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On Friday, the Attorney General designated Jay Clayton to oversee an probe into opponents of the President and their links with Jeffrey Epstein. This action came shortly after Trump instructed her to initiate the investigation.

In a statement, the Attorney General praised Jay Clayton as “one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country”. She added, “As with all matters, the department will pursue this with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.”

This action seems to diverge from a recent memorandum from justice department officials which indicated that documents related to Epstein did not warrant further inquiries. As per the memo, investigators “found no proof justifying probes into uncharged individuals”

The President Demands Focus on Political Opponents in Epstein Case

The announcement comes as growing pressure from the president on lawmakers to resist the public disclosure of files concerning Epstein ahead of an key congressional decision in the coming days. Many Republicans are expected to support the disclosure.

Recently released communications from Jeffrey Epstein have highlighted Trump’s previous connections with the sex trafficker, revealing information that his knowledge of Epstein’s behavior exceeded prior admissions.

That same day, Trump declared he would ask the DOJ to investigate Epstein’s ties with Democrats, specifically naming prominent individuals such as Clinton, Summers, and Hoffman. Interestingly, Trump also referred to the “Epstein hoax” as a “deception”.

Additional Developments from Friday

• The President announced he would file a lawsuit against the BBC, despite a formal apology from the media outlet. He said the lawsuit could seek between a billion and $5bn.
• Epstein reportedly guided former Trump aide Steve Bannon during a 2018 media campaign to defend the president’s agenda. Communications released show his role in coaching the influencer.
• US military are developing plans for a partitioned Gaza, with a “green zone” under joint military oversight and a restricted section unreconstructed.
• State officials have reopened the last remaining criminal case against Trump after appointing a replacement attorney.
• The President changed trade measures by reducing duties on food imports like various food items to combat inflation concerns.
• US and Switzerland reached a deal to lower tariffs on Swiss goods from 39% to 15%.

Additional developments included appeals to safeguard public lands, objections of an monitoring group, and a court approval for a settlement in the OxyContin lawsuit.