President Trump was evasive about the possibility of pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, when asked about the subject on Monday.
Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he would consult the Justice Department on the matter, the Washington Examiner reported.
"I haven’t heard the name in so long,” Trump told reporters of Maxwell. “I’d have to take a look at it. I would have to take a look.”
Controversy over Epstein was renewed this summer after the Justice Department affirmed that the financier died by suicide in jail and that he did not have an incriminating "client list."
The cut-and-dry conclusions sparked backlash from some in Trump's own base, where many have long believed that Epstein was part of a large and shadowy criminal conspiracy.
Theories about Epstein have since migrated leftward, as Democrats accuse Trump of a sinister effort to hide the so-called Epstein files.
Trump has been eager to put the Epstein firestorm to rest, although his own comments have at times fanned the flames.
“I’ll speak to the DOJ. I wouldn’t consider it or not consider it. I don’t know anything about it, but I’ll speak to the DOJ,” he continued Monday.
“I don’t know. I may not have to speak to the DOJ. I’ll look at it. I have a lot of people who have asked me for pardons.”
Maxwell is the only person other than Epstein to ever be charged for trafficking girls to him. She is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in recruiting "massage girls" for Epstein to abuse at his homes.
Trump has previously appeared to leave the door open to pardoning Maxwell. His latest comments on the matter came after the Supreme Court rejected Maxwell's appeal of her 2021 conviction for sex trafficking.
Any clemency for Maxwell would be certain to cause enormous controversy, including within Trump's own MAGA movement, which responded with consternation to the Justice Department's closure of the Epstein case in July.
But Trump has gone against his base before, previously disavowing "weaklings" on the right who remain focused on the Epstein matter. Trump has blasted the recent interest in the case as a cynical "hoax" being pushed by Democrats to distract from his achievements.
After she was thrust back into the spotlight this summer, Maxwell met with the Justice Department's No.2 official, Todd Blanche, for a controversial interview that fueled accusations that Maxwell was negotiating a pardon.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from a case on Monday dealing with social media websites.
Alito did not explain why he stepped aside, but the reason was likely routine as he owns stock in the company Procter & Gamble, which was a party in the case, according to left-leaning advocacy group Fix The Court.
The Supreme Court rejected the appeal from right-wing provocateur Laura Loomer, who accused the tech giants Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) of colluding to censor her during both of her campaigns for Congress.
A brief note said that Alito "took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.”
"The petition for a writ of certiorari is denied. Justice Alito took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition," the court wrote.
Loomer had alleged that she was deplatformed as part of a conspiracy involving "government pressure, corporate collusion and biased content moderation” that “stifled” her ability to fundraise and communicate with voters, the Hill reported.
Her arguments failed to win over lower courts, which found she did not have a convincing claim that the Big Tech companies acted as a criminal enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Loomer named consumer goods corporation Procter & Gamble as one of the defendants in the alleged conspiracy to silence her. Justice Alito inherited shares in the company from his late father-in-law.
Federal judges are required to recuse themselves in cases where their impartiality can be called into question, such as situations where they have a financial interest.
In recent years, the left has pressured conservative members of the Supreme Court to recuse themselves from cases on more spurious grounds.
Alito, for instance, previously faced demands from Democrats to step aside from January 6th cases over flags that were displayed at his homes. Alito stood his ground, issuing a defiant response to his critics.
While critical of Alito in other instances, Fix The Court noted that his recusal from the Loomer case was unremarkable.
"Sometimes, the simplest answer is the right one: Justice Alito recused because the law required him to do so," wrote Fix The Cout clerk Manny Marotta.
This is not the first time that Alito has recused himself from a case where he had a financial interest. Indeed, Alito has investments in 28 different companies, according to his financial disclosures.
A new Harvard-Harris poll reveals that 62% of respondents believe Republicans will come out ahead of Democrats in the government shutdown fight, Breitbart reported. Democrats are holding out over continued healthcare subsidies left over from the COVID-19 pandemic and are blaming the GOP for not acquiescing to their demands to pass funding.
Democrats, such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, apparently believe they have a winning strategy by refusing to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government open. Unfortunately for them, the American people see right through this.
