🔗 Share this article

On Friday, the Attorney General designated interim US attorney Jay Clayton to head an inquiry into political adversaries of the President and their links with Jeffrey Epstein. This move came hours after the president ordered her to begin the probe.

During an announcement, the Attorney General highlighted Clayton as “one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country”. The official stated, “The department will handle this matter promptly and thoroughly to provide clarity for citizens.”

This development appears to contradict a July memo from federal authorities which declared that the Epstein files lacked grounds for additional investigations. According to the memo, investigators “found no proof justifying probes into uncharged individuals”

Trump Demands Scrutiny of Political Opponents in the Epstein Matter

This news comes as increasing pressure from the president on congressional Republicans to block the full release of files concerning Epstein ahead of an upcoming House vote in the coming days. Many Republicans are anticipated to support the release.

Newly public emails from Jeffrey Epstein have highlighted Trump’s past involvement with the convicted criminal, revealing details that his knowledge of Epstein’s behavior exceeded prior admissions.

On Friday, Trump declared he would direct the Department of Justice to investigate connections between Epstein and Democratic figures, including prominent individuals such as Clinton, Summers, and Hoffman. Paradoxically, Trump also referred to the “Epstein hoax” as a “deception”.

Other Updates from the Day

• Trump announced he would take legal action against the BBC, despite a formal apology from the media outlet. He claimed the legal case could seek between a billion and $5bn.
• Epstein allegedly advised former Trump aide Steve Bannon during a 2018 media campaign to support Trump’s policies. Text messages released detail Epstein’s involvement in advising the influencer.
• US military are developing plans for a divided Gaza, with a secure area under international and Israeli control and a restricted section unreconstructed.
• State officials have revived the last remaining criminal case against Trump after naming a new lead prosecutor.
• Trump reversed tariff policy by reducing duties on imported goods like beef, tomatoes, coffee and bananas to combat inflation concerns.
• US and Switzerland reached a deal to lower import taxes on Swiss goods from 39% to 15%.

Other notable events featured calls to protect national parks, objections of an monitoring group, and a court approval for a resolution in the Purdue Pharma lawsuit.