Donald Trump has turned on his former close ally, Marjorie Taylor Greene, denouncing the MAGA congresswoman in a social media blast posted as his motorcade brought the president to his Palm Beach club on Friday night. The move comes amid mounting questions over Epstein-related files and Trump's refusal to release them fully.
Trump refused to rule out a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, his former associate sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2022 for her role in a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse multiple minor girls with Jeffrey Epstein. He directed the justice department to investigate Epstein's relationship with several prominent Democrats, including former president Bill Clinton, former treasury secretary Larry Summers, and donor and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman.
Under pressure to explain why he will not release all of the files from the federal investigation into Epstein, Trump suggested that anything reflecting badly on him might have been added after the election. Documents provided to Congress by Epstein's estate include transcripts of text messages appearing to show the late sex offender was in direct contact with a House member during a 2019 congressional hearing with Michael Cohen.
Trump's attorney general, Pam Bondi, announced that Jay Clayton, US attorney for the southern district of New York, will lead the new Epstein investigation at the president's behest. In his exchange with reporters on Air Force One, Trump said the focus should be on Reid Hoffman, claiming Hoffman spent time on Epstein's island, while Trump insisted he never visited it.
Meanwhile, the Republican party thanked Trump for news that Thanksgiving dinner costs could be 2-3% cheaper this year for shoppers willing to buy budget brands. However, the figures are far lower than the 25% reduction Trump has claimed, which was based on a smaller Walmart basket with fewer items and more generic brands.
