Anti-Trump attack dog and notorious “Russian collusion” fabulist Eric Swalwell (D-CA) claims that President Trump is about to be overwhelmed by a groundswell of GOP opposition, the Daily Mail reports.
In a dramatic, vaguely threatening post on X, Swalwell alleged that as many as 100 Republicans will defy the president over the so-called Epstein files, which have dominated Democrats’ talking points in recent months.
In a curious shift, Democrats have cast themselves as champions of transparency in the Epstein case, which they showed little interest in until recently.
But since July of this year, when the Justice Department officially rejected the existence of the so-called client list, Democrats have fixated on accusing Trump and his administration of protecting a shadowy cabal of pedophiles.
“It's coming to an end guys. I've spoken to a lot of House Republicans this week and they've confided that Trump's movement/support is fading,' Swalwell wrote on X.
“As one told me, ‘this Epstein bomb is about to drop and no want [sic] wants to defend a pedo-protector. It's just a matter of time."
Swalwell then claimed in a follow-up post: “One Republican just texted me that if there's a discharge vote on Epstein they expect a ‘jail break’ of over 100 members. Trump will go nuts!'
Swalwell did not name any of these rebel Republicans who are supposedly ready to break with Trump.
Swalwell’s Epstein claims likely reflect the wishful thinking of his party's base more than political reality. We have heard many times before that the “walls are closing in” on Trump, and each time those predictions have proven wrong.
During Trump's first term, Swalwell was among the most prolific promoters of the baseless "Russian collusion" hoax that was predicted to end Trump's political career.
It surely does no favors to Epstein’s victims that a notorious, lying blowhard like Swalwell is now claiming to be their advocate. But Democrats believe they can use the Epstein scandal to drive a wedge between Trump and his MAGA base and tarnish the president’s reputation without evidence of wrongdoing.
Many Trump supporters remain skeptical of the government’s tidy conclusions in the Epstein case, and a few Republicans in the House have clashed with the White House over the files. But Trump’s approval rating has held steady through months of Epstein-related drama, despite Swalwell’s dramatic claims of Trump’s movement collapsing.
When asked for a response to Swalwell’s latest outlandish claims, the White House referenced Swalwell's past romantic involvement with a Chinese spy.
“Did his Chinese spy lover Fang Fang write this tweet?” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said.
House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) is winning praise from the left as she strays from her party's shutdown talking points.
The Georgia congressman is demanding the renewal of the Obamacare tax credits at the center of the government shutdown, warning that premiums will double unless Congress acts.
“I’m absolutely disgusted that health insurance premiums will DOUBLE if the tax credits expire this year,” Greene wrote on X.
With her take on the subsidies, Greene is at odds with Republican leaders who have insisted on passing a "clean" continuing resolution to open the government without any policy attachments.
Democrats have refused to support a funding bill without guarantees that Congress will extend the enhanced tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
Greene said she is "not a fan" of the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare, and she acknowledged the health care law made insurance unaffordable for her family. But she defended the tax credits that many people, including her own children, rely on to afford the steep premiums on the Obamacare health exchanges.
“I’m going to go against everyone on this issue because when the tax credits expire this year, my own adult children’s insurance premiums for 2026 are going to DOUBLE, along with all the wonderful families and hard-working people in my district,” the Georgia Republican continued.
Democrats including Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-Ny.), the party's leader in the shutdown fight, have highlighted the support from Greene to attack her party as out of touch on healthcare.
“So hold on to your hats,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “I think this is the first time I said this, but, on this issue, Representative Greene said it perfectly.”
Greene is regarded with contempt by most liberals, making her alignment with Democrats on Obamacare surprising to many.
But this is not the first time that the Trump-supporting Greene has bucked the president and his party, with Greene also supporting a discharge petition to force a vote on the so-called Epstein files as Trump seeks to move on from the controversy. Greene has also criticized Trump at times for moves on foreign policy that she says betray the "America First" creed.
