In this handout provided by the U.S. Navy, The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), operates in the North Sea on September 24, 2025. (Photo by Alice Husted/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump has been briefed on updated options for potential military operations in Venezuela, including a strike on land, ABC News has confirmed.
The briefing on Wednesday followed the arrival of the USS Gerald Ford — the world’s largest aircraft carrier — in the U.S. Southern Command area of operations north of the Caribbean Sea. The carrier is accompanied by some 60 aircraft, including F-18 fighter jets, that dramatically increases the military’s firepower in the region and boost the number of troops in Latin American to 15,000.
Sources cautioned that the briefing itself was not an indication that an attack was imminent.
Trump has been weighing his options for weeks, which experts say could range from no action to air strikes on seaports, airports and military facilities. Another option, considered less likely, could be sending in a team of special operations forces to apprehend or kill Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his senior advisers.
The latest briefing at the White House was conducted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in Canada at a G7 summit of foreign ministers, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were not present.
The White House and Pentagon declined to comment on the briefing, which was first reported by CBS News.
Any strike against Venezuela is seen as particularly risky. Trump has called for Maduro to step down, accusing him of encouraging drug trafficking and illegal migration to the United States. But the sudden departure of Maduro could also create a power vacuum that risks further instability.
It’s also not clear whether the administration would be legally justified to force out Maduro. Late last month, senators were briefed on a secret list of targets inside Venezuela developed by the Pentagon. But lawmakers said they were told the administration’s current legal analysis only applied to the ongoing boat strikes and did not make the case for a direct strike against Venezuela.
New York Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani serves meals during a Veteran’s Day event at Volunteers of America – Commonwealth Veterans’ Residence on Nov. 11, 2025, in the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx borough in New York. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor-elect, has spoken with several Democratic governors — seeking their insight for how to navigate certain aspects of governing and best deal with President Donald Trump, several sources familiar with the conversations confirmed to ABC News.
Mamdani has spoken to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro recently, the sources said — with conversations happening as recently as this week. All of the governors has clashed with the president.
Mamdani and Pritzker discussed how to approach Trump, Pritzker’s experience with the president’s effort to send troops into Chicago and how to prepare should a similar incursion happen in New York City.
Trump has claimed Democratic-run cities, such as New York and Chicago, are in “bad shape,” and has threatened to “straighten them out, one by one.” On his social media platform Tuesday evening, Trump said his administration will “ramp up” efforts to crack down on crime in Chicago.
Trump has said that Pritzker, who has pushed back against Trump’s efforts, “should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers!” as he and Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson oppose Trump’s push to deploy the National Guard.
“Come and get me,” Pritzker fired back on ABC’s This Week last month, responding to Trump.
Pritzker also played a major role in assisting Texas state Democrats in their attempt to blunt Republicans’ first crack at redrawing congressional maps mid-decade.
Mamdani and Pritzker also discussed their commitments to centering affordability, according to the sources familiar with the conversation.
In his conversation with Moore on election night, Mamdani applauded Moore’s work cutting red tape and discussed innovations in government. The two also discussed how to stand up to Trump, sources familiar with the discussion said.
Moore has previously praised Mamdani’s campaign narrative around affordability, saying it mirrors parts of his own agenda in Maryland. Prior to the government re-opening, Moore announced the release of $62 million to ensure full November SNAP benefits for Marylanders and singled Trump and his administration out for leaving his residents in the cold.
“But no state can fill the enormous gap created by Donald Trump and his administration,” Moore said in a statement.
Axios was first to report the calls with Pritzker and Moore.
Mamdani’s call with Shapiro occurred before last week’s election.
Shapiro told Semafor that he had a “healthy dialogue” with Mamdani and cleared the air regarding their differences after Shapiro in July criticized Mamdani’s campaign, saying it left “far too much space for extremists.”
Campaign sources familiar with the discussion said Shapiro and Mamdani also talked about the importance of permitting reform and reconstructing Interstate 87, a major national thoroughfare that runs through New York.
Mamdani has said he plans to keep working the phones.
In an interview with NBC 4 New York, Mamdani said he’ll reach out the White House ahead of taking office “because this is a relationship that will be critical to the success of this city.”
