Was Trump Involved With Jeffrey Epstein’s Crimes? New Poll Reveals What Americans Believe

/2 Comments/in , , /by

By Liesel Nygard. A new poll shows deep public skepticism regarding President Donald Trump’s ties to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

The Economist/YouGov poll, which was conducted between Feb. 6 and Feb. 9, shows that half of Americans believe that Trump is trying to cover up the disgraced financier’s crimes and a similar share believe he was personally involved in them. . .

However, the data shows significant dissatisfaction with the administration’s response, with Trump’s handling of the investigation sitting at -34, a figure that has changed little since July 2025, YouGov said.

There was a slight increase in net approval among Republicans (37 percentage points), however this has been offset by a decrease (-90 percentage points) among Democrats.

The poll also showed that 52% of Americans believe the president is actively trying to hide the truth about Epstein’s crimes, which is a steady increase from the 49% that was reported in November 2025. (Read more from “Was Trump involved with Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes? New poll reveals what Americans believe” HERE)

______________________________________________________________

DOJ files show lawyer Brad Karp and Jeffrey Epstein tracked woman over alleged extortion attempt

By Business Insider. Before Brad Karp resigned as chairman of Paul Weiss, the elite Wall Street law firm said he interacted with Jeffrey Epstein to “negotiate a series of fee disputes” on behalf of Leon Black, the billionaire former Apollo Global Management CEO.

Recently released records from the Justice Department show the two men also discussed how to handle a woman who allegedly demanded Black pay her $100 million.

The emails show Epstein and Karp trading notes about secret recordings, professional surveillance, and efforts to have the woman arrested for what Epstein described as an “extortion” attempt.

“I have come to the conclusion that we will need to bring in law enforcement sooner rather than later,” Epstein told Karp in a typo-strewn email. “Needs tobe a close sensitive relation Your call on fbi or nypd.”

Karp stepped down as the chair of Paul Weiss on Wednesday after the Epstein files revealed he advised the convicted sex offender on his legal battles with women and asked for help getting his son a role in a Woody Allen movie. He has also resigned from the board of Union College, his alma mater. (Read more from “DOJ files show lawyer Brad Karp and Jeffrey Epstein tracked woman over alleged extortion attempt” HERE)

She Was MAGA’s Antitrust Star — Then Her Relationship With Pam Bondi Imploded

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Assistant Attorney General for antitrust Gail Slater announced on Thursday that she was leaving her post, bringing an end to a turbulent year in the role that saw her gradually fall out of favor with Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Slater, who gave no explanation for her departure, was lauded at the start of the administration as a tip of the spear for “MAGA antitrust” and the populist economics of Trump 2.0. Several Trump loyalists and populist MAGA allies expressed disappointment at the announcement. But sources told the Caller that it didn’t take long for her relationship with Bondi, and her deputy, Todd Blanche, to deteriorate.

One source familiar with the situation told the Caller that there were three big reasons for Slater’s ousting: an unauthorized trip to Paris, allegedly lying to Bondi about a controversial merger, and leaks to the press about divisions within the antitrust team at DOJ.

Slater was given a decision earlier this week to resign or be fired from the Department of Justice, the same source told the Caller. A different source with knowledge of the firing said President Trump makes the final call on those who are confirmed by the Senate.

That source, as well as a senior Trump administration official, said many within DOJ believed Slater was undermining pending cases because she was on rocky terms with Bondi. Slater was disobeying requests from Bondi, and went on a pricy trip to Europe despite being told not to, the administration official told the Caller. (Read more from “She Was MAGA’s Antitrust Star — Then Her Relationship With Pam Bondi Imploded” HERE)

Trump Announces ‘Largest Deregulatory Action In American History’

/0 Comments/in , /by

After nearly 20 years, the climate policy responsible for a generation of greenhouse gas regulations has been repealed, President Donald Trump and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Thursday.