A graph of the survey results shared by journalist Eric Daugherty demonstrates exactly how wrong they are. "BREAKING: It was just revealed that a whopping 62% of Americans say Republicans and President Trump will WIN the government shutdown battle — only 38% say Democrats, per Harvard-Harris. Lmao, it’s OVER," Daugherty captioned the graph in a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.
🚨 BREAKING: It was just revealed that a whopping 62% of Americans say Republicans and President Trump will WIN the government shutdown battle — only 38% say Democrats, per Harvard-Harris.
Lmao, it’s OVER. 😂 pic.twitter.com/ud8uaM6n8M
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 6, 2025
The pollsters surveyed 2,413 registered voters between October 1 and 2 to ask about their views on who they thought would prevail in the fight over the government shutdown. "Who do you think will win the government shutdown — the Democrats or the Republicans?" the poll posited.
The results confirmed that a majority believed Republicans would win, while just 38% thought Democrats would be the victors. When further broken down by party affiliation, a full 92% of Republicans believed the GOP would prevail, while 70% of Democrats thought their side would win.
Independents matched the overall results, with 62% believing Republicans would win the showdown after all. Nevertheless, Democrats seem committed to the continuation of the shutdown by framing it as a fight over healthcare. At the same time, House Speaker Mike Johnson called them out on this intentional conflation of the issue of funding the government for its current needs with extracting more benefits from taxpayers.
After all, Republicans have proposed a bill that would keep everything funded and moving forward while negotiating the next budget deal for the end of the year. Democrats are not interested in that and are being duplicitous in their dealings with the American people as to why they haven't struck a deal.
"I want you to look at the real facts, keep the lights on and keep the government open so that appropriators can finish this very healthy process for the people they represent," Johnson said Monday at a news conference, explaining that the GOP has a "clean" bill that Democrats refuse to pass. "Why do we say it’s clean? Because there’s nothing to it. It’s 24 pages. It’s the bare minimum. It just says, keep the status quo," Johnson explained.
Johnson went on to explain the Democrats' aim in holding out. "They created a red herring. A red herring is a distraction. They decided that they would pick a fight on health care. Let me look right into the camera and tell you very clearly, Republicans are the ones concerned about health care," Johnson said.
"There’s a lot of thoughtful debate and discussion that has already been going on about that, and will go on about it, but that’s a December 31 issue," Johnson later explained, referring to the date a later budget bill could be passed if Democrats would simply continue current funding levels. "So, Chuck Schumer is scrambling. He has to have an issue," Johnson said.
"They’re two totally separate things. The clean continuing resolution would simply keep the lights on so that the members in the House and Senate can have those debates on health care. We were always planning it. We have lots of ideas on the table on how to fix it, but we don’t yet have a consensus on it because it’s very complicated. We have time to do it," Johnson said.
Even if Democrats think this is a winning strategy, Fox News reported that Trump could ultimately have the last laugh because the shutdown gives him the ability to make permanent cuts. "We may do a lot," Trump said when asked whether he would lay off federal workers.
Democrats have not learned from their mistakes and are attempting to use their tired playbook that lost them the presidency, Congress, and offices likely down to dog catcher in some places. The longer this goes on, the worse it gets, but Schumer and his ilk continue to dig in their heels just to oppose Trump.
Matt Van Epps will find out his fate on Tuesday after President Donald Trump's eleventh-hour endorsement in the primary for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District, Fox News reported. The election followed the resignation of Republican Rep. Park Green, who vacated the seat to take a job in the private sector in June.
The former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services received Trump's endorsement late last week, even as early voting had already closed. Also in the running for the spot are Tennessee state Reps. Gino Bulso, Jody Barrett, and Lee Reeves, who would later suspend his campaign and endorse Van Epps after Trump made his pick late in the race.
On the Democratic side are businessman Darden Copeland, as well as state Reps. Aftyn Behn, Bo Mitchell, and Vincent Dixie. The primary winners from the respective parties will face off in a special election on December 2, but the GOP has an advantage as Trump won the district, which covers the central and western parts of the state, by 20 points in the last presidential election.
Many believe Trump's endorsement in this district is a significant win, setting Van Epps apart from the pack after the race had become a test of MAGA loyalty. On Monday, the conservative group Club for Growth hosted a tele-rally featuring Trump and Van Epps as part of the final push.
