoke at length about his economic record nearly seven months into his second term – maintaining that several members of his administration, whom Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with, were “highly political.”
Ariana Baio reports.
Report: Trump to sign order punishing banks that discriminate against conservatives
Tuesday 5 August 2025 14:50
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump is set to crack down on Wall Street banks accused of dropping customers over their conservative beliefs and shutting out cryptocurrency companies, a new report states.
Trump, the self-professed first “crypto-president,” is expected to sign an executive order as soon as this week that threatens financial penalties in response to so-called politically motivated “debanking,” sources told the Wall Street Journal.
James Liddell reports.
Trump threatens further tariff action as new import taxes set to kick in
Tuesday 5 August 2025 15:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump has issued new tariff threats against the European Union, India, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Trump outlined aggressive tariff reprisals, threatening the European Union with a 35 percent levy and indicating a substantial increase in duties on Indian goods, citing their purchase of Russian oil.
Speaking on CNBC, Trump stated that 35 per cent tariffs would apply to the European Union if they failed to deliver on promised investments in U.S. goods. He claimed the EU was paying $600 billion, adding “We’re a rich country again,” and that the investment could go in “anything I want.”
He also indicated imported pharmaceutical drugs could eventually face tariffs as high as 200 percent, stating: “We want pharmaceuticals made in our country.”
He explained that these would be increased to 150 or 200 percent over 18 months. Tariffs on semiconductors and computer chips are also expected.
Higher tariffs could also be imposed on India, Trump revealed. Last week, the US announced a 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, along with an additional import tax due to India’s purchase of Russian oil.
“I think I’m going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours because they’re buying Russian oil, they’re fueling the war machine,” Trump said on Tuesday. “And if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy.”
These tariff threats are part of a broader recent surge in trade activity, including actions on Brazil, copper, low-value goods, and reduced taxes on South Korean imports.
With reporting from the AP
Trump claims prices are falling, but that's not the experience of most Americans
Tuesday 5 August 2025 15:16
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Oliver O'Connell
During his CNBC interview, President Donald Trump hailed prices falling for “everything” except stocks.
“We were in such bad shape when I took over, eggs had tripled in price. More than that, everything was up, and prices are down,” he said.
However, as Erin Keller reports, more than half of Americans are experiencing financial strain due to the rising cost of groceries.
Trump praises CNN pollster for calling him 'most inflential'
Tuesday 5 August 2025 15:20
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump praised CNN’s data analyst Harry Enten for calling him the “most influential president this century,” telling viewers of CNBC during an interview this morning to “watch Harry Emten [sic] on CNN.”
India hits back at Trump tariff threat over Russian oil imports
Tuesday 5 August 2025 15:30
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Oliver O'Connell
India's ruling party and main opposition have united in condemnation of President Donald Trump's threat to escalate tariffs on Indian goods, a move linked to the nation's continued purchases of Russian oil. The political consensus appears to be emerging as a trade rift with Washington deepens.
The latest warning follows Trump's July announcement of a 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, with U.S. officials citing a range of geopolitical issues that hinder a trade accord between the two nations.
Manish Tewari, a Member of Parliament and leader of the opposition Congress, asserted that Trump's “disparaging remarks hurt the dignity and self-respect of Indians,” adding: “The time has come to call out this constant bullying and hectoring.” Echoing this sentiment, BJP Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda quoted Henry Kissinger on X, stating: “To be an enemy of America can be dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal.”
India's Foreign Ministry has hit back, accusing Washington of unfairly singling out the country over its Russian oil imports, while highlighting ongoing trade between Moscow and both the United States and the European Union despite the conflict in Ukraine. In a statement issued late on Monday, the ministry declared: “It is revealing that the very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia,” adding, “It is unjustified to single out India.”
The ministry cited that the EU conducted 67.5 billion euros ($78.02 billion) in trade with Russia in 2024, including record imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) reaching 16.5 million metric tons. The statement also noted that the U.S. continues to import Russian uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear power industry, alongside palladium, fertilisers, and chemicals, though it did not specify the source for this export information.
The U.S. embassy and the EU's delegation in New Delhi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Both the U.S. and the EU have significantly scaled back their trade ties with Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In 2021, Russia was the EU's fifth-largest trading partner, with a goods exchange value of 258 billion euros, according to the European Commission.
