Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday evening is expected to host a group of top administration officials at his residence for a strategy session as the administration considers whether to release the transcript from the Department of Justice interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
It’s one of many meetings that has consumed the White House and top administration officials as they attempt to quell the fallout from their handling of the Epstein files and as pressure mounts for the DOJ and the White House to be transparent about what Maxwell said in her nine hours of meetings last month with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
During her interview, Ghislaine Maxwell said nothing that would be harmful to President Donald Trump, telling Blanche that Trump had never done anything in her presence that would have caused concern, according to sources familiar with what Maxwell said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles are expected to attend the session with Vance, the sources said.
As ABC reported Tuesday, the administration could release a transcript of the interview as soon as this week.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.
Vance’s office didn’t immediately respond to a similar request.
(AUSTIN, Texas) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doubled down on his assertion that he has the right to file a lawsuit to the Texas Supreme Court, despite Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton, also a Republican, asserting otherwise.
The potential legal battle comes as several Democrats in the Texas House remain outside the state, meaning the remaining House members have been unable to make a quorum as Republicans seek to push through a divisive congressional redistricting plan.
“To be clear, the lawsuit I filed today seeks relief directly from the Supreme Court based on authority of the Texas Constitution, Section 22 of the Government Code & Supreme Court precedent. I am not seeking relief from a trial court under Chapter 66 of the Civil Practice & Remedies Code,” Abbott said in a social media post on X. “The runaway Democrats must be held accountable immediately. This letter is filed with the Texas Supreme Court to make clear the authority I have to bring this lawsuit.”
The House special session is set to meet again Friday afternoon to attempt a quorum once more.
Paxton said the governor does not have the authority to file the emergency petition but that he would take action Friday if Democrats refuse to return to the special session.
“Texas is taking every available avenue to force runaway Democrats to return to Texas and hold them accountable for breaking quorum,” said Attorney General Paxton said in a statement released Tuesday evening. “Under the Texas Constitution and Texas law, the Office of the Attorney General has the legal authority to bring these cases against the renegade House members. I have alerted the Texas Supreme Court that I will be making additional filings on Friday if the Democrats continue to abandon their legislative duties.”
The Texas House of Representatives failed again on Tuesday when they reconvened to move forward on their redistricting effort as several Democratic members have fled the state over the proposed congressional maps.
On Monday, Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to find and arrest those Democrats, an order Abbott said will remain in effect until they are “accounted for and brought back” to Austin.
Rep. Gene Wu, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, issued a statement Tuesday, saying that “denying the governor a quorum was not an abandonment of my office; it was a fulfilment of my oath. Unable to defend his corrupt agenda on its merits, Greg Abbott now desperately seeks to silence my dissent by removing a duly-elected official from office.”
ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd, Oren Oppenheim and Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Ever the developer-in-chief, President Donald Trump made a surprise appearance on the White House roof above the briefing room in an apparent effort to inspect future construction.
The press, which had been pushed significantly down the driveway, attempted to figure out what was going on.
“Mr. President, what are you doing up there?”
“Just taking a little walk,” he shouted back.
“What are you building?”
“It goes with the ballroom, which is on the other side,” he said.
Pressed again by reporters, Trump said “Something beautiful,” while pantomiming with his hands.
Trump said it was “Just more ways to spend my money,” adding “Just more ways to spend my money for the country.”
“Anything I do is financed by me,” he stressed.
Asked if he was considering an addition or a second story, Trump wouldn’t say.
The president was accompanied by a small group of aides and Secret Service. The group included architect Jim McCrery, who has been commissioned to add Trump’s ballroom to the White House. The two men appeared engaged in intense conversation as they surveyed the grounds with lots of animated pointing.
Trump then went out of camera range for several minutes, presumably to look out toward the South Lawn.
When he returned, reporters again tried to get more information.
“What are you trying to build?” one reporter shouted.
“Missiles,” Trump responded, presumably joking. “Nuclear missiles,” he repeated while making the gesture of a rocket launching.
Trump then ignored a question on Gaza and walked back inside.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Howard Schnapp/Newsday RM via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Nuclear power on the moon is critical to the United States’ space exploration and national security goals, and the U.S. government should “move quickly” to build reactors there before its terrestrial rivals, according to a directive issued by Transportation Secretary and acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, which was obtained by ABC News.
