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Trump says he broke with Epstein for hiring away younger girls from Mar-a-Lago and ‘stole’ Virginia Giuffre
Donald Trump informed reporters on Air Power One which he broke with Jeffrey Epstein, the late intercourse offender he socialized with for greater than a decade, after he employed younger, feminine spa attendants away from Mar-a-Lago, together with Virginia Giuffre, who turned considered one of Epstein’s most distinguished accusers.
Trump was requested to elaborate on his declare, on Monday in Scotland, that he kicked Epstein out of his membership “as a result of he did one thing that was inappropriate”, particularly “he stole those that labored for me”. On the flight again to Washington from Scotland on Tuesday, one reporter requested Trump if “the employees that had been taken from you, had been a few of them younger girls?” Trump replied: “The reply is sure; they had been. People who labored within the spa”.
One other reporter then requested if Trump one of many folks he was referring to was Giuffre, who stated in a authorized grievance that she was employed away from the Mar-a-Lago spa by Epstein’s confederate Ghislaine Maxwell in 2000, when she was 16. Giuffre, who died this yr, alleged in her grievance that she was first abused by Epstein and Maxwell collectively, after which “lent out to different highly effective males”, together with Prince Andrew.
Trump replied: “I feel so, I feel that was one of many folks, yeah. He stole her”.
Senior White Home aides have repeatedly recommended in latest weeks that Trump broke with Epstein round 2004, and expelled him from the Mar-a-Lago membership for inappropriate habits of a sexual nature. The president’s account of the break being motivated by pique at having his staff poached by his buddy solid the break in a distinct gentle.
His declare that a kind of staff was the 16-year-old Virginia Giuffre additionally complicates the timeline. Giuffre was employed away from Mar-a-Lago in 2000, however two years later, Trump spoke extremely of Epstein to a reporter, and made a degree of his buddy’s style for younger girls. “I’ve recognized Jeff for 15 years. Terrific man”, Trump informed New York journal in late 2002. “He’s numerous enjoyable to be with. It’s even stated that he likes lovely girls as a lot as I do, and plenty of of them are on the youthful aspect.”
Sarah Blaskey, a Miami Herald investigative reporter, additionally identified in her 2020 e-book on Mar-a-Lago that Epstein remained on the membership rolls of Mar-a-Lago till October 2007, greater than a yr after he was first arrested and charged with soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Key occasions
Congresswoman Summer season Lee, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has been outspoken in her criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza, condemned the mistreatment of the American labor activist Chris Smalls by Israeli troopers after they raided the Handala, an support ship that tried to achieve Gaza as a part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
“Chris Smalls—a Black American labor chief—was making an attempt to feed Palestinians being starved in Gaza. The IDF detained and beat him for it”, the progressive lawmaker commented on Instagram. “This assault should not go unnoticed and he have to be freed instantly. Israel have to be held to account. Let support by. Finish the genocide.”
As our colleague Adria Walker studies, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a grassroots worldwide collective that has labored to finish Israel’s blockade of Gaza since 2010, stated Smalls “was bodily assaulted by seven uniformed people” who “choked him and kicked him within the legs, leaving seen indicators of violence on his neck and again”.
Learn Adria’s report right here:
Lauren Gambino
Consultants on Tuesday urged California governor Gavin Newsom to drop his “tit-for-tat redistricting” risk in response to a Republican plan to choose up congressional seats in Texas.
“You may’t struggle gerrymandering with extra gerrymandering,” Patricia Sinay, a commissioner for the California Residents Redistricting Fee, stated on a name organized by the watchdog group Frequent Trigger. “It’s a quick sighted plan.”
California Democrats say they’re ready to redraw the state’s 52 congressional districts in a longshot and controversial effort to choose up Democratic seats.
Newsom, seen as a probable presidential candidate in 2028, has threatened to redraw the state’s 52 congressional districts – a longshot bid to offset Republican good points in Texas with Democratic good points in California.
Texas is contemplating mid-year redistricting on the urging of Donald Trump, who’s angling to stave off losses within the Congressional midterm elections subsequent yr. Voter backlash on the polls might value Republicans their Home majority, and severely blunt his agenda.
