Commerce chief Lutnick to face Epstein grilling in closed-door interview – US politics live | US news
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Cate Brown
A majority of Indiana Republican legislators backed by rival Donald Trump lost their primary on Tuesday, handing the president a victory in a deep red state just months after lawmakers rejected his redistricting plan.
At least five of the seven candidates Trump supported against state Senate candidates won.
The vote has become a statewide referendum on political revenge and a test of Republicans staying in power after the party’s state lawmakers resisted Donald Trump’s damaging campaign to push for redrawing congressional districts.
The seven state senators who voted against Trump’s mid-decade redistricting push face opponents endorsed by the president. in question He said “every single one of these people should be made ‘prioritized’” after the effort failed.
By AdImpact’s count, Trump-affiliated dark money groups spent more than $7 million on TV ads in Indiana this year; majority spent targeting Republicans who aligned with Democrats in December’s redistricting vote.
Kokomo state senator Jim Buck lost to his opponent supported by Trump after 18 years in office.
“We have never allowed Washington to interfere in our elections like this time,” Buck said. he told NPR. “Now I have more than $1 million in one race.”
Trade chief Howard Lutnick to face questioning of Epstein in closed-door interview today
Hello, welcome to the live blog of US politics.
Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick will become the latest member of Donald Trump’s cabinet to be questioned over his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when he sits down for a closed-door scripted interview with the Oversight Committee later today.
Lutnick acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private island with family members in 2012; The visit contradicted her earlier claim in 2005 that she had cut ties with Epstein.
In March, the Justice Department briefly deleted and then restored an undated photo of Lutnick and Epstein in an island setting. CBS News reported that Lutnick and Epstein did business together as recently as 2014.
Photo: Ministry of Justice
Lutnick agreed to closed-door testimony from Capitol Hill only after Democrats on the committee threatened to subpoena Lutnick if he refused to cooperate. The votes were there to compel his testimony, California Rep. Ro Khanna told reporters.
However, reaching this stage was possible with the cooperation of Republicans in the committee. Republican representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina called for Lutnick to attend the hearing, while Kentucky Republican James Comer, who chairs the panel, said he “proactively” agreed to the written interview.
“I appreciate his commitment to transparency and his willingness to engage with the Committee,” Comer said in a statement at the time.
It’s unclear how many members will attend the interview, but the trading chief can expect to be investigated once his relationship with Epstein ends.
Politico reported last week that Mace complained that interviews with Epstein witnesses took place while members were out of town or traveling.
“Some of these are scheduled when we are not in session, which makes things even more difficult,” he said. “They make it extremely inconvenient for members of Congress to participate, and that’s on purpose.”
In other developments:
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A majority of Indiana Republican legislators backed by rival Donald Trump lost their primaries on Tuesday.It gave the president victory in a deep red state just months after lawmakers there rejected his redistricting plan. At least five of the seven candidates Trump supported against state Senate candidates won. More here.
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Democratic senator Sherrod Brown and Republican senator Jon Husted won their party’s nomination in the Ohio primaryThat prepares them for what is expected to be a high-profile and expensive Senate race in November’s midterm elections, according to the Associated Press. More here.
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Senate Republicans release new immigration enforcement funding package This includes a proposed $1 billion that could be used for security measures related to the $400 million ballroom, which is part of Donald Trump’s “East Wing modernization project.” More here.
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Marco Rubio argues the US is in a “very lucky” position as fuel prices continue to rise across the country Amid the disruption caused by the US-Israeli war against Iran. With average US fuel prices now approaching $4.50 per gallon (the highest level in four years), the US Secretary of State was asked on Tuesday how long Americans should accept those levels. Other countries are “suffering greatly,” Rubio said. More here.
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Seven of the leading contenders in California’s unexpectedly dramatic governor’s race face off On Tuesday night’s debate stage, the stakes are higher now that ballots are in the mail. Becerra was one of the first targets, as expected, given his steady rise in the polls. More here.