A day after the election, Trump, after calling Mamdani a “communist” — a label Mamdani, who identifies as a Democratic socialist, has rejected — said he is willing to help Mamdani “a little bit, maybe.”
In this March 12, 2025, file photo, a person walks by the headquarters of the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. Win McNamee/Getty Images, FILE
(WASHINGTON) — After 43 days, the longest federal government shutdown in history is history after President Donald Trump late Wednesday night signed the funding bill passed in both chambers of Congress.
With the bill now signed, federal agencies and services are expected to immediately return to normal; however, some benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, will take a little time to be doled out.
The spending bill reopens and funds the federal government until Jan. 30, 2026, with some agencies like the Department of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs funded through the end of the fiscal year.
Here’s what to know about the government reopening.
When will federal employees return to work?
At least 670,000 federal employees were furloughed during the shutdown, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Furloughed employees are expected to return to work immediately and there is some indication that those orders have gone out to specific agencies.
Furloughed employees at Health and Human Services were told to “report for duty” on Thursday, according to a memo obtained by ABC News.
“If HHS employees do not have previously approved leave scheduled, or do not get leave approved, then they will be “considered absent without leave (AWOL),” the memo reads.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) also told agencies Thursday that they should consider “the disruption in the lives and routines of furloughed employees.”
Back pay and undoing Trump firings
Federal workers deemed essential, including Capitol Police officers, Transportation Security Administration workers and air traffic controllers, were forced to work without pay during the shutdown.
During the shutdown, the administration issued layoffs through Reduction in Force orders for federal workers in various agencies.
All federal workers are entitled to back pay under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, signed into law by Trump during the now-second-longest shutdown in his first term in office.
The law covers both furloughed employees and those required to work without pay during a government shutdown.
The funding bill includes additional language to reverse Trump administration firings during the shutdown and ensures that furloughed workers receive back pay.
It also includes language to prevent any additional reductions in force until the next government funding deadline on Jan. 30, 2026.
When will SNAP benefits get doled out?
The bill includes a provision to fully fund SNAP benefits through the end of September 2026.
The money is expected to be doled out soon, but the timetable has not been revealed by officials.
Federal courts ordered the administration to pay SNAP benefits during the shutdown, however, the administration went to the Supreme Court to get the order paused as the appeals litigation continued.
On Thursday, the administration withdrew its case.
Solicitor General John Sauer said in a filing that the “underlying dispute here is now moot.”
When do D.C.’s museums open?
All of the Smithsonian museums have been closed since Oct. 12 after running out of funding.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazey Center will reopen on Nov. 14, according to a notice on its website.
“All other museums, research centers, and the National Zoo will reopen on a rolling basis by Monday, Nov. 17,” the message read.
When will the air traffic system be fully staffed?
The shortage of air traffic controllers, who were not furloughed, was so dire during the shutdown that the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to reduce flights by 10% at 40 airports — leading to thousands of flights being canceled and delayed across the country.
As many as 15 to 20 controllers resigned during the shutdown, according to the Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Duffy told reporters Tuesday that air traffic controllers will get 70% of their back pay within 24 to 48 hours of the reopening.
It could take up to a week for air travel to return to normal operations after the government shutdown ends, Airlines for America President and CEO Chris Sununu said at a press briefing Wednesday afternoon.
Sununu said he doesn’t see any impacts lasting into the holiday season.
“I don’t think any flights over the Thanksgiving week have actually been canceled yet. I think the airlines have been pretty tight working with the FAA looking a few days out to be sure,” he said.
Where do Obamacare subsidies stand?
Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that Democrats held out for during the shutdown were not included in the Senate deal to reopen the government, which passed with the help of eight moderate Democrats.
The enhanced ACA tax credits don’t expire until Dec. 31, and if no deal is reached, health premiums will jump for more than 20 million Americans.
Sources told ABC News on Monday that Senate Republican leadership promised to allow a vote on a bill of Democrats’ choosing related to the ACA in December.
But House Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to holding a vote in the House on the subsidies.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Wednesday filed a discharge petition to extend the Obamacare subsidies. He would need a few House Republicans to vote with Democrats for it to pass.