Whereas some partisans are cheering the efforts – particularly Democrats hungry to see their elected officers take a tricky stand in political fights with Republicans – consultants warn that it’s not the “port within the storm” they’re in search of.
“Rolling again unbiased redistricting is unhealthy coverage. It’s additionally a waste of time,” stated Emily Eby French, Texas coverage director of Frequent Trigger. “Come on right down to Texas governor Newsom. We’ll present you tips on how to struggle the unhealthy stuff with out sacrificing the good things.”
Dan Vicuña, a senior coverage director for voting and truthful illustration at Frequent Trigger, stated the group was able to problem any try by California – or any state – to override its unbiased redistricting fee.
“Though it is a very troubling and harmful second, one factor that’s helpful is that it clarifies what this difficulty is about,” Vicuña stated. “Once we see politicians of each main events keen to govern the method, manipulate voting districts, gerrymander at will, it’s a useful reminder that that is, in truth, not a Democrat versus Republican difficulty. That is the politicians versus the folks difficulty.”
Trump says he broke with Epstein for hiring away younger girls from Mar-a-Lago and ‘stole’ Virginia Giuffre
Donald Trump informed reporters on Air Power One which he broke with Jeffrey Epstein, the late intercourse offender he socialized with for greater than a decade, after he employed younger, feminine spa attendants away from Mar-a-Lago, together with Virginia Giuffre, who turned considered one of Epstein’s most distinguished accusers.
Trump was requested to elaborate on his declare, on Monday in Scotland, that he kicked Epstein out of his membership “as a result of he did one thing that was inappropriate”, particularly “he stole those that labored for me”. On the flight again to Washington from Scotland on Tuesday, one reporter requested Trump if “the employees that had been taken from you, had been a few of them younger girls?” Trump replied: “The reply is sure; they had been. People who labored within the spa”.
One other reporter then requested if Trump one of many folks he was referring to was Giuffre, who stated in a authorized grievance that she was employed away from the Mar-a-Lago spa by Epstein’s confederate Ghislaine Maxwell in 2000, when she was 16. Giuffre, who died this yr, alleged in her grievance that she was first abused by Epstein and Maxwell collectively, after which “lent out to different highly effective males”, together with Prince Andrew.
Trump replied: “I feel so, I feel that was one of many folks, yeah. He stole her”.
Senior White Home aides have repeatedly recommended in latest weeks that Trump broke with Epstein round 2004, and expelled him from the Mar-a-Lago membership for inappropriate habits of a sexual nature. The president’s account of the break being motivated by pique at having his staff poached by his buddy solid the break in a distinct gentle.
His declare that a kind of staff was the 16-year-old Virginia Giuffre additionally complicates the timeline. Giuffre was employed away from Mar-a-Lago in 2000, however two years later, Trump spoke extremely of Epstein to a reporter, and made a degree of his buddy’s style for younger girls. “I’ve recognized Jeff for 15 years. Terrific man”, Trump informed New York journal in late 2002. “He’s numerous enjoyable to be with. It’s even stated that he likes lovely girls as a lot as I do, and plenty of of them are on the youthful aspect.”
Sarah Blaskey, a Miami Herald investigative reporter, additionally identified in her 2020 e-book on Mar-a-Lago that Epstein remained on the membership rolls of Mar-a-Lago till October 2007, greater than a yr after he was first arrested and charged with soliciting prostitution from a minor.
The day to date
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As Israel’s warfare in Gaza nears its two-year mark, and as horrifying pictures of ravenous folks and utter devastation flood social media, cracks appear to be rising within the American proper’s sometimes iron-clad help for Israel. Marjorie Taylor Greene turned the primary Republican member of Congress to name Israel’s assault on Gaza a genocide, whereas Steve Bannon, Trump’s influential former adviser, informed Politico: “Plainly for the under-30-year-old Maga base, Israel has virtually no help, and Netanyahu’s try to save lots of himself politically by dragging America in deeper to a different Center East warfare has turned off a big swath of older Maga diehards. Now President Trump’s public repudiation of one of many central tenants of Bibi’s Gaza technique – ‘ravenous’ Palestinians – will solely hasten a collapse of help.”
