Key Takeaways
- New FBI emails confirmed details of the costly Epstein redaction project, verifying earlier reports.
- Trump's Department of Justice faced multiple legal setbacks, including dismissed indictments due to unlawful appointments.
- Hundreds of judges rejected Trump's mass detention policy, citing likely legal violations.
- Reports indicate a decline in Donald Trump's approval ratings, impacting electoral races.
- Trump's Thanksgiving statement on immigration drew criticism and prompted a host's personal charitable response.
Deep Dive
- New FBI emails, obtained via FOIA, confirmed host Allison Gill's prior reporting on the Epstein redaction project.
- The emails verified the existence of training videos and an Excel spreadsheet used by FBI and DOJ personnel to review nearly 300,000 pages for mentions of Donald Trump.
- The project incurred $851,344 in taxpayer costs for five days of mandatory overtime work.
- The Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed last week, requires the FBI to release associated information by December 20th.
- Indictments against Jim Comey and Letitia James were dismissed due to unlawful prosecutor appointments.
- Judge Curry ruled Lindsey Halligan's interim appointment violated the 120-day limit for U.S. attorneys.
- The dismissal of charges against Letitia James cited precedent from the classified documents case involving an unlawful appointment of Jack Smith.
- The Department of Justice implicated Christy Noem in a criminal contempt case.
- Noem is accused of being responsible for keeping planes in the air to El Salvador against a court order.
- A judge is currently determining whether Noem or others should face contempt charges in this matter.
- Donald Trump reportedly considered firing Kash Patel due to negative press.
- Reports cited Patel's alleged use of an FBI plane for personal travel and premature statements about ongoing investigations.
- A reporter claimed Trump denied wanting to fire Patel and posed for a photo with him to quell the rumors.
- New polling indicates a decline in Donald Trump's approval ratings.
- A Gallup poll showed Trump at negative 11 points, with 36% approval and 60% disapproval.
- Confidence in Congress registered low at 23%, even among Republicans.
- A Tennessee 7th district race, previously won by Trump with 22 points, is now considered a toss-up.
- Donald Trump faced criticism for not immediately addressing a tragic shooting at the DC Capitol, instead focusing on electoral margins.
- His Thanksgiving statement called for a 'permanent pause' on migration from 'all third world countries'.
- The statement, attributed to Stephen Miller, also proposed deporting non-citizens deemed public charges or security risks.
- The Capitol shooting involved an Afghan national whose asylum was granted under the Trump administration, a fact disputed by Trump.