One full “day” on the moon is two weeks of light followed by approximately two weeks of darkness (in Earth time). Nuclear energy, referred to as fission surface power, or FSP, in the directive, is a “sustainable” and “high-powered” energy source that can survive through the lunar night and be deployed on other celestial bodies, like Mars, according to Duffy.
“We’re in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon,” Duffy said at a press conference on Tuesday. “And to have a base on the moon, we need energy. And some of the key locations on the moon, we’re going to get solar power. But this vision technology is critically important, and so we’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars studying.”
“Can we do it? We are now going to move beyond studying, and we are going,” Duffy continued. “We have given direction to go. Let’s start to deploy our technology, to move to actually make this a reality.”
When reached for comment by ABC News, NASA said, “We’ll let these directives speak for themselves.”
The directive, dated July 31, calls for a “Fission Surface Power Program Executive” to be named within 30 days, who will implement and oversee the project and will report directly to the NASA administrator. It does not say what exactly the nuclear reactors would power on the moon.
“Since March 2024, China and Russia have announced on at least three occasions a joint effort to place a reactor on the Moon by the mid-2030s,” Duffy said in the directive. “The first country to do so could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first.”
Politico was the first to report on this directive.
A second directive, issued on the same day by Duffy, aims to speed up the development of replacements for the International Space Station, which is set to retire by 2030.
While NASA has never used a fission nuclear reactor in space, it has been using nuclear material to power spacecraft since the 1960s. Known as radioisotope thermoelectric generators, or RTGs, these systems use the heat generated by the decay of plutonium-238, a nuclear element, to create electricity for powering spacecraft and rovers. Currently, NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars is using an RTG system for its power.
In recent years, billions of dollars have been spent developing a new kind of nuclear reactor called Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). These reactors produce less power than traditional reactors, but are significantly smaller in size. SMRs are still being developed in the U.S. and there are no units currently in operation.
“There’s a certain part of the moon that everyone knows is the best. We have ice there, we have sunlight there. We want to get there first and claim that for America,” Duffy said Tuesday.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer issued numerous subpoenas on Tuesday — including one to the Department of Justice for the complete Jeffrey Epstein files and another for depositions with former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Comer said he wants the Justice Department to turn over the “full, complete, unredacted Epstein Files” on or before Aug. 19.
“While the Department undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell’s cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell,” Comer wrote in a subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
In addition to the Clintons, the panel issued subpoenas for depositions from James Comey, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Robert Mueller, William Barr, Jeff Sessions, and Alberto Gonzales. Republicans on the committee are seeking information from these officials regarding the Epstein files.
The move from Comer comes after Democrats on the panel forced a vote to issue a subpoena right before recess where three House Republicans supported the effort.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(LINCOLN, Neb.) — House Republican Rep. Mike Flood faced what appeared to be a hostile crowd during a rowdy town hall on Monday night in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The crowd erupted within just minutes of the start of the forum, shouting and heckling at the congressman as he touted President Donald Trump’s massive policy and tax bill that was signed into law in July.
Flood said there were about 750 members in the audience at Kimball Hall.
“I know this is probably going to be met with some resistance … I want the opportunity to tell you and talk to you about health care in the bill we just passed. I want to go right into this bill, because I know this is something a lot of people have questions about. And quite frankly, from where I sit, there’s been a lot of misinformation out there about the bill,” Flood told the crowd, which received loud boos from the audience.
He tried to walk the audience through key health care provisions of the megabill but was continuously drowned out by the raucous crowd.
“The only way we’re going to get through tonight is if I get a chance to tell you why I voted, because ultimately I represent you, and you will have your say,” he said.
The megabill’s impact on Medicaid was a main topic brought up at the town hall, which angered the audience.
“So, here’s a question. Do you think that people who are 28 years old that can work and refuse to work, should get free health care?” Flood asked, which received an unfriendly response from the crowd. “I don’t think that a majority of Nebraskans agree with you.”