Trump released a statement as soon as he pledged his support to Van Epps, but he reiterated the sentiments in a post to Truth Social on Tuesday in an effort to get out the vote for his chosen candidate. "VOTE TODAY!" Trump urged on his social media platform.
"It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot Matt Van Epps, who is running to represent the Great People of Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. A West Point Graduate, and Combat Decorated Army Helicopter Pilot, Matt knows the WISDOM and COURAGE required to Defend our Country, Support our Incredible Military/Veterans, and Ensure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH," the president touted of his Van Epps' service.
"In Congress, Matt will work hard to Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion School Choice, Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment. He is strongly supported by my good friend, Congressman Jim Jordan, and many other highly respected MAGA Warriors!" Trump added.
"Matt Van Epps has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Congressman from Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" the president concluded. This enthusiastic support from the president was not shared by others, however.
Despite receiving Trump's backing, some Republicans are expressing their misgivings about Van Epps because of his role during the COVID-19 pandemic as a response coordinator. In a Tennessee Star opinion piece, author Karen Rupert Rayl took Van Epps to task over his role in perpetuating the COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates.
"Matt Van Epps may tout certain credentials, but actions speak louder than words. A true conservative doesn’t hide behind a desk, rubber-stamping policies that erode our God-given rights. A true conservative stands up for parents, business owners, and children when the government oversteps," Rayl asserted.
"Van Epps failed that test. His bureaucratic role in administering the state’s response during COVID aligns him more with Anthony Fauci’s top-down control than with the principles of limited government we hold dear in Tennessee," she added. Attacks against Van Epps seem to center around identifying him with Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who ran the national COVID-19 response.
His opponent, Barrett, has utilized the smear as a campaign strategy and incorporated it into his campaign website. Whether this strategy will overcome the momentum from president's endorsement will be up to the voters who cast their ballots to decide whether the GOP has another Trump ally in the House of Representatives.
It's a smart strategy for Republicans to unite behind a candidate in such a crowded field. Regardless of who wins in the primary, the real test of strength will be whether the GOP can get behind whichever candidate becomes the nominee.
President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs asked him for a pardon after being sentenced to more than four years in prison for charges related to prostitution.
“I have had a lot of people ask me for pardons," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“I call him Puff Daddy. He has asked me for a pardon," Trump added.
The clip of Trump's comments was brief and didn't address whether Trump planned to grant the pardon.
It was only three days ago that Combs was sentenced to four years and two months in prison, which was a much lighter sentence than the 11 years prosecutors were seeking.
Combs was also acquitted by the jury on racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, the most serious charges he faced.
But instead of considering that he got off easy, he has persisted in saying he shouldn't have been prosecuted at all and is looking to get off scot free.
Combs was accused of holding sex parties at his home and pressuring some who attended to engage in sexual acts with male and female prostitutes.
There was also testimony that he sexually assaulted several underage boys and girls, but that testimony was part of several civil suits against Combs, not part of his criminal trial.
It would be a mistake for Trump to pardon Combs, based on the accusations against him that are still unresolved.
Trump recently pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley from the reality TV show, "Chrisley Knows Best."
The Chrisleys were convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud, and were serving long prison sentences for their crimes.
They quickly revived their reality show and went back to business as usual, although let's hope they pay their taxes from this point forward.
The pardon didn't really make sense for Trump, so who knows what he'll do about Combs' request.
In a striking televised moment, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., denounced President Donald Trump’s behavior as “unhinged” and “unreasonable” amid the ongoing government shutdown, Fox News reported.
The interview on NBC’s "Meet the Press" highlighted the bitter standoff between the White House and Democrats over funding, health care policy, and personal attacks through social media.
Earlier in the week, Trump targeted Jeffries on Truth Social with a meme video shared on Monday.
The video depicted Jeffries with a mustache and sombrero, set to mariachi music, while Trump also branded Democrats as the party of “hate, evil, and Satan.”
On Sunday, Jeffries responded to these actions during his appearance on "Meet the Press."
Host Kristen Welker showcased a screenshot of the video, asking if Jeffries still saw Trump as a viable negotiating partner.
Jeffries rebuked Trump, stating, “That behavior is outrageous, it’s unhinged, it’s unreasonable, and it speaks for itself.”
He further criticized, “The American people deserve better than lies, than attacks, than deep fake videos and the president spending all of his time on the golf course.”
