We have breaking news at this hour. Donald Trump has now confirmed that he will sign the Epstein files bill when it passes the House and the Senate, a dramatic and unexpected shift in strategy for both him and the White House. This announcement comes as Trump faces a political reckoning, with more than 100 Republicans prepared to defy him tomorrow after months of his efforts to block the files from ever seeing the light of day. This is very much a believe-it-when-I-see-it moment for Trump.
I am still assessing what this move really means, but there is far more beneath the surface and I intend to get to the bottom of it. The White House and its allies have been far from pleased with our reporting, and some have tried to silence us in real time. That will not stop me from exposing the truth. If you want this work to continue while others try to shut it down, subscribe and stand with me.
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Here’s what you missed:
Donald Trump says he will sign the Epstein files bill if it passes the House and the Senate: “sure I would.” There is a clear shift in his public facing strategy.
Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said Trump is “panicking” as he fails to stop the committee’s push to force release of the Epstein files, accusing Trump of trying “everything” to derail the investigation, including launching sham probes to distract from his own ability to release the documents immediately; Garcia vowed the committee will secure full disclosure and justice for survivors despite Trump’s attempted cover-up.
When first asked if he’ll sign a bill releasing the Epstein files, Trump deflected by insisting he has “nothing to do with Epstein” and claiming Epstein’s associates were Democrats—including Reid Hoffman, Larry Summers, and Bill Clinton—before pivoting away from the topic entirely to tout his record on “pricing” and “affordability,” avoiding any direct commitment on the legislation. He later agreed to sign.
Trump insisted he had no real association with Jeffrey Epstein, claiming “they were with Epstein all the time, I wasn’t,” and emphasizing, “I wasn’t at all,” in an effort to distance himself from the scandal as pressure mounts over the release of Epstein-related files. We know this is not true.
Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump amid the Epstein-files fight, saying Trump “has nothing … to hide” and was only concerned with protecting victims’ identities, while also downplaying Trump’s attacks on Marjorie Taylor Greene as an unsurprising reaction to her recent public criticism; Johnson urged Republicans to focus on party unity even as internal tensions escalate.
A federal magistrate judge issued a scathing rebuke of the Justice Department’s prosecution of former FBI director James Comey, describing a “disturbing pattern” of investigative errors, procedural lapses, and potential government misconduct serious enough to jeopardize the entire case; the judge ordered DOJ to immediately hand over all grand jury materials to Comey’s defense, signaling that if the alleged misconduct is confirmed, the court may dismiss the charges outright due to compromised due process and DOJ’s apparent failure to follow lawful investigative standards.
ICE agents in Charlotte carried out an aggressive, chaotic churchyard raid—arriving masked, showing no identification, chasing congregants (including teens) into the woods, detaining one man in front of families, and leaving women and children sobbing—while also threatening protesters who confronted them, underscoring the article’s claim that the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement is operating with escalating cruelty and disregard for civil liberties.
Trump said he intends to move forward with selling F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, signaling a major shift in U.S. defense policy and a willingness to expand advanced weapons sales to Riyadh.
Trump warned he will “strongly” endorse primary challengers against any Indiana state lawmakers who oppose his redistricting plan, escalating pressure after the GOP’s state Senate leader said the effort lacks support; his threats follow a weekend in which he publicly attacked several Indiana Republicans—one of whom was later swatted—and he urged the party to “keep the Majority at all costs” and “fight back.”
Trump, amid rising military tensions with Venezuela, said he “doesn’t rule out anything” — including potentially putting U.S. troops on the ground — while claiming Venezuela has sent “hundreds of thousands” of prisoners into the United States and accusing Nicolás Maduro of causing “tremendous damage,” especially through drugs.
Trump, sounding hoarse, said his rough voice came from “shouting at people” over a trade dispute, admitting he “blew [his] stack,” and when a reporter tried to follow up, he misheard the question as mentioning a “polyp,” abruptly cutting it off with, “I don’t want to hear that!”
Former DNC chair Jaime Harrison is launching a seven-figure “Dirt Road Dems” campaign aimed at expanding Democratic competitiveness in rural, Republican-leaning regions ahead of the 2026 elections—arguing the cycle resembles 2006 and targeting overlooked districts, governor’s races, and Senate seats.
New York City Council member Chi Ossé has filed FEC paperwork to mount a Democratic primary challenge against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in Brooklyn’s 8th District—an insurgent bid against one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington, whom Jeffries has represented since 2013.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