The regulation, known as the Endangerment Finding, expanded the definition of harmful air pollutants to include greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, allowing the EPA to regulate them under the Clean Air Act. Zeldin said Thursday that the rule allowed EPA regulatory power beyond its congressional authority and announced that the Endangerment Finding is officially eliminated.

President Donald Trump described the action as the “largest deregulatory action in American history” on Thursday, joined by Zeldin at the White House. Zeldin noted that the endangerment finding has been referred to as the “holy grail of regulatory overreach” and that the Clean Air Act does not permit the regulations that former administrations have used it to enact. Trump added that the repeal is estimated to lower the average cost of a new vehicle by around $3,000.

“In this final rule, EPA is saving American taxpayers over $1.3 trillion, eliminating both the Obama-era 2009 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding and all subsequent federal GHG emission standards for all vehicles and engines of model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond. The action also eliminates all off-cycle credits, including for the almost universally hated start-stop feature,” the EPA announced Thursday.

Several energy policy experts and agency insiders told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the 2009 Endangerment Finding was enacted by the Obama administration for political reasons, relied on “cherry-picked data” and its rescission ends years of regulatory overreach. Trump administration officials also touted consumer savings the repeal is expected to usher in. (Read more from “Trump Announces ‘Largest Deregulatory Action In American History’” HERE)

The Average American Worker Has Just $955 in Retirement Savings, New Study Finds

/0 Comments/in , /by

A new study finds that the median American worker has just $955 saved for retirement through a defined contribution plan like a 401(k) account, with most falling well short of recommended retirement savings targets for their ages.

The study by the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) found that among all workers between the ages of 21 and 64, including those who haven’t saved anything for retirement, the median amount saved in a defined contribution plan was just $955 as of 2023.

By contrast, among those who have positive retirement plan wealth — or at least $1 saved in a defined contribution (DC) plan — the median savings were much higher at $40,000.

The report found that the average account balance among workers aged 21 to 64, including those with no savings, was $93,229. However, among those who have saved at least $1 in a DC plan, the average savings was $179,082.

NIRS’ study also compared Americans’ retirement savings balances against the targets used by Fidelity, which developed guidelines based on age and income levels. (Read more from “The Average American Worker Has Just $955 in Retirement Savings, New Study Finds” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Top Goldman Sachs Lawyer Shocks Execs With Abrupt Resignation After ‘Xoxo’ Emails With Epstein Surface

/0 Comments/in , /by

Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer is finally headed for the exit over her Jeffrey Epstein ties — and she surprised the bank by making the decision to leave herself, The Post has learned.

The Wall Street giant said late Thursday that Kathy Ruemmler — who in the latest Epstein files dump was revealed to have an email rapport with the convicted pedophile right up to the days before his suicide, even signing her notes with “xoxo” — is leaving the bank.

In an odd twist, however, Ruemmler won’t be leaving until June 30.

What’s more, it was her decision — and she blindsided Goldman with the news, according to sources.

“I made the determination that the media attention on me, relating to my prior work as a defense attorney, was becoming a distraction,” Ruemmler said in a statement.

Sources said Ruemmler called up Solomon to break the news after an email surfaced that showed Ruemmler signed emails to Jeffrey Epstein with “xoxo” and wished him a happy birthday — prompting a crude joke from the disgraced financier about naming his penis. (Read more from “Top Goldman Sachs Lawyer Shocks Execs With Abrupt Resignation After ‘Xoxo’ Emails With Epstein Surface” HERE)

Sanctuary California: Illegal Alien Hit with More Child Rape Charges After Allegedly Murdering 13-Year-Old Boy

/0 Comments/in , /by

An illegal alien accused of raping and murdering 13-year-old Oscar Hernandez last year in the sanctuary state of California has been hit with additional child rape charges involving two other teen boys.

Last year, as Breitbart News reported, 44-year-old illegal alien Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino of El Salvador was arrested and charged by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office with raping Hernandez and then murdering him, leaving his body on the side of a road in Ventura County, California.

