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In a rare public account, Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend Patricia Schmidt has offered a detailed glimpse into her relationship with the late financier, describing how he used intimacy and emotional manipulation to maintain control and extract social and professional advantage.

Schmidt, who was 23 and working at Bear Stearns when she first met Epstein in 1987, shared excerpts from her personal diaries with The New York Times Magazine and spoke publicly for the first time about their time together. The diary entries chronicle their interactions throughout the late 1980s, revealing a relationship marked by power imbalances, deception, and psychological control.

Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles delivered unusually blunt criticism of Elon Musk in a bombshell Vanity Fair interview, portraying the billionaire as erratic, difficult, and reckless during his brief but powerful role in the administration. Wiles described clashing with Musk over mass firings tied to the Department of Government Efficiency, referenced his public flirtations with authoritarian figures, and suggested drug use was influencing his behavior — remarks she later tried to walk back before audio confirmed them.

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Donald Trump was “mighty unhappy” and caught off guard when the Justice Department transferred convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum-security prison after interviewing her, according to unusually candid remarks from his chief of staff, Susie Wiles. In interviews with Vanity Fair, Wiles said the decision was driven by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, not the president, and insisted Trump had no advance knowledge of the move.

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Sen. Mark Kelly’s attorney warned the Pentagon on Monday that the Arizona Democrat is prepared to sue to stop what he calls an illegal, politically motivated investigation tied to President Donald Trump’s demands for retaliation. Kelly was singled out after appearing in a video reminding service members to refuse unlawful orders, which Trump blasted as “seditious.” In a sharply worded letter, Kelly’s lawyer said any attempt to recall the retired Navy aviator for court-martial or discipline would be unconstitutional and an extraordinary abuse of power.

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Legal advocates celebrated Friday’s abrupt resignation of Trump ally Julianne Murray as U.S. attorney in Delaware, calling it another blow to the president’s efforts to bypass Senate confirmation rules. On their podcast, Norm Eisen and Kate Phang said Murray stepped aside after a key 3rd Circuit ruling undercut similar interim appointments, including that of Alina Habba.

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The Supreme Court’s decision siding with Donald Trump on a potential TikTok ban dangerously expanded presidential power under the guise of national security, critics warn. Writing in the Guardian, legal scholars Evelyn Douek and Jameel Jaffer argue the court failed to scrutinize weak security claims and instead blessed a First Amendment violation that gives the government sweeping control over online speech. They warn the ruling sets a precedent that could haunt future free-speech cases.

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Donald Trump’s apparent indifference to warnings from pollsters and allies is stoking fears he’s checked out as GOP leader, leaving MAGA voters uneasy. The Washington Post reports that conservative pollster Mark Mitchell tried to push Trump on unmet economic promises during a White House lunch, but the president showed little interest. As living costs remain high, conservative influencers are voicing frustration over a lack of follow-through, warning Trump’s disengagement could depress MAGA turnout in the 2026 midterms.

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Erika Kirk announced she will meet privately with Candace Owens on Monday, despite warnings from conservatives that the sit-down could worsen an already explosive feud. Owens has repeatedly attacked Kirk over conspiracy theories tied to her husband Charlie Kirk’s death, and critics fear the encounter will only deepen divisions within the MAGA movement rather than calm them.

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CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem said the investigation into the fatal Brown University shooting is already in disarray, highlighting an unusual public rift between local police and the FBI. After a person of interest promoted by FBI Director Kash Patel was released for lack of evidence, Kayyem said authorities don’t even know who they’re looking for and criticized local officials for openly blaming an FBI-led lead, as students report feeling unsafe with the shooter still at large.

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Donald Trump ignited outrage Monday after turning a brief condolence for the deaths of actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer, into a vicious Truth Social attack blaming Reiner’s passing on “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a move that stunned observers and alienated even loyal fans. Within hours of the couple being found dead in their Los Angeles home, Trump mocked Reiner as “tortured” and obsessed with him, prompting a wave of criticism from supporters who called the post “heartless,” “tacky,” and “insane,” with many urging the president to delete it and warning that his cruelty was doing political damage.

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Vice President JD Vance arranged a White House lunch with conservative pollster Mark Mitchell to warn Donald Trump about looming 2026 midterm losses, but the message failed to land. The Washington Post reports that after briefly engaging with data on declining support, Trump lost interest and shifted the conversation to golf and fundraising.

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President Donald Trump is keeping a controversy-ridden Cabinet in place, not because it’s working, but because he refuses to admit he made bad hires, according to a Washington Post analysis. Unlike his first term’s revolving door of firings, Trump’s second administration has stayed intact despite scandals involving figures like Kristi Noem, Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard. The Post cites Trump’s reliance on loyalists, his aversion to acknowledging mistakes, and razor-thin Senate confirmations as key reasons the shake-ups never come.

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