(PITTSBURGH) — Sen. John Fetterman’s office said the Pennsylvania Democrat is under “routine observation” in a Pittsburgh hospital after he fell during an early morning walk Thursday near his home in Braddock, Pennsylvania.
“It was established he had a ventricular fibrillation flare-up that led to Senator Fetterman feeling light-headed, falling to the ground and hitting his face with minor injuries,” a statement from his office said.
“If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now!” Fetterman said, according to the statement.
Fetterman opted to stay in the hospital so doctors can “fine-tune his medication regimen,” the statement said.
Fetterman suffered a stroke in May 2022 during the Democratic primary for the state’s open Senate seat. Despite his condition limiting his campaigning, he won the Democratic nomination and later defeated Dr. Mehmet Oz, now President Donald Trump’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, in the general election.
The following February, Fetterman was hospitalized for several days of observation after feeling lightheaded, though his aides said testing ruled out seizures or another stroke.
Weeks later, Fetterman checked himself into a Washington hospital for treatment of depression.
“While John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks,” Adam Jentleson, his chief of staff, said at the time.
Representative LaMonica McIver, a Democrat from New Jersey, speaks to members of the media in Statuary Hall at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(NEWARK, N.J.) — Congresswoman LaMonica McIver must face at least two of three federal charges accusing her of assaulting and impeding immigration officers outside a New Jersey detention center after federal judge on Thursday rejected her attempt to dismiss the case.
The New Jersey Democrat was charged with three counts of assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering with federal officials following her May 9 visit to Delaney Hall, a privately owned, 1,000-bed facility in Newark that ICE uses as a detention center.
The government alleges McIver intervened as federal agents attempted to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
U.S. District Judge Jamel Semper turned down McIver’s arguments that she is immune from prosecution under the Speech or Debate Clause.
“Impeding an arrest, whether lawful or unlawful, goes beyond any reasonable definition of oversight and, accordingly, exceeds the safe harbor of legislative immunity,” Semper wrote in an order published Thursday.
McIver’s actions as described in count one, which alleged she placed her arms around the mayor in an attempt to thwart his arrest and then slammed her forearm into a federal agent, were “wholly disconnected from the oversight she and the Representatives later conducted when touring the facility, where they engaged in protected fact-finding related to federal immigration policy,” the judge continued. “Defendant’s presence at Delaney Hall does not grant constitutional protection for every act performed in connection to that visit.”
Semper said he is still considering whether the Speech and Debate Clause might apply to count two — which alleged she forcibly struck an ICE officer following the arrest — noting, “the factual record is still being developed.”
The judge also rejected McIver’s argument that her case amounted to selective and vindictive prosecution by a Republican administration that called her visit to Delaney Hall a “reckless stunt.”
“Defendant has not demonstrated that her prosecution is a result of personal animus harbored by the prosecution,” Semper said.
McIver has pleaded not guilty. The trial was supposed to start this week but had been delayed pending the judge’s ruling.
She has alleged the prosecution is politically motivated, and her office called the charges “baseless.”
“This is Trump weaponizing the DOJ for people who speak out against him, for members and elected leaders who do their jobs to hold this administration accountable,” she said at a press event following her arraignment in June. “We will not be intimidated.”
Tensions escalated at the facility when a federal officer ordered Baraka to leave a secured area of the facility or face arrest, and pushing and shoving allegedly occurred, according to prosecutors.
Baraka was arrested at the facility and charged with trespassing, which was later dropped.
The U.S. Capitol is seen on the 40th day of a government shutdown on November 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end on Wednesday night, after six House Democrats joined Republicans to pass a funding package in a narrow 222-209 vote.
The Democrats’ defections helped push the bill over the finish line, as two Republicans opposed against the measure to reopen the government. President Donald Trump signed the bill in the Oval Office shortly after it was passed.
The moderate Democrats who voted yes were Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Adam Gray of California, Don Davis of North Carolina, Henry Cuellar of Texas and Tom Suozzi of New York.
They all cited the growing impacts of the shutdown on Americans as a reason why they moved to end the 43-day impasse, despite Democratic leadership opposing the funding package because it does not address their key demand of extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year.