Hernandez was first reported missing by his family on March 28 after he had taken a train to Lancaster, California, to visit Garcia-Aquino, a youth soccer coach to young boys. Police allege that Garcia-Aquino murdered Hernandez while raping him before dumping his body.

Now, Garcia-Aquino is facing nine additional child sexual abuse charges — eight counts of sodomy of a person under 16 and one count of oral copulation of a person under 16.

Garcia-Aquino had been charged with sexually assaulting a teenage boy in December 2022 and was charged again in a separate case in February 2024 for sexually assaulting another teenage boy. (Read more from “Sanctuary California: Illegal Alien Hit with More Child Rape Charges After Allegedly Murdering 13-Year-Old Boy” HERE)

Lawmaker Rips Pam Bondi in Scathing Opening: ‘You’re Running a Massive Epstein Cover-Up’; Massie: Bondi Defense in Hearing Was ‘Incompetence’

/2 Comments/in , /by

By Raw Story. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) Wednesday delivered a scathing opening statement and directly criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi, accusing her of deliberately blocking the investigation into late financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Raskin, a ranking member, was one of several lawmakers questioning Bondi during a House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Capitol Hill. In a fiery speech, he demanded answers from Bondi about the Epstein files and investigation, and recent Department of Justice actions — reminding her that her clients are the American people — not President Donald Trump.

“But to promote justice for the people, you’ve got to listen to the victims like the women seated behind you today,” Raskin said. “Those are just some of the hundreds of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s global sex trafficking ring who are demanding that the truth be told and are demanding accountability for the abusers who trafficked and raped them you still haven’t met with these survivors.” . . .

“Now, you’re not showing a lot of interest in the victims, madam attorney general, whether it’s Epstein’s human trafficking ring or the homicidal governmental violence against citizens in Minneapolis, as attorney general, you’re siding with the perpetrators and you’re ignoring the victims that will be your legacy unless you act quickly to change course,” Raskin said.

“You’re running a massive Epstein coverup right out of the Department of Justice,” Raskin said. “You’ve been ordered by subpoena and by Congress to turn over 6 million documents, photographs and videos in the Epstein files but you’ve turned over only 3 million.” (Read more from “Lawmaker Rips Pam Bondi in Scathing Opening: ‘You’re Running a Massive Epstein Cover-Up’” HERE)

_______________________________________________________

Massie: Bondi Defense in Hearing Was ‘Incompetence’

By The Hill. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Wednesday slammed Attorney General Pam Bondi’s defense of how the Department of Justice (DOJ) has handled the release of files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrery Epstein.

“The recourse, and I keep reminding the folks at DOJ this, is that the next attorney general can bring charges against them for breaking the law,” Massie told reporters, after the attorney general’s combative testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee.

“I think that’s what’s compelled them to produce 3 million documents. And now they’re claiming that it’s incompetence,” he added. “But [Bondi’s] defense today is incompetence for why they haven’t given us all the documents they should, why they have over-redacted in the case of co-conspirators and why they failed to redact the names of the victims.”

During the hearing, Bondi got into shouting matches with multiple Democratic lawmakers, who criticized the DOJ’s slow release of the Epstein files, particularly the redactions of numerous individuals and failures to conceal the names of victims.

At least 11 victims of Epstein were in the audience — with some wearing shirts referencing the redactions. When Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) asked the victims to raise their hands if they had not yet met with the DOJ, they each lifted a hand. (Read more from “>Massie: Bondi Defense in Hearing Was ‘Incompetence’” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Under Trump’s Direction, DOT Moves to Bar Unvetted Foreign Drivers From U.S. Trucking Industry

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Trump administration finalized a major safety reform on Wednesday that blocks unvetted foreign nationals from obtaining commercial driver’s licenses, ending a system that allowed tens of thousands of drivers with unknown or dangerous histories to legally operate heavy trucks and buses in the United States. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the rule “ends a safety loophole that has wreaked havoc on our roadways.”