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Certainly help for Israel’s army motion in Gaza has declined considerably amongst US adults, with solely a couple of third approving, in line with a brand new Gallup ballot, which additionally discovered that about half of US adults now have an unfavorable view of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, essentially the most destructive score he has acquired.
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On Palestine, Trump stated he and UK prime minister Keir Starmer didn’t focus on Britain’s plan to formally acknowledge a Palestinian state in September until Israel holds to a ceasefire and commits to a two-state answer. “We by no means did focus on it,” Trump informed reporters on board Air Power One.
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Ghislaine Maxwell has supplied to testify earlier than Congress however has requested lawmakers to provide her immunity, together with different main circumstances, in line with a listing of calls for despatched to the Home oversight committee by her attorneys, seen by CNN. If the calls for can’t be met, her attorneys stated: “Maxwell can have no alternative however to invoke her fifth modification rights” (the precise to stay silent). An oversight committee spokesperson rejected the thought of giving Maxwell immunity, telling CNN: “The oversight committee will reply to Ms. Maxwell’s legal professional quickly, nevertheless it won’t contemplate granting congressional immunity for her testimony.”
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Senate minority chief Chuck Schumer took to the Senate ground earlier to name on the FBI to undertake a counterintelligence risk evaluation of Donald Trump’s Epstein connections. He highlighted the necessity to study whether or not overseas international locations might need tried to entry the Epstein recordsdata and presumably exploit the knowledge as leverage over the president.
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New York governor Kathy Hochul referred to as for Congress to move a nationwide assault weapons ban following yesterday’s taking pictures in Manhattan which killed 4 folks (and the shooter, who killed himself). “New York has a few of the strongest gun legal guidelines within the nation … However our legal guidelines solely go to date when an AR-15 will be obtained in a state with weak gun legal guidelines and introduced into New York to commit mass homicide,” Hochul stated.
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Police are investigating whether or not the gunman was concentrating on the Nationwide Soccer League. In a notice, the suspect, who appeared to have pushed from Las Vegas to New York Metropolis over three days, appeared guilty the NFL for a mind damage. He claimed he suffered from CTE – the degenerative mind illness that has been linked to concussions and different repeated head trauma widespread involved sports activities like soccer – and stated his mind ought to be studied after he died. A preliminary investigation discovered that he took the incorrect elevator, ending up on the incorrect ground when he opened fireplace within the 345 Park Avenue constructing, which homes the NFL headquarters.
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Trump stated he would begin imposing tariffs and different measures on Russia “ten days from immediately” if Moscow didn’t make progress towards ending the warfare in Ukraine. The US president, who first introduced yesterday that he was slicing his preliminary 50-day deadline for motion from Moscow, stated he had not heard a response from Russia.
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Trump stated the Wall Road Journal and its billionaire proprietor Rupert Murdoch need to settle the president’s defamation lawsuit in opposition to the newspaper. On 18 July, Trump promptly sued the WSJ and its homeowners, together with Murdoch, over a narrative alleging that Trump’s title was on a “lewd” birthday message for the convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, that included a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to shared secrets and techniques. “They need to settle it,” Trump stated, including, “after I get handled unfairly, I do issues about it.” Trump’s lawsuit referred to as the alleged letter “faux” and stated the Journal revealed its article to hurt his repute. In a court docket submitting yesterday, Trump requested a US court docket to order a swift deposition for Murdoch.
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The Division of Justice requested a number of giant California counties to offer detailed private info of non-citizens who received on to the state voter rolls, the Guardian has realized, in an uncommon request that comes because the Trump administration has requested a couple of dozen states to offer broad swaths of details about voters and election practices.
Majority of Individuals disapprove of Israel’s actions in Gaza, whereas Netanyahu approval drops to report low, ballot finds
Assist for Israel’s army motion in Gaza has declined considerably amongst US adults, with solely a couple of third approving, in line with a brand new Gallup ballot — a drop from the start of the warfare with Hamas, when about half of Individuals permitted of Israel’s operation.