“Tonight, I voted to end this partisan car crash of a shutdown. Nobody likes paying even more money to insurance companies — and the fight to stop runaway health insurance premiums won’t be won by holding hungry Americans hostage,” Gluesenkamp Perez said in a statement. “Americans can’t afford for their Representatives to get so caught up in landing a partisan win that they abandon their obligation to come together to solve the urgent problems that our nation faces.”
Gray said it was not a “perfect deal,” but one “born of compromise,” and touted how the bill will extend funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and SNAP for a full fiscal year.
“Some critics have asked why I supported the bill when it did not include an immediate extension of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. Here’s why: Protecting families from hunger today does not prevent us from lowering health care costs tomorrow,” he said.
“People are hurting right now — they are in pain!” Davis said after the vote.
When asked by ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott if the impacts of the shutdown outweighed everything else, Davis said “absolutely.”
“And it is listening and hearing from constituents who are deeply, deeply concerned. They’ve been affected in ways that we don’t even understand,” he told ABC News’ Scott.
“Parents are telling their kids to eat more at school because they don’t know if they’re going to be able to eat when they get home,” Davis continued, adding “This is real.”
But Democrats are now dealing with infighting after eight Senate Democrats and the six House Democrats broke ranks to end the shutdown without a deal on ACA subsidies. The agreement to end the shutdown included a promise from Senate Republican leadership to hold a vote on health care subsidies in the coming weeks, but Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to such a vote in the House.
Democrats who voted to reopen the government said the fight will continue on the ACA, as premiums are set to skyrocket for recipients next year.
“Now, with the shutdown ended, Congress should take immediate action to extend expiring ACA premium tax credits that keep health insurance plans affordable for millions of Americans. We still have a window to pass bipartisan legislation to extend these credits,” Golden said.
Suozzi echoed that sentiment.
“Everyone knows that I have been preaching bipartisanship for years. I am relying on the representations of some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, that they want to get something done to extend the Premium Tax Credits,” Suozzi said.
“If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are willing to work together to address this health insurance affordability crisis by extending the premium tax credits, then we will have accomplished something meaningful,” the New York Democrat added. “If we are not successful, it will deal yet another blow to the already eroding trust in Washington, D.C., and it will be clear who failed to deliver.”
ABC News’ Arthur Jones II contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Among the more than 20,000 Epstein documents released by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday are several email exchanges disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had in 2015 and 2016 with friends, attorneys and reporters about the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency.
In some instances, Epstein offers suggestions to reporters about leads they might pursue.
One notable example is an email conversation between Epstein and then-New York Times reporter Landon Thomas, Jr. in December 2015.
Thomas initiated the exchange on Dec. 8, 2015, with an email to Epstein referring to a 2002 New York magazine article Thomas had written, in which Trump was quoted calling Epstein a “terrific guy” who “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
“Now everyone is coming to me thinking I have juicy info on you and Trump. Because of this,” the reporter wrote, referring to that article.
Epstein then replied to Thomas in a series of emails over the next two hours — in his typical error-ridden style — first suggesting that Thomas look into Trump’s finances before pivoting to more personal subjects.
In one email, Epstein writes: “would you like photso [sic] of donald and girls in bikinis in my kitchen.” Thomas replied, “Yes!!”
It’s unclear whether Epstein possessed such photos or if he ever sent the reporter any photos.
In another email, Epstein suggested that reporters “ask my houseman about donad [sic] almost walking through the door leaving his nose print on the glass as young women were swimming in the pool and he was so focused he walked straight into the door.”
ABC News has reached out to the White House about Epstein’s claims in the email exchange with the New York Times reporter.
The Republican-controlled House Oversight and Government Committee released the thousands of pages of new Epstein documents on Wednesday after House Democrats released three emails in which Epstein discussed Trump.
The documents were obtained after the committee subpoenaed the Epstein Estate over the summer.
The White House accused Democrats on the committee of releasing “selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative” about President Trump,” including one in which Epstein wrote that Trump “spent hours at my house” with someone the Democrats alleged was a victim.
