It’s Wednesday. Taylor Swift’s new album comes out one month from today! ❤️🔥
In today’s issue:
- Epstein victims speak publicly
- Effort to force Epstein file release
- Trump throws shade at Xi, Putin, Kim
- Nasal spray may prevent respiratory illness
📄 THE EPSTEIN FILES
This has been excruciating to watch:
Ten of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers stood on the Capitol steps this morning, recounting their experiences with the convicted sex offender during a gut-wrenching press conference. I’ll warn you, it’s tough to hear.
Here are some of the newsiest moments:
- Several of the victims said they were 14 years old when they first met Epstein.
- They also asked President Trump to exercise his power as president to push for the release of Epstein files.
- Epstein survivor Haley Robson made a plea to the president. “These women are real, we’re here in person. To say that it’s a hoax is just not — please humanize us. I would like Donald J. Trump and every person in America and around the world to humanize us, to see us for who we are and to hear us for what we have to say. There is no hoax. The abuse was real.”
- ^ Just a few minutes after the press conference ended, Trump referred to the push for the Epstein files to be released as a “Democrat hoax.”
- “The only motive for opposing this bill would be to conceal wrongdoing,” said Anouska De Georgiou, one of the survivors.
- Georgiou also implored Trump to help bring transparency and justice to the case. “President Trump you have so much influence and power in this situation. Please use that influence and power to help us because we need it now and this country needs it now,” she said.
- “I was ‘minor victim 1’ … I was one of [a dozen girls] that I personally know that were forced into Jeffrey’s mansion … when we were just kids,” said survivor Marina Lacerda. She continued to say she cannot remember everything that happened. “My therapist says my brain is just trying to protect itself, but it’s so hard to begin to heal knowing that there are people out there who know more about my abuse than I do.”
- Lacerda reportedly provided key evidence that allowed prosecutors to charge Epstein in 2019. “The least that they can give me is my documents that they have about me,” Lacerda said.
- The brother of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year, spoke on behalf of his sister. “This is about justice against the rich and powerful who have stolen something from these women and many children, at the time: their freedom,” Sky Roberts said.
- “I was 16 years old when I was flown to New Mexico to spend a weekend with Epstein and Maxwell,” said Annie Farmer,another survivor. “I am now 46 years old. 30 years later, we still do not know why that report wasn’t properly investigated or why Epstein and his associates were allowed to harm hundreds, if not thousands, of other girls and young women.”
📸 Photo of the news conference
📸The huge crowd gathered to hear
📸Another photo of the massive crowd
Timing: The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a batch Epstein files Tuesday evening. Nearly 33,300 were posted on Google Drive and Dropbox — many of which were already public. House Democrats said 97 percent of the materials released Tuesday had already been made public.
🔎 Read the released Epstein files
What sparked the press conference?: Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who are leading the effort to release more Epstein files, hosted the presser.
Where the file release stands: Massie is trying to force the release of all files related to the Epstein case. That would include information related to the disgraced businessman’s clients and close circle. Massie, a vocal Trump critic, said Tuesday he didn’t believe the president did “anything criminal” but speculated he “may be covering for some rich and powerful people.”
The petition needs 218 signatures. If all Democrats vote “yes,” at least six Republicans must agree. Several Republicans are on board, but not enough yet to reach the threshold.
What’s happening behind closed doors: The Hill’s Mike Lillis reports that House GOP leaders are urging Republicans *not* to sign the Epstein discharge petition. Read more
💡 Why today’s news conference matters: The Epstein files have been a political football for years, but today’s press conference was a stark reminder of the heinous crimes Epstein committed. The spotlight was on the victims.
Tidbit: Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) walked out of a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee meeting with Epstein victims Tuesday appearing visibly upset. 📹 Watch the video
Mace explained: “As a recent survivor (not 2 years in), I had a very difficult time listening to their stories,” Mace posted on X. “Full blown panic attack. Sweating. Hyperventilating. Shaking. I can’t breathe.” 🔎 Read her full post
➤ SEVERAL VICTIMS SPOKE WITH NEWS OUTLETS:
Six women who said they were victims of Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, along with family of one of his accusers, spoke with NBC’s Hallie Jackson.
From one of the women: “A lot of us survivors know we’ve been compiling lists of our own, and we have so many other survivors,” Epstein accuser Lisa Phillips told NBC News in an interview. “Please come forward, and we’ll compile our own list and seek justice on our own.” Read more from the joint interview
Plus: Another victim spoke with ABC News. Read more
🎤 IN THE WHITE HOUSE
Trump has a lot on his mind today:
President Trump is hosting Polish President Karol Nawrocki at the White House today.
