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On Friday, the Attorney General designated interim US attorney Jay Clayton to oversee an inquiry into political adversaries of Donald Trump and their relationships with Jeffrey Epstein. This action came just after Trump directed her to launch the investigation.

In a statement, the Attorney General commended Clayton as “one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country”. She added, “The department will handle this matter promptly and thoroughly to provide clarity for citizens.”

This action seems to diverge from a July memo from federal authorities which stated that documents related to Epstein lacked grounds for additional investigations. According to the memo, investigators “found no proof justifying probes into uncharged individuals”

The President Calls for Scrutiny of Political Opponents in the Epstein Matter

The announcement comes as growing demands from the president on lawmakers to block the full release of Epstein-related documents ahead of an key congressional decision next week. Many Republicans are anticipated to back the disclosure.

Recently released emails from Jeffrey Epstein have spotlighted the president’s past involvement with the convicted criminal, revealing information that he was more aware of Epstein’s actions than earlier acknowledged.

That same day, Trump declared he would ask the Department of Justice to investigate connections between Epstein and Democratic figures, specifically naming prominent individuals such as Clinton, Summers, and Hoffman. Interestingly, he also referred to the “Epstein situation” as a “deception”.

Other Developments from the Day

• Trump announced he would file a lawsuit against the BBC, despite an apology from the media outlet. Trump said the lawsuit could seek billions in damages.
• Epstein reportedly guided Steve Bannon during a 2018 media campaign to defend the president’s agenda. Text messages made public show his involvement in coaching the influencer.
• American forces are developing plans for a partitioned Gaza, with a secure area under international and Israeli control and a “red zone” left in ruins.
• State officials have revived the last remaining criminal case against the President after appointing a new lead prosecutor.
• The President reversed trade measures by cutting taxes on imported goods like various food items to combat inflation concerns.
• The two nations concluded a deal to lower import taxes on products from Switzerland from 39% to 15%.

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