Trump threatens criminal probe into Epstein’s links with Clinton, Democrats
Hoffman, a billionaire entrepreneur, is a major Democratic donor who apologized in 2015 for helping improve Epstein’s image.
“Epstein was a Democrat and that Democrat [sic] The problem isn’t the Republicans. [sic] problem!” Trump wrote on social media. “Ask Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman and Larry Summers about Epstein, they know all about him, don’t waste your time with Trump. I have a Country to rule!
Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were friends in the 1990s but later broke up.
It was not immediately clear whether Trump had taken the necessary steps to direct the administration to launch an investigation. This contradicts the well-established norm that the president does not directly involve himself in the Justice Department’s actions.
Trump has clearly stepped outside of these norms. In September, he publicly instructed Bondi to step up charges against many of his political enemies; Democratic senator Adam Schiff, former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“We cannot delay any longer,” Trump wrote at the time. CNN reported that the Truth Social post was supposed to be a special message to Bondi. Comey and James have since been indicted.
Unusually, Trump did not take questions at press events over the past 48 hours, including at a bill signing event to reopen the federal government after a record 43-day shutdown.
Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended the presidential decree signing ceremony at the White House.Credit: Bloomberg
Democrats timed the release of certain Epstein emails to coincide with the day the shutdown ended, angering the president. The shutdown ended when a handful of Democrats broke ranks and voted with Republicans to open the government.
Trump wrote on Saturday (AEDT): “Democrats are doing everything they can to regurgitate the Epstein Hoax to recover from all their bad policies and losses, especially the Shame of the SHUTDOWN where their party is in complete disarray and have no idea what to do.”
The president is also battling accusations that he is indifferent to the affordability crisis, following Democratic success in state and local elections dominated by cost-of-living concerns.
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Trump falsely claimed that the price of “everything” had dropped, including groceries. In fact, supermarket prices increased and inflation rose to 3 percent. But inflation, like oil prices, is much lower than the post-Covid surge under his predecessor, Joe Biden.
“Cost and INFLATION were much higher under the Sleepy Joe Biden Administration than they are now,” Trump said. “In fact, costs are falling under the TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, with gasoline and ENERGY contributing greatly. Affordability is a lie when used by Democrats. This is a CON BUSINESS.”
Trump has recently been criticized by some members of his own party; MAGA ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, for example, said the president spends too much time on foreign affairs and neglects domestic issues.