Trump spoke with reporters to kick off the meeting — and covered a lot of topics. Here are the highlights:
- On the government funding battle: Trump predicted Republicans will extend funding to avoid a shutdown at the end of September.
- A Polish reporter asked Trump why he hasn’t taken action on Russia: Trump pointed to sanctions he imposed on India over its purchase of Russian gas and oil. “You call that no action? And I haven’t done phase two yet or phase three,” Trump said. “But when you say there’s no action, you ought to get yourself a new job.”
- On the Jeffrey Epstein file saga: “This is a Democrat hoax,” Trump said. 📹 Watch Trump’s full reaction
- Tidbit: Nawrocki was greeted by a flyover of F-16 fighter jets as a tribute to a Polish army pilot who died in a crash in August. 📹 Watch
^ We could hear the flyover from our newsroom and it was *very loud.* 😅
Shade thrown:
Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un met in Beijing on Tuesday for a military parade in Tiananmen Square.
President Trump took a facetious jab at the group, telling Xi to “please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.” 🔎 Read Trump’s full post
Tidbit: The leaders walked together during a military parade in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. 📸This photo of Putin, Xi and Kimis … striking.
What was the parade commemorating?: To celebrate 80 years since Victory Day, which commemorates Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II.
Apparently, Trump wasn’t on social media over the weekend …:
President Trump says he didn’t know about the viral online rumors over the weekend claiming he was either ill — or even dead.
That’s what he told Fox News’s Peter Doocy, anyway. He later added that he had heard some of the speculation. “It’s sort of crazy,” he said.
“But last week I did numerous news conferences. All successful, they went very well, like this is going very well and then I didn’t do any for two days and they said, ‘there must be something wrong with him,’” Trump said.
➤ TIDBIT ABOUT TRUMP’S HEALTH:
Veteran New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman says Trump “has never been transparent about his health.”
Haberman told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Source”: “President Trump has never been transparent about his health. He was much sicker with COVID than the White House said in 2020. You know, they — he took this mysterious Walter Reed visit in 2019 that was later said to be a colonoscopy, but he doesn’t like talking about his health.”
📰 OTHER NEWS
What’s irritating Republicans?:
“Senate Republicans are signaling their dismay over President Trump’s provocative decision to advance a $5 billion ‘pocket rescission,’ which is becoming a major obstacle to establishing a bipartisan spending deal to avoid a government shutdown at the end of this month,” reports The Hill’s Alexander Bolton.
For example: “Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) expressed his concern that the pocket rescission will give Democrats a reason to oppose funding legislation, putting Washington in danger of blundering into a government shutdown after Sept. 30.”
And Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, called it “unlawful” to sidestep Congress.
Read more: ‘Republicans dismayed by Trump’s decision to use pocket rescission’
➤ QUICK HITS:
📺 C-SPAN is coming to YouTube TV and Hulu this fall!
🏥 Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani recounted last Saturday’s car crash on his podcast. 🎙️ Watch
⚖️ A federal appeals court ruled against the Trump administration, deciding he can’t invoke a wartime law to swiftly deport Venezuelans. For context, this has been a key tool the Trump team has been using to carry out deportations.
🤼 Eric Trump wrestled a sumo champ in Japan. Yes, really.
COMING UP
The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Washington. Vice President Vance is in Minneapolis, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Mexico. (All times EST)
12:30 p.m.: Senators meet for weekly caucus luncheons. 📆Today’s agenda
1:30 p.m.: First House votes. 📆Today’s agenda
4 p.m.: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem holds a press conference. 💻Livestream
9 p.m.: Last House votes.
Thursday: Trump’s pick for the Federal Reserve board of governors will testify.
🐝 INTERNET BUZZ
🧀 Celebrate: Today is National Welsh Rarebit Day.
💍 Want the deets on Taylor and Travis’s engagement?: Travis Kelce discussed his recent engagement to Taylor Swift in a new episode of the “New Heights” podcast. It just posted! 💻 Watch
👃An OTC med may block COVID-19?: German researchers found that a common, over-the-counter nasal spray may block COVID-19, RSV and the flu.
👋 AND FINALLY…
It’s been a bit of an intense morning in the news. So, to leave you on a positive note, enjoy watching this dog eat a banana.