With reporting from Reuters
Watch: Trump teases taxes on imported pharmaceuticals
Tuesday 5 August 2025 15:40
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Oliver O'Connell
Trump: "We'll be putting an initially small tariffs on pharmaceuticals. But in one year, one in a half years maximum, it's gonna go to 150% and then it's gonna go to 250%, because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country." pic.twitter.com/YhkogWQXy4
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 5, 2025
As Trump rages at 'fake' polls, here's some of his recent approval ratings...
Tuesday 5 August 2025 15:42
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump has, predictably, said that recent polling showing his approval rating at near all-time lows is “fake.”
Here’s Rachel Dobkin’s report on recent Gallup polling that shows him with a 37 percent approval rating:
And here’s Graig Graziosi with the latest Reuters/Ipsos numbers putting his approval rating at 40 percent:
Epstein Files: Bill and Hillary Clinton dates set for House probe on Ghislaine Maxwell ties
Tuesday 5 August 2025 15:49
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Oliver O'Connell
Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, will testify before the House Oversight Committee in October as the panel probes the investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the committee said on Tuesday.
Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the committee, tweeted a list of testimony dates for upcoming witnesses who have been compelled to appear by subpoena.
John Bowden has the latest from Washington, D.C.
Report: Trump team weighs releasing Ghislaine Maxwell’s interview with DOJ officials over Epstein case
Tuesday 5 August 2025 15:55
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Oliver O'Connell
The Trump administration is considering publicly releasing an audio recording of an interview with Ghislaine Maxwell and senior officials from the Department of Justice about Jeffrey Epstein, according to a new report.
It was not previously known that such a recording existed, and officials are currently discussing whether or not to release a transcript of the discussion between the British socialite and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Trump seen scoping out White House grounds from roof
Tuesday 5 August 2025 16:02
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump has been spotted surveying the White House grounds from the roof of the West Wing.
He appeared to be taking stock of several areas, including the roof of the press briefing room and the Rose Garden.
Wearing a suit with a red tie, Trump walked the area Tuesday with several other people, as someone with them took photographs.
Trump may have been surveying ongoing renovation and construction work at the White House. He returned to the presidency with grand ideas for remaking the building, such as paving over the Rose Garden and constructing a massive ballroom.
Happening now: President Trump is on the roof of the press briefing room / West Wing pic.twitter.com/YUEmprcEP6
— Mark Meredith (@markpmeredith) August 5, 2025
Trump and Zelensky discussed Russia sanctions
Tuesday 5 August 2025 16:05
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Oliver O'Connell
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that he recently discussed severe sanctions on Russia with President Donald Trump, which Trump has threatened to announce on Friday.
Such a move, Zelensky said on social media, “can change a lot” in the war. The discussions precede a U.S. deadline for Russia to halt its three-year invasion of Ukraine.
He also noted Ukraine and the U.S. are working on bilateral drone production, thanking Trump for his peace efforts.
A productive conversation with President Trump, with the key focus of course being ending the war. We are grateful to @POTUS for all efforts toward a just and lasting peace. It is truly a must to stop the killing as soon as possible, and we fully support this. Many months could… pic.twitter.com/2doL7xsGkG
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 5, 2025
Trump dismisses Labor statistics as 'highly political'
Tuesday 5 August 2025 16:08
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trump 'taking a little walk' on roof of West Wing
Tuesday 5 August 2025 16:13
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump made an unusual appearance on the White House roof, briefly interacting with reporters below.
"Sir, why are you are on the roof?"
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) August 5, 2025
"Mr. President, what are you doing up there?"
"Come down and talk to us!"
"What are you building?"
"Are you considering more renovations, sir?"
"Are you going to building up there?"
"Add another level?"
- White House press corps to Pres. Trump pic.twitter.com/UvDdstF3dx
Asked about his presence, Trump said he was “taking a little walk” and mentioned the “ballroom on the other side.”
The White House announced last month that construction on a $200 million ballroom will begin in September, marking the first structural change since the Truman balcony was installed in 1948. One of the five men with him appeared to be James McCrery, architect for the project.
“Just another way to spend my money for this country,” Trump said. “Anything I do is financed by me.”