The congressman argued that while Medicaid benefits were not cut, the changes to the program don’t “involve anybody that’s disabled, that is of senior age and unable to work, anybody that is pregnant or the vulnerable.”
When asked by an audience member how the congressman can justify taking away health care from Nebraskans, Flood brushed off the concern.
“We have a state where our infrastructure is going to be supported, is going to be funded, and is going to be available for the people that need it. If you are able to work, and you’re 28 years old and you choose not to work, you don’t get free health care in America. If you are in this country illegally, you do not get free health care in America.”
Audience members repeatedly shouted, “Tax the Rich! Tax the Rich! Tax the Rich!” as Rep. Flood discussed tax provisions of the megabill like no tax on tips and no tax on overtime.
The congressman pushed back, saying, “If we adopted the Democrats’ plan in the last Congress to tax the rich, it would generate $50 billion, which does not take us close to where we’re going. And it cuts job creation. It cuts business creation. It cuts the ability for employers to invest in their businesses.”
“This bill is a middle-class tax cut,” Rep. Flood said at one point, which received strong pushback and boos from the audience.
“I read the bill,” the congressman added when pressed by a constituent. “Is every bill perfect? No. But I supported this bill.”
Rep. Flood took several questions on a wide range of topics but the audience was remained not satisfied, yelling, “vote him out!” as the hour-and-a-half event came to a close.
(WASHINGTON) — As the Trump administration says it’s continuing its effort to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government through cuts at key agencies such as the Social Security Administration and the Education Department, Sen. Elizabeth Warren is touting her ongoing investigations that she said work to protect millions of Americans from restricted access to higher education and retirement benefits.
“We cannot stand by and let Trump abuse his power by ripping away the programs that help people breathe a little easier,” Warren said in an exclusive interview with ABC News. “People voted Democrats into office to fight for them, and they do not expect us to roll over and play dead.”
The Massachusetts Democrat, a former teacher and fierce defender of public education, launched her Save Our Schools campaign this spring to investigate the administration’s attempts to shutter the Department of Education. The investigations probe the Department of Education’s cuts including downsizing the Federal Student Aid (FSA) office and changes to the student loan system.
Democrats contend slashing FSA’s workforce will hinder low-income Americans’ access to college and urged the agency to rehire employees critical to its financial aid operations.
In April, Warren launched the Social Security War Room, a coordinated effort to combat the administration’s so-called “attack on Americans’ Social Security” at the Social Security Administration (SSA), which is responsible for distributing retirement disability, and survivor benefits to more than 70 million Americans. So far, Warren said her campaign has worked to cut down Social Security wait times on the phone and in person at regional offices.
Warren urged President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency to take their “hands off” Social Security. She said her pressure campaign — which included an inspector general review of the agency — has impeded Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano from making additional layoffs after the agency announced it was aiming to cut roughly 7,000 people from its workforce.
Warren said if Democrats do nothing, the Trump administration will “go ahead with no pushback.”
“There’s a lot of anger over what Trump and the Republicans are trying to do to the Social Security Administration,” she said. “We will push back with everything we’ve got.”
While Trump has vowed to safeguard Social Security and Medicare, some actions from the administration have raised concerns about potential impacts on the program — including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s recent comments that the so-called Trump savings accounts for newborns could be a “back door” to start privatizing Social Security. Bessent later walked back the comments.
The Trump administration says its workforce restructuring is part of the president’s efforts to cut waste, fraud and abuse and improve Americans’ lives, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields told ABC News. He added that the president’s success through DOGE is “undisputed and legal.”
Republicans argue the SSA changes will ensure fraudsters won’t tamper with retirees’ benefits and streamline the experience by utilizing artificial intelligence.
Warren said large-scale changes to these agencies could have dire consequences for Americans.
“Save Our Schools and the Social Security War Room are two ways that, internally, the Democrats are fighting back against administration cuts that undermine people all across this country,” Warren said.
SSA has said the focus of its workforce reduction and organizational restructuring is to eliminate things that don’t provide “mission critical” services. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon also stressed she is not defunding federal programs and will continue to perform all of the agency’s “statutory duties.”