“These emails prove absolutely nothing, other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
In Epstein’s exchanges with Thomas, the New York Times reporter, Epstein sent a link to a feature story about a woman that Epstein claimed had been his girlfriend who later dated Trump.
“my 20 year old girlfriend in 93 ,, that after two years I gave to donald,” Epstein wrote.
During Trump’s first campaign for the presidency, Epstein was also in frequent contact with author Michael Wolff, who was working on a book about Trump.
In many messages, Wolff appeared to be encouraging Epstein to speak publicly about his previous relationship with the candidate, noting that many reporters and his political rivals were investigating the issue.
“NYT called me about you and Trump,” Wolff told Epstein in February 2016. “Also, Hillary campaign digging deeply, Again, you should consider preempting.”
In October 2016, after the “Access Hollywood” tapes had been made public and just days before the presidential election, Wolff sent Epstein another message, with “Now could be the time” in the subject line.
“There’s an opportunity to come forward this week and talk about Trump in such a way that could garner you great sympathy and help finish him. Interested?”
It’s unclear if Epstein responded to that message.
Other emails include exchanges Epstein had during Trump’s first term in office.
A few days after Trump’s first inauguration, on Feb. 8, 2017, Epstein, in conversation with Larry Summers, who was the treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton and former president of Harvard University said, “Recall ive told you,, — i have met some very bad people ,, none as bad as trump. not one decent cell in his body.. so yes- dangerous.”
In August 2018, Kathryn Ruemmler, who previously served as White House counsel during part of President Barack Obama’s administration, emailed Epstein a link to an opinion piece published by The New York Times that made the case for Trump’s impeachment, following the guilty pleas of Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen.
“you see , i know how dirty donald is,” Epstein wrote to Ruemmler. “my guess is that non lawyers ny biz people have no idea. what it means to have your fixer flip.”
In a Dec. 3, 2018 exchange over iMessage, someone whose name is redacted wrote to Epstein, “It will all blow over! They’re really just trying to take down Trump and doing whatever they can to do that…!”
The context of this message is unclear.
“yes thx,” Epstein responded. “its wild. because i am the one able to take him down.”
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell attend de Grisogono Sponsors The 2005 Wall Street Concert Series Benefitting Wall Street Rising, with a Performance by Rod Stewart at Cipriani Wall Street on March 15, 2005 in New York City. (Patrick Mcmullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The White House on Wednesday flatly dismissed the release by House Democrats of emails from sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including one in which he wrote that President Donald Trump “spent hours at my house” with someone the Democrats alleged was a victim.
“These emails prove absolutely nothing, other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said as she faced questions on the latest developments at her Wednesday afternoon press briefing.
President Trump weighed in directly for the first time in a social media post shortly after Leavitt wrapped the briefing.
“The Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they’ll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they’ve done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects,” Trump wrote. “Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap.”
Notably, Leavitt seemed to contradict Trump today when she said Trump kicked Epstein out of his Florida club for being a “pedophile” as well as a “creep.”
“What President Trump has always said is that he was from Palm Beach, and so was Jeffrey Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein was a member at Mar-a-Lago until President Trump kicked him out because Jeffrey Epstein was a pedophile and he was a creep,” she said.
When asked later by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce if she was implying Trump knew what Epstein was doing with young women, Leavitt clarified in a statement: “No, Jeffrey Epstein was a pedophile. That’s a fact that has now come out. The president kicked him out of his club because he thought Jeffrey was a creep to his female employees. The president has said this himself many times.”
In one message released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, Epstein appeared to touch on his relationship with Trump and whether he’d been banned from membership at Mar-a-Lago years earlier.
“Trump said he asked me to resign, never a member ever,” Epstein wrote in a message to author Michael Wolff, “Of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop.”
After Epstein was arrested in 2019, Trump said he hadn’t spoken with him since 2015 because of a falling out. This summer, as momentum picked up in Congress to release all the Epstein files, Trump said Epstein “stole” young women (including prominent Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre) from his Mar-a-Lago club, but that he didn’t know why.
Democrats push for release of all Epstein files; GOP says Dems trying to ‘slander’ Trump
The release of the Epstein emails referencing Trump have added fuel to a renewed push on the Epstein discharge petition.