The brand new polling additionally discovered that about half of US adults now have an unfavorable view of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, essentially the most destructive score he has acquired since he was first included in Gallup polling in 1997. The ballot was carried out from 7-21 July, whereas studies of hunger in Gaza led to worldwide criticism of Israel’s determination to limit meals support however earlier than Donald Trump expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian scenario.
The findings underscore the Israeli authorities’s dramatic lack of help inside America. However not everyone seems to be shifting — as a substitute, the warfare has grow to be extra politically polarizing. The rising disapproval is pushed by Democrats and independents, who’re a lot much less prone to approve of Israel’s actions than they had been in November 2023, weeks after Hamas’ 7 October assaults.
Republicans, alternatively, stay largely supportive of each Israel’s army actions and Netanyahu (although cracks are certainly rising within the American proper’s sometimes iron-clad help for the state of Israel).
The brand new ballot finds that about 6 in 10 US adults disapprove of the army motion Israel has taken in Gaza, up from 45% in November 2023.
Assist for the warfare has been dwindling in Gallup’s polling for a while. In March 2024, about half of US adults disapproved of Israel’s army motion in Gaza, which fell barely because the yr wore on.
In a brand new low, solely 8% of Democrats and one-quarter of independents say they now approve of Israel’s army marketing campaign.
Younger adults are additionally more likely to disapprove of Israel’s actions. Solely about 1 in 10 adults underneath age 35 say they approve of Israel’s army decisions in Gaza, in contrast with about half of those that are 55 or older.
Views of Netanyahu have additionally grown much less favorable over the previous few years, with extra viewing him negatively than positively in measurements taken for the reason that warfare in Gaza started.
About half of US adults, 52%, now have an unfavorable view of Netanyahu within the new ballot, which overlapped together with his latest go to to the US. Simply 29% view him positively.
Republicans have a way more optimistic view of Netanyahu than Democrats and independents do. About two-thirds of Republicans view him favorably, which is consistent with final yr. About 1 in 10 Democrats and a pair of in 10 independents really feel the identical method.
“That is the primary time we’ve seen a majority of Individuals, with an unfavorable view of him,” stated Gallup senior editor Megan Brenan. “All of those questions on this ballot present us principally the identical story, and it’s not one for the Israeli authorities proper now.”
As Senate Democrats plan to proceed to maintain up the stress on the Trump administration over Jeffrey Epstein this week, minority chief Chuck Schumer took to the Senate ground earlier to name on the FBI to undertake a counterintelligence risk evaluation of Donald Trump’s Epstein connections.
Calling for a danger evaluation to look at whether or not overseas international locations might need tried to entry the Epstein recordsdata and presumably exploit the knowledge as leverage over Trump, Schumer stated:
Individuals are proper to be offended over the dearth of transparency. However this isn’t nearly attending to the reality. That is additionally each bit about our nationwide safety.
No matter could also be within the Epstein recordsdata is clearly troubling sufficient that Donald Trump doesn’t need to contact this difficulty with a ten-foot pole.
So it’s pure to ask: what occurs if America’s adversaries use cyber-attacks or different means to entry investigative supplies into Jeffrey Epstein which are embarrassing – or worse – for President Trump and the folks round him?
What occurs if Epstein supplies find yourself within the arms of the Chinese language authorities, or Russia, or North Korea?
Until the Epstein recordsdata are launched, and made absolutely clear to the general public, might our adversaries use that info to blackmail somebody just like the president? Or different senior leaders in authorities? What sort of danger might that pose to our nationwide safety?
He went on:
Nationwide safety will not be – and will by no means be – a partisan difficulty. We have to do every thing we will to verify we’re defending the US and American households each single day. This report is crucial to just do that.
And there may be yet one more factor Donald Trump might do to quell folks’s anger, confusion, frustration and fears over the nationwide safety ramifications: cease working away from this difficulty. Inform the reality. And if there may be clearly no nationwide safety danger, launch the Epstein recordsdata, President Trump.