Here’s Andrew Feinberg’s report on the new ballroom:
Swiss president flies into Washington to avoid tariff hike
Tuesday 5 August 2025 16:27
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Oliver O'Connell
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Business Minister Guy Parmelin have flown to Washington in a last-ditch effort to avert punitive 39 percent tariffs imposed by the U.S. The steep duties, announced by President Donald Trump, have sent shockwaves through Switzerland, with the higher rate set to take effect this Thursday.
The tariffs, which were increased from an initial 31 percent rate announced in April, were revealed on Friday, prompting a swift response from Bern. The Swiss government described the visit as an attempt to “facilitate meetings with the U.S. authorities at short notice and hold talks with a view to improving the tariff situation for Switzerland.” However, it did not specify which U.S. officials the delegation would meet, nor whether a direct meeting with President Trump was scheduled.
A source familiar with the Trump administration's thinking indicated confidence that a resolution could be found if Switzerland presented a “meaningful offer.” The source alluded to a “bad interaction” during a phone call between President Trump and Keller-Sutter last Thursday evening, adding: “There was some kind of bad interaction, but that can blow over, if the Swiss come with a meaningful offer.” The individual also highlighted the significant trade imbalance, stating: “It is a large trade deficit, especially in per capita terms.”
President Trump himself addressed the conversation with Keller-Sutter during his interview with CNBC this morning, reiterating his concerns over the U.S. trade deficit with Switzerland.
“Look, I did something with Switzerland the other day,” he told the broadcaster, referring to their call. “The woman was nice, but she didn't want to listen, and they paid essentially no tariffs.” He continued: “And I said, we have a $41 billion deficit with you, madam... and you want to pay 1% tariffs. I said, you're not going to pay 1%, we lose, because I view deficit as loss.”
With reporting from Reuters
DOJ: No new information in Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury transcripts
Tuesday 5 August 2025 16:40
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Oliver O'Connell
The Justice Department has admitted that grand jury transcripts in the criminal cases of Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell contain mostly publicly available information.
The Trump administration has been firefighting the fallout from the so-called “Epstein Files” since the DOJ released a memo last month that contained little new information and concluded no further investigation was warranted into the late sex offender’s alleged trafficking scheme.
Since the uproar, which has included Republican lawmakers and many from his MAGA base, President Donald Trump asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to make public “any and all pertinent” grand jury transcripts in the Epstein and Maxwell criminal cases. Experts say these documents only account for a small fraction of the files related to the investigations.
Kelly Rissman reports.
Murdoch to give Trump health updates to delay Epstein defamation deposition
Tuesday 5 August 2025 16:51
,
Oliver O'Connell
Conservative media baron Rupert Murdoch will give President Donald Trump regular updates on his health as part of an agreement to postpone Murdoch’s deposition in Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against him over a Wall Street Journal article about late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
CNBC reports that the unusual stipulation comes a week after Trump’s lawyers sought a quick deposition in the case. Their filing in Miami federal court implied that Murdoch might be either dead or too sick to testify in person by the time the case went to trial.
“Murdoch is 94 years old, has suffered from multiple health issues throughout his life, is believed to have suffered recent significant health scares, and is presumed to live in New York, New York,” Trump’s lawyers said in their filing last week.
Democrats reach breaking point over Republican threats in political map arms race
Tuesday 5 August 2025 17:05
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Oliver O'Connell
Alex Woodward writes:
Democrats have spent years issuing warnings over Republican threats to redraw the political maps that could determine the balance of power for years to come. Now, they’re prepared for “war.”
After protracted legal battles to unwind Donald Trump’s executive actions and unsuccessful attempts to derail the president’s agenda in Congress, Democrats appear to have reached a breaking point and are ready to do some map-making of their own, reluctantly preparing to fight fire with fire.
Continue reading...
Tuesday 5 August 2025 17:17
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trump wonders if ‘low IQ’ foe Jasmine Crockett ‘is any relationship to the late, great Davy'
Tuesday 5 August 2025 17:24
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump tore down the Democratic Party during an interview with CNBC on Tuesday morning and targeted his frequent political foe, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, deriding her as an example of one of their “low IQ” members.
In a long-winded, and occasionally rambling, interview with Squawk Box, the president lashed out at the opposing political party for being “lost” and “self-destructing.”
Ariana Baio has the story.
Full story: Trump grabs birdseye view to survey $200M White House ballroom plans
Tuesday 5 August 2025 17:43
,
Oliver O'Connell
Right smack dab in the middle of Washington, Donald Trump has found a place that’s trouble-proof.