“We won’t stop until we end this White House cover-up. Release the files, NOW,” Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, wrote on X.
Many Democrats issued similar calls.
“It’s clear as day: Trump is in the Epstein files,” New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler wrote on X. “The American people deserve the full truth.”
“The public deserves to know who enabled Epstein, who looked the other way, and who’s still being protected. Survivors have waited long enough. Release the Epstein files NOW,” wrote Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar.
ABC News’ Bruce, at Wednesday’s briefing, pressed Leavitt: “In the interest of transparency, why not just go ahead, release the full files on Epstein, get this all over with?”
“This administration has done more with respect to transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein than any administration ever. In fact, this administration, the Department of Justice, has turned over tens of thousands of documents to the American people. We are cooperating and showing support for the House Oversight Committee,” Leavitt said.
Though ABC News reported that top Trump administration officials met with Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert Wednesday morning in an effort to get her to change her vote on a discharge petition that would compel the Justice Department to release all the files related to Epstein.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee accused Democrats of “trying to create a fake narrative to slander President Trump.”
In a social media post, Republicans on the panel claimed in the 2011 email between Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell that said Trump spent “hours at my house” with an alleged victim, Democrats redacted the name “Virginia” — a likely reference to Giuffre, who had made extensive public comments about her exploitation by Epstein, but had never accused Trump of any wrongdoing.
“Democrats continue to carelessly cherry-pick documents to generate click-bait that is not grounded in the facts,” a House Oversight Majority spokesperson said in a statement. “The Epstein Estate has produced over 20,000 pages of documents on Thursday, yet Democrats are once again intentionally withholding records that name Democrat officials.”
After the release by House Democrats, House Republicans on the Oversight panel released an additional 20,000 pages of documents they received from the Epstein estate.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, one of a handful of Republican women backing the effort to compel the release of all Epstein files, defended Trump and said the focus should be on the victims.
“How pathetic that Democrats are using Epstein’s victims to bury headlines on their vote against reopening the government,” Mace wrote on X.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna are leading the discharge petition to force a vote on compelling the Justice Department to release all the Epstein files.
Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, set to be sworn in on Wednesday, is expected to become the decisive 218th signature needed for the petition.
“Why did Justice or the FBI not get & release these?” Khanna wrote on X about the Epstein emails made public by House Democrats. “Today, [Massie] & my petition gets 218!”
Rep.-Elect Adelita Grijalva speaks during Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs’ “Arizona First” rally at El Rio Center on November 1, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) –Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva was officially sworn in to the House on Wednesday — seven weeks after she won a special election, and just before the House is set to up Senate-passed legislation to reopen the government.
House Speaker Mike Johnson administered the oath of office, which prompted loud applause from Democrats.
Grijalva spoke on the House floor and immediately after that signed the discharge petition that would force a floor vote on compelling the Department of Justice to release the complete files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“Our democracy only works when everyone has a voice,” Grijalva said.
“This includes the millions of people across the country who have experienced violence and exploitation, including Liz Stein and Jessica Michaels, both survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, they are here in the gallery with us this evening,” she said. “Thank you for being here.”
Grijalva called on lawmakers on Capitol Hill to do more to counter Trump.
“It’s past time for Congress to restore its role as a check and balance on this administration and fight for we, the American people,” she said. “We need to fight for our immigrant communities and veterans. We need to stand up for our public schools, children and educators. We need to respect tribal sovereignty and our environment, we need to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights, because that’s what the American people expect us to do: fight for them. That is why I will sign the discharge petition right now to release the Epstein files.”
Grijalva’s election win was four days after Johnson dismissed lawmakers following House passage of the clean continuing resolution to fund the government in mid-September.
While the question has followed the speaker throughout the shutdown, Johnson had shrugged off the delay in Grijalva’s swearing-in, arguing that his decision was not about Grijalva’s intent to become the decisive signature on a discharge petition.
The state of Arizona sued the House of Representatives over the speaker’s decision to not swear in Grijalva during the government shutdown and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have expressed their opposition to Johnson’s decision.
When could a vote on the Epstein files discharge petition occur?