Republicans, including Trump, have said they are willing to negotiate healthcare, but not while the government is shut down.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has dismissed Greene's criticism of the party's healthcare plans as uninformed.
“Congresswoman Greene does not serve on the committees of jurisdiction to deal with those specialized issues, and she’s probably not read that in on some of that, because it’s still been sort of in their silos of the people who specialize in those issues,” Johnson said Tuesday.
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.
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.
After what has been a seemingly never-ending conflict, it appears as though President Donald Trump has announced great news as far as the Israel-Gaza war is concerned.
According to Fox News, the president announced over the weekend that Israel has agreed to an "initial withdrawal line" in Gaza, which would trigger an immediate ceasefire and an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
It was noted in the president's statement that the line had been shown to Hamas. The terrorist group has yet to confirm it's on board, but experts believe it will happen.
President Trump shared the fantastic news in a Truth Social post, saying the deal would bring an end to a "3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE."
The president's post on his Truth Social account provided details regarding the situation, assuming it unfolds as planned.
"After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas. When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal, which will bring us close to the end of this 3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE," Trump wrote.
He added, "Thank you for your attention to this matter and, STAY TUNED!"
Notably, Trump's announcement was published just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a "great achievement" on the horizon.
"It is not yet final; we are working on it diligently, and I hope, with God's help, that in the coming days, during the Sukkot holiday, I will be able to inform you about the return of all our hostages, both living and deceased, in one phase, while the IDF remains deep within the Strip and in the controlling areas within it."
Fox News noted:
Netanyahu claimed that after intense military and diplomatic pressure, Hamas was pressured into agreeing to Israel’s proposed plan, rejecting the fact that Hamas had previously been ready to release the Israeli hostages without a full withdrawal from Gaza.
Users across social media had plenty to say about a potential deal that would hopefully bring the war to an end.
“After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas. When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin…” - President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/y1fDTuGMmF
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 4, 2025
"If Hamas is still there, the conflict will not end," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "I believe Hamas will never give up their arms and their control!"
President Donald Trump and his administration have had great success in pushing forward their policies thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court, especially as mostly Democrat-appointed federal judges keep trying to interrupt them.
According to the Daily Caller, the Trump administration chalked up another SCOTUS win after the high court allowed the administration to end the protections in place for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan nationals.
Last month, a federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama stopped the administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for those Venezuelan nationals, ruling that it violated the law.
Trump's Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which leads such issues, was hamstrung by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen.
This week, the Supreme Court stepped in and lifted Chen's September ruling, marking a massive victory for the Trump administration's deportation initiatives.
“Although the posture of the case has changed, the parties’ legal arguments and relative harms generally have not,” the court’s order states. “The same result that we reached in May is appropriate here.”
The May reference was due to an earlier ruling this year that involved the high court lifting a similar order.
The Trump administration, in its efforts to have the high court step in, argued why TPS for the Venezuelan nationals should be ended.
“So long as the district court’s order is in effect, the Secretary must permit over 300,000 Venezuelan nationals to remain in the country, notwithstanding her reasoned determination that doing so even temporarily is ‘contrary to the national interest,'" the administration wrote.
Not surprisingly, Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, who make up the liberal side of the high court, dissented, saying they would not have made the same call.
Justice Jackson called the situation "another grave misuse of our emergency docket" in her dissent.
“Having opted instead to join the fray, the Court plainly misjudges the irreparable harm and balance-of-the-equities factors by privileging the bald assertion of unconstrained executive power over countless families’ pleas for the stability our Government has promised them,” Jackson wrote.
She added, "Because, respectfully, I cannot abide our repeated, gratuitous, and harmful interference with cases pending in the lower courts while lives hang in the balance, I dissent.”
It doesn't really matter, as Jackson's dissent certainly isn't going to keep the president up at night.
Nobody knows when the government shutdown will end -- but President Donald Trump can guarantee that many federal workers won't have jobs to come back to when it's over.
