☕️ House votes to release Epstein files

Good morning!

It’s critically important to point out that according to the United Nations, today is International World Toilet Day.

With that out of the way, let’s get on to the news.

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Some headlines from this morning:

• U.S. and Russian officials have told Axios they have been secretly cooperating on a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. The plan is reportedly based on President Trump’s 21-point peace plan in Gaza, with sources telling Axios the Ukraine deal is 28 points, which can be divided into four categories. The deal focuses on peace in Ukraine, security guarantees, security in Europe, and future U.S. relations with Russia and Ukraine. The White House confirmed to Axios it had started briefing Ukrainian officials as well as other European nations.

• President Trump is facing backlash after telling female Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey “quiet, quiet piggy” aboard Air Force One. The President made the remarks after Lucey asked him to clarify why his name appeared numerous times in emails sent by Jeffrey Epstein to multiple associates that have been recently released. A spokesperson for Bloomberg said, “Our White House journalists perform a vital public service.” The White House responded, saying, “If you’re going to give it, you have to be able to take.”

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President Trump hosted Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

The pair discussed the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, as well as increased defense and investment between the two countries.

Here is what you need to know.

The Abraham Accords

President Trump told reporters before the meeting that his main role was to convince MBS to join the Abraham Accords.

The Accords form the basis of a peace treaty between Israel and other Arab nations in the region.

The President and MBS told reporters they had made good progress towards Saudi Arabia signing the deal, but did not give many details. However, the prince did signal he would like the establishment of a Palestinian state to be part of the deal.

Khashoggi

President Trump defended MBS when reporters asked the prince about his role in the murder of a Washington Post journalist in a Saudi consulate in Turkey in 2018.

"He knew nothing," President Trump said, contradicting intelligence released by the U.S. in 2021, which says it’s likely MBS ordered the killing of Khashoggi, who was an outspoken critic of the Saudi royal family.

MBS continued his denial of having any role in the killing and called Khashoggi’s death a “huge mistake”.

Defense and Investment

The pair did announce a series of investment and defense deals reached during the Oval Office visit.

Before the meeting, President Trump announced he would approve the sale of F-35 fighters to Saudi Arabia. The pair also announced Saudi Arabia was now designated a non-NATO ally, which has similar commitments to the mutual defense North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

MBS also announced he was likely to increase a prior $600 billion investment pledge in the U.S. to a $1 trillion pledge, the details of which are unclear.

I’ve got 2 minutes

The House of Representatives voted to release files relating to convicted child-sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Tuesday, 427-1.

Immediately afterwards, the U.S. Senate agreed to approve the bill as soon as it hit the upper house’s floor, clearing the way for it to be signed into law by President Trump.

Background

The ‘Epstein files’ are a series of documents relating to Epstein’s sex trafficking charges. During Trump’s 2024 Presidential campaign, he promised to release the records.

Despite the administration's campaign promises, Attorney General Pam Bondi told the public in July that there were no more files to release, triggering public outcry and allegations of a cover-up.

In response, Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced a “discharge petition” that subsequently received a majority vote in the House, forcing a second vote on a bill to release the files.

The House votes

President Trump told Republicans they could vote in favour of the bill last week, backflipping on weeks of pressure he had put on legislators to vote it down.

With the President’s support, all but one Representative, Louisiana Republican Clay Higgins, voted for the bill. After it passed, Democrats turned a clapped towards the House Gallery where some of Epstein’s victims were observing.

Higgins wrote on X that the bill "abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America."

Schumer wins promise of unanimity

Later on Tuesday, top Senate democrat Chuck Schumer secured a promise from every member of the Senate to approve the bill as soon as it comes to the Upper House.

“The American people have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” Schumer said. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”

It is likely to reach the Senate as soon as Wednesday.

Trump and Epstein

Until last week, the President was against releasing the files. However, as it became clear that the bill had a majority, he posted to X, “I DON’T CARE!”, referencing the vote and telling Republicans to support it.

Discourse surrounding the release of the files has focused on the president’s documented relationship with Epstein from the 1980s to the early 2000s. The President denies any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and insists he severed his connection with Epstein because he was a “creep”.

Will Trump sign it?

President Trump promised to sign the bill after it automatically passes the Senate, but he has also instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to carry out investigations into the Democrats’ links to Epstein, which may frustrate the full release of the files.

Republicans are insistent that the President has nothing to hide and have called the Epstein files a “problem” for Democrats.

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