He underscored the urgent need for genuine leadership to address the crisis affecting countless Americans.
Jeffries affirmed his openness to dialogue, saying, “And we will continue to make clear — Leader Schumer, myself — that we will sit down any time, any place, with anyone to address this issue with the seriousness that it deserves, to stand up for the American people.”
He also accused Republican policies, including Trump’s tariffs, of worsening economic hardships for many citizens.
Welker challenged Jeffries on why not fund the government first and debate Obamacare tax credits later, as they don’t expire until year-end.
Jeffries insisted, “If these affordable tax care credits are allowed to expire, premium and healthcare costs are going to skyrocket.”
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson retorted, calling Democrats’ health care stance for undocumented immigrants “unhinged and unreasonable,” and added, “The sombreros will continue until the Democrats reopen the government.”
Jeffries maintained that a cooperative approach was essential, urging bipartisan talks to reopen the government and improve living standards amid high costs.
President Trump called on the embattled Democratic candidate in Virginia's attorney general election, Jay Jones, to drop out after the Democrat was caught fantasizing about the murder of a Republican rival and his family.
In disturbing text messages, Jones said he would shoot ex-House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R) "every time" if given a choice between killing him or dictators like Hitler and Pol Pot.
In a Truth Social post, Trump endorsed Jones' opponent, Republican incumbent Jason Miyares, and called on Jones to end his campaign "immediately."
“It has just come out that the Radical Left Lunatic, Jay Jones, who is running against Jason Miyares, the GREAT Attorney General in Virginia, made SICK and DEMENTED jokes, if they were jokes at all, which were not funny, and that he wrote down and sent around to people, concerning the murdering of a Republican Legislator, his wife, and their children,” Trump posted on Sunday.
Trump also slammed the tepid response from Abigail Spanberger, the Democrats' candidate for governor of Virginia, who criticized Jones without calling for him to drop out.
“Abigail Spanberger, who is running for Governor, is weak and ineffective, and refuses to acknowledge what this Lunatic has done. Even Democrats are saying it is ‘RESIGNATION FROM CAMPAIGN’ TERRITORY,” Trump continued.
Jones, a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, shared his twisted thoughts with Republican colleague Carrie Coyner, who expressed shock at the horrific messages.
“Three people, two bullets,” Jones wrote in the messages, which were first reported by National Review.
“Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones wrote, adding, “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
Additionally, Jones told Coyner that people need to "feel pain" to change their minds on policy, with Jones wishing death on Gilbert's family of "little fascists."
“I mean do I think Todd and Jennifer are evil? And that they’re breeding little fascists? Yes,” he wrote, referring to Gilbert’s wife and two children.
Initially, Jones reacted to getting caught by accusing his opponent, Miyares, of a "smear" campaign.
“Let’s be clear about what is happening in the Attorney General race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign,” he added. “This is a strategy that ensures Jason Miyares will continue to be accountable to Donald Trump, not the people of Virginia.”
While Jones has since apologized, Republicans including Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin have all urged Jones to step aside, calling his comments disqualifying.
Democrats have largely responded by closing ranks, with Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, a Democrat, calling the texts a distraction.
The Virginia Beach Democratic Committee called Jones' texts a "mistake" and invoked Christ, adding, "We say, let those without sin cast the first stone.”
The Supreme Court will weigh a pivotal case this week on who has the right to challenge election laws.
The conservative watchdog Judicial Watch sued on behalf of Illinois congressman Mike Bost (R) who is challenging a state law that allows mail-in ballots to be accepted two weeks late, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day, Just The News reported.
The Supreme Court is not weighing the merits of the law itself, but whether Bost has the right to challenge it, a concept known as "standing."
Bost's legal challenge had been rejected by lower courts, which found he lacked standing to bring the case.
While it turns on a seemingly dry procedural question, the consequences of the case could be far-reaching.
That is because without legal standing, there is no way for a political candidate to challenge election rules that invite cheating, said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
According to Fitton, the Supreme Court is deciding nothing less than whether candidates can "sue to stop an election from being stolen.”
Russ Nobile, a senior attorney for Judicial Watch, noted that "many cases didn't go anywhere" in 2020 because of standing.
More than four years later, the legal picture remains muddled, but Judicial Watch hopes the Supreme Court will finally provide some clarity.