Working with budget hawk Russ Vought, Trump is leveraging the shutdown to escalate his rolling purge of the federal government, the New York Post reports.
Trump hinted that firings could come as soon as Friday, concentrated in agencies staffed by "Democrat" officials.
“I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent,” Trump wrote.
Echoing Trump, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that "thousands" of workers are facing termination, particularly those who do not support Trump's mission.
Some of the hardest-hit agencies could include the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - frequent targets of the right, where over 80% of workers have already been furloughed.
Any firings could create political pain for Democrats, who have cast themselves as defenders of the civil service -- while at the same time choosing to shutter government services over policy differences.
Democrats have refused to fund the government unless Republicans extend enhanced tax credits for the Obamacare exchanges.
Republicans say they are willing to negotiate on healthcare, but the issue should be addressed another time.
There was no end in sight to the impasse Friday as Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), continued to press their demands.
"It's Day 3 of the Trump shutdown, and the government remains closed because Donald Trump and Republicans insist on raising Americans' health care premiums and kicking millions off their insurance," Schumer said.
Schumer's hostage-taking strategy has political risks, not least the possibility that voters blame his party for the consequences of the shutdown.
Indeed, Schumer himself opposed a shutdown earlier this year, warning it would make Trump even stronger. Schumer took a drubbing from Democrats, at the time, but the senator may have been onto something.
Indeed, Trump and his Republican allies say Democrats are shooting themselves in the foot.
“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN," Trump wrote.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick believes that Jeffrey Epstein was part of a blackmail conspiracy, contradicting the findings of FBI director Kash Patel and other Trump administration figures.
During an appearance on the New York Post podcast Pod Force One, Lutnick, who was Epstein's neighbor, recalled a disturbing tour of Epstein's infamous New York mansion.
Lutnick said he quickly realized Epstein was bad news and vowed never to return after the financier showed him a massage room.
"And what happened in that massage room, I assume, was on video," he continued. "This guy was the greatest blackmailer ever, blackmailed people. That's how he had money."
Lutnick alleged that high-profile people who associated with Epstein, like Bill Gates and Prince Andrew, knew what Epstein was up to and "participated."
A spokesperson for Gates told The New York Post in a statement: “This is absolutely false. Gates met with Epstein to discuss philanthropy and nothing else.”
Gates was one of several powerful figures who continued to associate with Epstein even after he became a sex offender.
Lutnick's claims are at odds with the findings of the Justice Department, which concluded in July that Epstein died by suicide and did not have a "client list" of people who could face criminal charges.
Months later, Democrats are still hammering the controversy to accuse Trump and his White House of a sinister cover-up.
At a fiery congressional hearing in September, the FBI's Patel said there is "no credible evidence" that Epstein trafficked girls to anyone other than himself. Patel did not rule out the possibility of other people being involved in Epstein's crimes but insisted "all credible information" is already public.
"There is no credible information, none – if there were I would bring the case yesterday – that he trafficked to other individuals," Patel said.
Patel also cast blame at former federal prosecutor Alex Acosta, who reached a controversial plea deal with Epstein in 2008. Acosta's involvement was the "original sin" in the case, Patel said.
Acosta defended the plea agreement to lawmakers last month, citing problems with evidence that he said would have jeopardized a conviction.
Epstein was sentenced to 18 months but ended up serving just 13 months in prison, with work-release privileges allowing him to leave jail for up to 12 hours a day, six days a week.
Commenting on the light punishment, Lutnick alleged that Epstein handed over compromising videos of powerful figures in exchange for a slap on the wrist.
"I mean, he's a serial sex offender. How could he get 18 months and be able to go to his office during the day and have visitors and stuff? There must have been a trade," Lutnick said.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seemed to slip a nicotine pouch into his mouth in the middle of a White House event, the Daily Mail reported.
Kennedy, the nation's top public health official, was standing right behind President Trump during a press conference on lowering drug costs.
Trump was proudly touting a deal with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer when Kennedy appeared to put something in his mouth.
