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On Friday, the Attorney General assigned Jay Clayton to oversee an inquiry into opponents of Donald Trump and their links with the late financier. This action came hours after Trump instructed her to begin the investigation.

In a statement, Bondi praised Jay Clayton as “among the nation’s top prosecutors”. The official added, “As with all matters, the department will pursue this with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.”

This action contrasts with a recent memorandum from federal authorities which declared that the Epstein files did not warrant additional investigations. According to the memo, investigators “lacked sufficient evidence to pursue cases against other parties.”

The President Calls for Scrutiny of Democrats in the Epstein Case

This news coincides with increasing pressure from Trump on congressional Republicans to block the public disclosure of Epstein-related documents ahead of an key congressional decision next week. Many Republicans are anticipated to back the release.

Newly public emails from Epstein have highlighted Trump’s past involvement with the sex trafficker, revealing information that his knowledge of Epstein’s behavior exceeded prior admissions.

On Friday, the President announced he would ask the Department of Justice to examine Epstein’s ties with Democrats, including prominent individuals such as Clinton, Summers, and Hoffman. Interestingly, Trump also described the “Epstein situation” as a “deception”.

Additional Updates from Friday

• The President announced he would file a lawsuit against the BBC, even after a formal apology from the media outlet. Trump said the lawsuit could seek between a billion and $5bn.
• Jeffrey Epstein reportedly guided Steve Bannon during a 2018 media campaign to defend Trump’s policies. Text messages released show Epstein’s involvement in coaching Bannon.
• American forces are planning for a divided Gaza, with a secure area under international and Israeli control and a “red zone” left in ruins.
• Georgia prosecutor have reopened the sole ongoing legal case against the President after naming a new lead prosecutor.
• Trump reversed trade measures by cutting taxes on imported goods like beef, tomatoes, coffee and bananas to address inflation concerns.
• The two nations reached a trade agreement to lower import taxes on products from Switzerland from 39% to 15%.

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