Through a combination of federal investigations, oversight, storytelling and even lawsuits, Warren told ABC News her campaigns have worked to provide the administration with checks and balances. Warren took credit for recently helping millions of students receive roughly $6 billion in FY25 title funding that is typically allocated on July 1, but was withheld for more than three weeks by the Office of Management and Budget for a “programmatic review” of education funding.
During the funding freeze, McMahon told ABC News that the administration wanted to ensure that student programs had “the right focus” and funds weren’t being misused.
“We organized groups and individuals to pressure the department to release those funds…,” Warren said. “This matters because that’s the money that’s often used for our kids with special needs, for after-school programs and others who help our kids get a high-quality education.”
Despite union criticism that the Education Department is carrying out unlawful layoffs, the department’s spokesperson, Madi Biedermann, told ABC News the agency followed all applicable laws and regulations when implementing its reduction in force.
Before the Senate left town, Warren vowed to continue fighting for the federal workforce.
“The Trump administration is committed to undercutting Social Security and eliminating the Department of Education,” she said. “This is not going to be a one and done.”
(AUSTIN, Texas) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he wants to oust and replace Democratic lawmakers who fled the state in an attempt to prevent Republican redistricting efforts and charge them with felonies. But that might be a challenge and take some time, the state’s attorney general said Monday.
Abbott said if legislators did not return to Texas by 3 p.m. CT, he would remove them then “swiftly” fill the vacancies.
“I believe they have forfeited their seats in the state legislature because they’re not doing the job they were elected to do,” he said Monday on Fox News.
The governor also said the Democrats could be committing felonies if they solicit funds to pay the $500 daily fines they face for skipping the session.
Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton said those threats might not be practical.
“We’d have to go through a court process, and we’d have to file that maybe in districts that are not friendly to Republicans. So it’s a challenge because every district would be different. We’d have to go sue in every legislator’s home district,” Paxton said in a Monday interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson.
Democratic Texas state Rep. Jolanda Jones, an attorney, said Abbott’s threat was merely “smoke and mirrors” during a press conference on Monday from Albany, New York.
“There is no felony in the Texas penal code for what he says. So respectfully, he’s making up some s—,” Jones said. “Subpoenas from Texas don’t work in New York, so he’s going to come get us how?”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said at the news conference that Democrats were “not breaking the law.”
“This is a legitimate process that has been used before,” Hochul said.
Democratic Texas state Rep. Mihaela Plesa, also speaking from Albany, said Abbott is “trying to manipulate the situation to make it play in his favor. It’s not going to work.”
Experts say Abbott’s threats are more effective as intimidation than as legally enforceable action.
“The governor doesn’t have unilateral power to charge members with bribery or to vacate their seats,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston.
But, “Even if it’s not the case that he can do this, it’s certainly the case that he’s made the high stakes very obvious to Democrats,” he added.
Despite the challenge, Paxton said he was “optimistic” the governor would prevail in the standoff with Democrats. Texas Democrats have said they plan to stay out of state until the end of this special session in two weeks, but Abbott is able to call another special session after that.
“If he keeps calling them back, it’s going to be a challenge for all 51 of them to stay out of the state for the rest of their lives,” Paxton said.
State Rep. Gene Wu, Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair, said Sunday that the lawmakers have received an “outpouring of support from people, from Americans around the country” to help pay their fines.
“My phone has not stopped ringing of people texting us, like, keep going, tell us what you need, give me the donation link,” Wu said during a press conference with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
(AUSTIN, Texas) — A showdown is unfolding in Texas as Gov. Greg Abbott threatens to remove Democrats who have fled the state in protest of Republican-led effort to create a new congressional map.
Abbott said Texas House Democrats have until 3 p.m. local time on Monday to return to the statehouse for the special session or risk losing their jobs. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton suggested Democrats who left should be arrested and forcibly brought back.
The response from the Texas House Democratic Caucus to Abbott’s threat was, “Come and take it.”
Democratic members who left the state are slated to hold various events throughout the day Monday in Democrat-led states.
The proposed congressional map, backed by President Donald Trump, could create up to five new Republican seats and help Republicans keep control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections. Consideration of the bill had been set for Monday, but cannot proceed if Democrats deny a quorum.