After Grijalva signed the discharge petition, a procedural maneuver to bypass House leadership on forcing floor votes on legislation, it reached the necessary 218-vote threshold for a vote to be forced in the lower chamber.
The petition, led by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, now needs to “ripen” — meaning it will receive floor consideration after seven legislative days, according to House Rules. After that, any member who signed the petition can call up the measure and notify of an intention to offer a discharge motion on the floor.
So the earliest the House will hold a vote on the discharge petition is in early December after the chamber’s Thanksgiving recess.
The committee has released thousands of records related to Epstein, provided by the Department of Justice. Some of documents released by the committee include public court filings and transcripts from his associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial, previously released flight logs from Epstein’s plane, already-public Bureau of Prisons communications the night of Epstein’s death and various other public court papers from Epstein’s criminal case in Florida. Maxwell has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of trafficking young girls and women.
In this July 23, 2025, file photo, Rep. Robert Garcia gestures as the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement meets in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. Members of the subcommittee passed a motion to subpoena the so-called “Epstein files.” Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images, FILE
(WASHINGTON) — Reactions are pouring in from Capitol Hill after House Democrats released correspondence from sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in which he wrote that President Donald Trump “spent hours at my house” with an alleged victim.
The emails, written in 2011 to Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell but made public on Wednesday by Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, have added to a renewed push by some lawmakers to compel the administration to release all files related to Epstein.
“We won’t stop until we end this White House cover-up. Release the files, NOW,” Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member on the Oversight panel, wrote on X.
Many Democrats issued similar calls.
“It’s clear as day: Trump is in the Epstein files,” New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler wrote on X. “The American people deserve the full truth.”
“The public deserves to know who enabled Epstein, who looked the other way, and who’s still being protected. Survivors have waited long enough. Release the Epstein files NOW,” wrote Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee accused Democrats of “trying to create a fake narrative to slander President Trump.”
In a social media post, Republicans on the panel claimed in the 2011 email between Epstein and Maxwell, Democrats redacted the name “Virginia” — a likely reference to prominent Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who had made extensive public comments about her exploitation by Epstein, but had never accused Trump of any wrongdoing.
“Democrats continue to carelessly cherry-pick documents to generate click-bait that is not grounded in the facts,” a House Oversight Majority spokesperson said in a statement. “The Epstein Estate has produced over 20,000 pages of documents on Thursday, yet Democrats are once again intentionally withholding records that name Democrat officials.”
After the release by House Democrats, House Republicans on the Oversight panel released an additional 20,000 pages of documents they received from the Epstein estate.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, one of a handful of Republican women backing the effort to compel the release of all Epstein files, defended Trump and said focus should be on the victims.
“How pathetic that Democrats are using Epstein’s victims to bury headlines on their vote against reopening the government,” Mace wrote on X.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also accused Democrats of “selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative.”
“The ‘unnamed victim’ referenced in these emails is the late Virginia Giuffre, who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and ‘couldn’t have been friendlier’ to her in their limited interactions. The fact remains that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club decades ago for being a creep to his female employees, including Giuffre,” Leavitt said in a statement to ABC News.
“These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments, and any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and clear distraction from the government opening back up again,” Leavitt added.
In other messages released by House Democrats, Epstein appeared to touch on his relationship with Trump and whether he’d been banned from membership at Mar-a-Lago years earlier.
“Trump said he asked me to resign, never a member ever,” Epstein wrote in a message to author Michael Wolff, “Of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop.”
Trump, who hasn’t yet directly weighed in on the latest development, previously blamed Democrats for creating a “hoax” surrounding the Epstein files.
After Epstein was arrested in 2019, Trump said he hadn’t spoken with him since 2015 because of a falling out. This summer, as momentum picked up in Congress to release all the Epstein files, Trump said Epstein “stole” young women (including Guiffre) from his Mar-a-Lago club, but that he didn’t know why.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna are leading a discharge petition to force a vote on compelling the Justice Department to release all the Epstein files.
Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, set to be sworn in on Wednesday, is expected to become the decisive 218th signature needed for the petition.
“Why did Justice or the FBI not get & release these?” Khanna wrote on X about the Epstein emails made public by House Democrats. “Today, [Massie] & my petition gets 218!”