The 47th president on Tuesday climbed way up to the top of the stairs for an unannounced visit to the roof of the White House briefing room so he could survey the site of the massive ballroom addition, which he announced last week.
Andrew Feinberg was at the White House.
Democrats rallying to make Texas redistricting fight national
Tuesday 5 August 2025 17:50
,
Oliver O'Connell
National Democrats are closing ranks behind Texas state lawmakers who left the state to prevent Republicans from enacting a gerrymandered congressional map, fulfilling President Donald Trump’s wishes for the 2026 midterms.
From Illinois, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin promised the party is “bringing a knife to a knife fight.” He warned the GOP plan is “a test case for the rest of the country” and a “model for other red states to lie, cheat, and steal away to victory.”
California officials are considering their own efforts to further tilt their U.S. House delegation toward Democrats, in response to Texas.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said Donald Trump’s push in Texas is “not democracy — that’s not America.” He mocked Texas leaders for doing Trump’s bidding. “When Donald Trump calls, they say, ‘Yes, sir, right away,’” Pritzker said of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who’s running for the Senate in 2026.
With reporting from the AP
Democrats mock Trump's roof walkabout
Tuesday 5 August 2025 18:08
,
Oliver O'Connell
Doing literally anything except releasing the Epstein files https://t.co/x5WM0DPbVq
— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) August 5, 2025
Trump says he hired Fed chair Powell as a ‘favor’ after CNBC host presses him on labor bureau firing
Tuesday 5 August 2025 18:21
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump defended some of his more controversial recent decisions, such as firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while distancing himself from past choices he’s grown unhappy with, such as hiring Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, in a lengthy interview with CNBC on Tuesday morning.
Phoning in to Squawk Box, Trump spoke at length about his economic record nearly seven months into his second term – maintaining that several members of his administration, whom Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with, were “highly political.”
Ariana Baio reports.
DNC chair: 'Ready to fight fire with fire'
Tuesday 5 August 2025 18:25
,
Oliver O'Connell
Ready to fight fire with fire.
— Ken Martin (@kenmartin73) August 5, 2025
I'm in Illinois with my friend @JBPritzker to stand with Texas Democrats as they lead the fight to protect their state from gerrymandering. pic.twitter.com/pbNWdw3U6m
Ghislaine Maxwell opposes unsealing grand jury transcripts
Tuesday 5 August 2025 18:29
,
Oliver O'Connell
Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice and former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, has said via her legal team that she is against the unsealing of the grand jury transcripts relating to her case, as requested by President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice.
Maxwell argues that because she hasn’t seen them and is “actively litigating her case,” it shouldn’t be made public.
In her filing with the court, her team writes: “Jeffrey Epstein is dead. Ghislaine Maxwell is not. Whatever interest the public may have in Epstein, that interest cannot justify a broad intrusion into grand jury secrecy in a case where the defendant is alive, her legal options are viable, and her due process rights remain.”
Earlier, the Justice Department admitted that grand jury transcripts in the criminal cases of Epstein and Maxwell contain mostly publicly available information, as Kelly Rissman reported:
Report: Trump to sign order punishing banks that discriminate against conservatives
Tuesday 5 August 2025 18:40
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump is set to crack down on Wall Street banks accused of dropping customers over their conservative beliefs and shutting out cryptocurrency companies, a new report states.
Trump, the self-professed first “crypto-president,” is expected to sign an executive order as soon as this week that threatens financial penalties in response to so-called politically motivated “debanking,” sources told the Wall Street Journal.
James Liddell reports.
Trump admin to drop Elon Musk's 'five things' email, report says
Tuesday 5 August 2025 18:51
,
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly set to formally scrap a controversial program, championed by his billionaire adviser Elon Musk, which required federal employees to summarize five weekly workplace achievements. The move, expected as soon as Tuesday, was reported by Reuters, citing two individuals familiar with the matter.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal human resources agency that had implemented Musk's drive to reduce the federal workforce, is expected to announce the termination of the “five things” email to HR representatives across the federal government later today. The sources declined to be named as the information was not yet public.
Although many federal agencies had already begun phasing out compliance with the weekly email, this unannounced decision signals the Trump administration is moving past one of Musk's most unpopular initiatives, especially following a dramatic falling out between the two men in early June.
Neither the White House nor OPM immediately responded to requests for comment from Reuters.