This is not the first time Kennedy has been spotted using a nicotine product on the sly. Many people who tuned in to Kennedy's contentious Senate confirmation hearing in January thought Kennedy popped a Zyn, a popular brand of nicotine pouch.
Kenned appeared to make a similar motion during Tuesday's press conference, swiping his hand across his mouth as Trump spoke.
The ability to discreetly consume nicotine pouches is one of their main draws. Some people even credit them with weight loss, since nicotine suppresses appetite.
While nicotine pouches like Zyn have been touted as an alternative to smoking, smokeless nicotine products are still addictive, and they may have harmful effects on the heart and gums.
The pouches lay between the upper lip and the gums, releasing nicotine slowly to produce a longer buzz than people get from cigarettes.
Trump set a loose, informal tone at Tuesday's event, where he announced a new website allowing consumers to purchase discounted drugs, "TrumpRx." The president also said Pfizer has agreed to charge lower prices for its drugs to Medicaid.
The president poked fun at Kennedy at one point for sneezing.
"God bless you, Bobby," Trump said. "I hope I didn't catch Covid just there."
Trump jokingly asked Pfizer executive Albert Bourla to administer an anti-viral treatment that Pfizer makes to treat COVID-19.
"Don't you have Paxlovid? He's got Paxlovid. Give me a Paxlovid immediately," Trump said.
The founder of the "Make America Health Again" movement, Kennedy has prioritized combating chronic disease, especially in children, blaming culprits like chemicals in the food supply and a tendency to overmedicate.
He has faced backlash for some of his more unorthodox views, especially on vaccines.
Just days ago, Trump and Kennedy caused a firestorm by blaming autism in children on pregnant mothers using the common over-the-counter painkiller Tylenol.
Kennedy's "MAHA" report on the health of America's children has been criticized by some for omitting tobacco as a cause of chronic disease.
A member of President Trump's Cabinet inadvertently exposed a "highly unfortunate" trade situation concerning American soybean farmers.
A journalist for the Associated Press snapped a photograph of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reading texts on his phone, with the messages clearly legible, while Bessent was at the United Nations General Assembly, the Daily Mail reports.
In the messages, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins laments a "highly unfortunate" turn of events after the U.S. offered to bail out Argentina, whose president, Javier Milei, is a Trump ally.
“Just a heads up. I am getting more intel, but this is highly unfortunate. We bailed out Argentina yesterday and in return, Argentina removed their export tariffs on grains, reducing their price to China at a time when we would normally be selling to China,” the text message read.
“Soy prices are dropping further because of it. This gives China more leverage on us,” it continued. “On a plane but scott I can call you when I land.”
Argentina temporarily dropped its export taxes on grains last week, a move that undercut American farmers right at the start of the harvest season, as China snapped up cargoes of Argentina's crops.
Argentina's selloff came after Bessent announced a $20 billion financial lifeline to support Argentina's economy as Milei faces midterm elections in October.
“These options may include, but are not limited to, swap lines, direct currency purchases, and purchases of U.S. dollar-denominated government debt from Treasury’s Exchange Stabilization Fund,” Bessent said in a social media post.
“Opportunities for private investment remain expansive, and Argentina will be Great Again.”
Bessent is known for being a smooth communicator and defender of Trump's trade policies, but the leak of Bessent's texts has caught the White House off guard as members of Trump's base, including farmers, revolt over the proposed bailout of a foreign country.
Midwestern farmers are under significant pressure from Trump's trade war, as China snubs American farmers to purchase soybeans from South America instead. Trump has floated helping distressed farmers using revenue from his tariffs, which have generated over $200 billion.
The administration's desire to help Argentina stems from Trump's personal and ideological alliance with Milei, a hardline capitalist who received Trump's endorsement at the UN.
It remains to be seen how Trump will balance his desire to help a right-wing ally overseas with his pledge to put the American people first.
In any case, Trump is meeting with Milei in two weeks, Argentina said Tuesday.