Justice division requested California to provide particulars of non-citizens on voter rolls

Sam Levine
The Division of Justice has requested a number of giant California counties to offer detailed private info of non-citizens who received on to the state voter rolls, the Guardian has realized, in an uncommon request that comes because the Trump administration has requested a couple of dozen states to offer broad swaths of details about voters and election practices.
The justice division’s voting part despatched an identical letters to native election officers in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego on 9 July. The request asks the officers to offer the overall variety of non-citizens who had their voter registrations cancelled since 2020 in addition to a replica of their voter registration data, voting historical past, date of beginning, driver’s license numbers, and the final 4 digits of a social safety quantity. The division despatched the same request to Orange county final month after which sued the county after officers redacted some info.
“It’s deeply troubling,” stated David Becker, the manager director for the Middle for Election Innovation & Analysis. “It displays a fairly stunning misunderstanding of federal regulation relating to checklist upkeep.”
The request for info on non-citizens comes because the Trump administration has arrested and moved to deport 1000’s of immigrants. Submitting a voter registration type whereas ineligible to vote is against the law so non-citizens that achieve this could possibly be prosecuted and doubtlessly deported. This type of voter fraud, nevertheless, is extraordinarily uncommon.
All three counties stated they had been reviewing the justice division’s request. The justice division didn’t return a request for remark.
Trump claims Wall Road Journal and Murdoch need to settle defamation lawsuit
Donald Trump stated that the Wall Road Journal and its billionaire proprietor Rupert Murdoch need to settle the president’s defamation lawsuit in opposition to the newspaper.
On 18 July, Trump promptly sued the WSJ and its homeowners, together with Murdoch, over a narrative alleging that Trump’s title was on a “lewd” birthday message for the convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, that included a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to shared secrets and techniques.
“I’ve been handled badly by the Wall Road Journal. I’d have assumed that Rupert Murdoch controls it, however, you recognize, perhaps does, perhaps doesn’t,” Trump informed reporters aboard Air Power One.
“They’re speaking to us about doing one thing however we’ll see what occurs. Perhaps they want us to drop that, so we’ll see … yeah, they’re having, they need to settle it,” he stated, including, “after I get handled unfairly, I do issues about it.”
Trump’s lawsuit referred to as the alleged letter “faux” and stated the Journal revealed its article to hurt his repute.
In a court docket submitting yesterday, Trump requested a US court docket to order a swift deposition for Murdoch.
The Wall Road Journal didn’t instantly reply to a Reuters request for remark.
Donald Trump additionally informed reporters on Air Power One which he thinks he can have a gathering with Chinese language president Xi Jinping earlier than the top of the yr, however didn’t elaborate.
Trump says Russia will face sanctions in 10 days if it doesn’t transfer to finish Ukraine warfare
Donald Trump stated he would begin imposing tariffs and different measures on Russia “ten days from immediately” if Moscow didn’t make progress towards ending the warfare in Ukraine.
Trump, who first introduced yesterday that he was slicing his preliminary 50-day deadline for motion from Moscow, stated he had not heard a response from Russia.
He informed reporters aboard Air Power One which he was not frightened in regards to the potential impression of Russian sanctions on the oil market or costs, saying the US would enhance home oil manufacturing to offset any impression.
Earlier immediately, my colleague Jakub Krupa reported that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed journalists that Russia “has taken notice” of president Trump’s feedback.
He then stated {that a} “particular army operation” – their time period for his or her unlawful, full-scale invasion of Ukraine – continues, however Russia “stays dedicated to the peace course of to resolve the battle round Ukraine and safe our pursuits” – regardless of lethal assaults in a single day.
Peskov additionally confirmed that there was a “slowdown” in Russian efforts to revive diplomatic relations with the US. Trump yesterday voiced his frustration with Vladimir Putin, saying:
I believed we’d be capable of negotiate one thing. Perhaps that’ll nonetheless occur, nevertheless it’s very late down the method. I’m disenchanted … I’m not so fascinated with speaking any extra.