Otherwise, "it could be a green light to the left to engage in the manipulation of election practices," Fitton warned.
Some left-wing groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and League of Women Voters are supporting Bost's challenge on procedural grounds.
"While the League and its state and local affiliates have fought to advance state laws like the one challenged here, and thus vehemently oppose Petitioners’ position on the merits, they often find themselves in the same position that Representative Bost does here: injured because a challenged election rule materially interferes with their pre-existing core activities and drains resources that would otherwise be deployed elsewhere,” the groups wrote.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case, Rep. Michael J. Bost, Laura Pollastrini, and Susan Sweeney v. The Illinois State Board of Elections and Bernadette Matthews, on Wednesday.
President Trump blasted Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for being "so f--ing negative" about a pending deal to end the war in Gaza and free the remaining Israeli hostages, according to a report.
The tense conversation took place Friday after Hamas said it would accept parts of Trump's 20-point peace plan, Axios reported.
“I don’t know why you’re always so f–king negative. This is a win. Take it,” Trump reportedly said.
In particular, Hamas agreed to release all of Israel's hostages, but the terror group said nothing about disarming, a key point of contention with Israel.
A U.S. official told Axios that Bibi was underwhelmed, telling Trump, "this is nothing to celebrate and it doesn't mean anything."
But Trump saw Hamas' response as an opening to making a deal, and the president was annoyed that "Bibi" didn't see it the same way.
In public comments after their phone call, Trump boasted about pushing Netanyahu to accept the deal, leaving no doubt of who has the upper hand.
"Netanyahu had reservations but I told him that this is his opportunity for victory," Trump told Israeli television's Channel 12 on Saturday. "He accepted it. There is no other choice, with me you have to be okay."
"Bibi went too far in Gaza and Israel lost a lot of support in the world,” Trump added. “Now I will bring back all that support.”
When asked Monday about his reported use of foul language towards Netanyahu, Trump denied it, saying, "No, it’s not true. He has been very positive.”
Still, it has been apparent for some time that Trump's desire for diplomacy is in tension with Netanyahu's hardline priorities.
During an Oval Office meeting last week, Trump forced Netanyahu to apologize to Qatar, a Hamas mediator, for an attack on Qatar's capital that blindsided the White House.
While it is widely understood that "Bibi" is not thrilled with the terms of Trump's peace deal, Netanyahu is also under pressure from the Israeli public to end the two-year war and free the remaining hostages taken by Hamas. Meanwhile, Trump has warned that Hamas faces "complete obliteration" if they do not surrender power.
As peace talks began in Egypt on Monday, Trump kept the pressure on both sides.
"I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” Trump said in a social media post.
President Donald Trump has declared success in striking suspected drug boats, and indicated that his administration would now target drug trafficking over land.
Addressing the Navy on Sunday in a flashy show for its 250th anniversary, Trump said, "In recent weeks, the Navy has supported our mission to blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water.
"And you know, there are no boats in the water anymore. You can't find any. We're having a hard time finding them."
"We're so good at it, that there are no boats," he continued. "We're stopping drugs at a level that nobody's ever seen before."
The president noted that 300,000 people in America were lost to drugs last year and said that each boat the Navy destroyed was responsible for "25,000 deaths."
"Every one of us knows families that have been destroyed, because the son, daughter -- Even mothers and fathers are destroyed by the fentanyl pouring in, and drugs pouring in," he said.
"Well, they're not coming in by sea anymore," he continued. "So now we'll have to start looking about the land, because they'll be forced to go by land."
He laughed before saying, "That's not gonna work out well for 'em either."
War Secretary Pete Hegseth has vowed to continue targeting ships “until the attacks on the American people are over.”
Trump told the Washington Examiner last week that the administration would “look very seriously at cartels coming by land.”
So far, all of the strikes have been on boats coming from Venezuela, which has the Cartel de los Soles and Tren de Aragua.
It wasn't immediately clear how he would target cartels on land, but in a memorandum last week he declared that the United States is in a “non-international armed conflict” with the cartels.
Trump has said he wants to enter Mexico to fight the cartels across the border, but Mexico has so far resisted that idea.
Unlike Venezuela, which can't really fight back against the U.S., Mexico has much more firepower and access to American soil. Let's see if Trump can get cooperation from our southern neighbor to do what needs to be done.