Secretary Duffy unveiled a sweeping new federal rule aimed at shutting down a long‑standing safety loophole that allowed unqualified foreign nationals to obtain commercial driver’s licenses in the United States. The rule, issued under President Donald Trump’s direction, bars states from licensing truck and bus drivers whose driving histories cannot be verified through consular or interagency screening—closing a gap federal officials say has put dangerous, unvetted drivers behind the wheel of 80,000‑pound commercial vehicles and contributed to a series of deadly crashes nationwide.

“For far too long, America has allowed dangerous foreign drivers to abuse our truck licensing systems – wreaking havoc on our roadways. This safety loophole ends today,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in Wednesday’s announcement. “Moving forward, unqualified foreign drivers will be unable to get a license to operate an 80,000-pound big rig. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are putting the safety of the driving public first. From enforcing English language standards to holding fraudulent carriers accountable, we will continue to attack this crisis on our roads head-on.”

DOT officials say the reforms address safety concerns raised following a series of fatal crashes involving non-domiciled CDL truck drivers. The new rule will enable consular and interagency screening to stop non-qualified drivers from obtaining or maintaining commercial driving permits. (Read more from “Under Trump’s Direction, DOT Moves to Bar Unvetted Foreign Drivers From U.S. Trucking Industry” HERE)

What Democrats Aren’t Saying About Their Judicial Warrant Demands For ICE

/1 Comment/in , /by

Democrats are demanding federal agents obtain judicial warrants before arresting illegals on private property, a move experts liken to a Trojan horse that would weaken American immigration enforcement for years to come.

Judicial warrants have become a flashpoint in immigration enforcement, with sanctuary jurisdictions increasingly claiming that administrative warrants are not enough and a judge’s signature should be a prerequisite to any type of cooperation. Capitol Hill Democrats have seized on the issue, threatening to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) if judicial warrants — along with body cameras and uniform requirements — aren’t mandated for personnel on the ground.

“Requiring a judicial warrant for every ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] arrest would severely weaken the agency’s ability to enforce the law, and it would overwhelm the courts, which is likely what anti-ICE advocates in Congress are attempting to accomplish,” Tony Pham, who previously served as acting ICE director during the final months of the first Trump administration, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The chances of Republicans adopting Democrat demands to curtail Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are basically nil, a Republican staffer involved in the negotiations told the DCNF, describing the demands as non-starters.

The demand for judicial warrants among the left reached a fever pitch after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti amid anti-ICE protests in January. The incidents sparked Democrats like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to equate immigration enforcement to Nazism and prompted party members in Washington, D.C., to threaten a DHS shutdown unless a list of reforms are met. (Read more from “What Democrats Aren’t Saying About Their Judicial Warrant Demands For ICE” HERE)

Just One Democrat Votes For Trump-Backed Election Integrity Bill

/0 Comments/in , /by

The House of Representatives passed a revamped version of a Trump-backed election integrity bill on Wednesday evening with little help from Democrats.

Lawmakers voted 216-213 to approve the SAVE America Act with just one Democratic lawmaker joining Republicans in support of the measure. The bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, enacts a voter ID requirement at the ballot box long sought by Republicans and prohibits mail-only voter registrations.

Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar was the lone Democrat to buck House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and support the election integrity bill.

Democrats argued the legislation’s requirements would erect barriers impeding millions of eligible voters, including married women who have changed their last names or Americans that do not have their birth certificates. Republicans countered that most states already have voter identification requirements and turnout has not been affected.

The GOP-controlled House of Representatives has passed versions of the SAVE Act over recent years, though the legislation has stalled in the Senate due to opposition from Democrats. (Read more from “Just One Democrat Votes For Trump-Backed Election Integrity Bill” HERE)