Democrats hold events in New York, Massachusetts and Illinois
The first press conference with Texas Democrats on Monday was with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in Albany.
“We won’t sit on the sidelines while Republicans try to rig the system to give Donald Trump more unchecked power,” Hochul said in a statement. “Texas Democrats are standing up for the future of our democracy, and I’m proud to stand with them in the fight against disenfranchisement.”
Texas House Democrats who have gone to Massachusetts for the National Conference of State Legislators summit will be joined by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for a press conference in Boston on Monday at 1 p.m. ET. Then, Texas House Democrats who have gathered in Illinois will hold a press conference with Democratic members of Congress in Chicago.
Pritzker on Sunday accused Trump of “rigging” the new Texas maps out of desperation and worry that due to his policies, he was in danger of losing House Republican majorities in Washington. The Illinois governor also warned the newly-proposed maps set a dangerous precedent across the country.
“This is not just rigging the system in Texas,” Pritzker said. “It’s about rigging the system against the rights of all Americans for years to come.”
Abbott, Paxton threaten action against Democrats
Abbott, in his warning to Texas House Democrats, said leaving the state in protest amounted to “abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office.”
“Real Texans do not run from a fight,” Abbott said in the statement. “But that’s exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did. Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business.”
Abbott said if they didn’t return by 3 p.m. local time on Monday, he would invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House. He further went on to claim the lawmakers who left “may also have committed felonies” by fundraising in order to pay the $500 fine they risk accruing each day they are absent.
Paxton, in a social media post, wrote that “Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately. We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law.”
What’s at stake
The new congressional map was proposed by Texas Republicans following a push by Trump for maps more favorable to Republicans to help the party keep the majority in the House in 2026. Currently, House Republicans are operating with a narrow majority.
Trump has said he wants Republicans to pick up five new seats in Texas and others around the country. Democrats have slammed the move and said it risks hurting minority voters.
As the redistricting battle heats up, a House Republican will introduce legislation to ban mid-decade redrawing of congressional maps nationwide.
California GOP Rep. Kevin Kiley will formally introduce the bill on Tuesday which will “nullify new maps adopted by states before the 2030 census, including any that are adopted this year.” The bill’s future remains uncertain, however, as it’s unlikely to be backed by House Republican leadership.
ABC News’ Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
(AUSTIN, Texas) — A showdown is unfolding in Texas as Gov. Greg Abbott threatens to remove Democrats who have fled the state in protest of Republican-led effort to create a new congressional map.
Abbott said Texas House Democrats have until 3 p.m. local time on Monday to return to the statehouse for the special session or risk losing their jobs. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton suggested Democrats who left should be arrested and forcibly brought back.
The response from the Texas House Democratic Caucus to Abbott’s threat was, “Come and take it.”
Democratic members who left the state are slated to hold various events throughout the day Monday in New York, Massachusetts and Illinois.
The proposed congressional map, backed by President Donald Trump, could create up to five new Republican seats and help Republicans keep control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections. Consideration of the bill had been set for Monday, but cannot proceed if Democrats deny a quorum.
The first press conference with Texas Democrats on Monday was with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in Albany.
“We won’t sit on the sidelines while Republicans try to rig the system to give Donald Trump more unchecked power,” Hochul said in a statement. “Texas Democrats are standing up for the future of our democracy, and I’m proud to stand with them in the fight against disenfranchisement.”
Texas House Democrats who have gone to Massachusetts for the National Conference of State Legislators summit will be joined by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for a press conference in Boston on Monday at 1 p.m. ET. Then, Texas House Democrats who have gathered in Illinois will hold a press conference with Democratic members of Congress in Chicago.
Pritzker on Sunday accused Trump of “rigging” the new Texas maps out of desperation and worry that due to his policies, he was in danger of losing House Republican majorities in Washington. The Illinois governor also warned the newly-proposed maps set a dangerous precedent across the country.
“This is not just rigging the system in Texas,” Pritzker said. “It’s about rigging the system against the rights of all Americans for years to come.”
Abbott, in his warning to Texas House Democrats, said leaving the state in protest amounted to “abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office.”
“Real Texans do not run from a fight,” Abbott said in the statement. “But that’s exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did. Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business.”
