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On Friday, the Attorney General appointed interim US attorney Jay Clayton to oversee an investigation into political adversaries of Donald Trump and their links with Jeffrey Epstein. This decision came hours after the president instructed her to begin the investigation.

During an announcement, the Attorney General commended Jay Clayton as “among the nation’s top prosecutors”. The official stated, “This case will be addressed with speed and honesty to ensure public transparency.”

This action seems to diverge from a July memo from justice department officials which indicated that the Epstein files did not warrant additional investigations. As per the memo, investigators “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties”

The President Demands Scrutiny of Democrats in Epstein Case

This news coincides with growing pressure from the president on congressional Republicans to block the public disclosure of files concerning Epstein before an upcoming House vote in the coming days. Several lawmakers are anticipated to support the disclosure.

Recently released communications from Epstein have spotlighted Trump’s previous connections with the sex trafficker, revealing information that he was more aware of Epstein’s actions than earlier acknowledged.

On Friday, the President announced he would ask the Department of Justice to investigate Epstein’s ties with Democrats, specifically naming prominent individuals such as Clinton, Summers, and Hoffman. Paradoxically, he also described the “Epstein situation” as a “scam”.

Other Updates from the Day

• Trump announced he would take legal action against the BBC, even after a formal apology from the media outlet. He claimed the lawsuit could seek between a billion and $5bn.
• Epstein allegedly advised former Trump aide Steve Bannon during a 2018 media campaign to defend Trump’s policies. Text messages made public detail his involvement in coaching the influencer.
• American forces are planning for a divided Gaza, with a secure area under international and Israeli control and a “red zone” left in ruins.
• State officials have reopened the sole ongoing legal case against the President after naming a new lead prosecutor.
• Trump reversed trade measures by cutting duties on food imports like beef, tomatoes, coffee and bananas to combat inflation concerns.
• US and Switzerland concluded a trade agreement to reduce tariffs on Swiss goods from 39% to 15%.

Other notable events featured calls to safeguard public lands, objections of an monitoring group, and a judge’s decision for a resolution in the Purdue Pharma lawsuit.