Trump News

Trump allowed Epstein access to Mar-a-Lago despite wife's warnings: report

Although Donald Trump eventually severed ties with Jeffrey Epstein, banning the convicted sex trafficker from Mar-a-Lago following a 2003 incident, he had received prior warnings from his then-wife Marla Maples that he chose to disregard.

According to a Wall Street Journal report released Tuesday evening, Trump's break with Epstein came after an 18-year-old Mar-a-Lago beautician complained that Epstein pressured her for sex after being sent to his residence. This incident prompted Trump to ban Epstein from the resort.

However, the Journal reports that Maples, who was married to Trump from 1993 to 1999, harbored early and prescient skepticism about Epstein—a concern shared with Mar-a-Lago staff members.

According to Journal reporters Joe Palazzolo, Rebecca Ballhaus, and Khadeeja Safdar, Maples, typically reserved in her public commentary about individuals, "shared concerns with Mar-a-Lago staff about Epstein soon after the club opened in 1995, according to former employees."

RELATED: Epstein had friends listen in on phone calls while Trump talked about sex

The Journal reports that Maples remained vague about her specific objections but told employees that something about Epstein seemed "wrong" and "off," and that she worried about his influence on Trump.

Maples also communicated these concerns directly to her husband. Former club employees reported that Maples shared her reservations with Timothy McDaniel, a Trump family bodyguard who oversaw security at their Florida properties. "Maples told Trump that she was uneasy about Epstein's presence and that she didn't want to spend time with him—and didn't want Trump to either, according to former employees and people close to Maples."

Despite these warnings, Epstein was not banned at that time and became a frequent visitor to the resort. Trump instructed staff to treat Epstein as a valued guest when he arrived with Ghislaine Maxwell, who "booked appointments on his behalf."

This was not an isolated instance of Maples expressing concern about Epstein. Two weeks ago, the New York Times reported that Maples privately warned a guest who attended the club with her 14-year-old daughter and a group of other teenagers in 1994: "Whatever you do, do not let her around any of these men, and especially my husband. Protect her."

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Ex-Trump ally suggests president's voters are planning a group government strike

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speculated on X that vast numbers of Trump supporters will simply refuse to pay their taxes this year.

"Almost every Trump voter I see on X is so fed up they are planning a 2026 tax revolt. And rightfully so!" wrote Greene. "It’s because Americans work their a---- off, barely make ends meet, and the government consistently gives their hard earned tax dollars to foreign countries, foreign wars, and foreigners the U.S. government has brought/allowed into America! And NOTHING is given to Americans!!!"

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'Disgusting': Trump tells fellow Republican to 'rot in Hell' in New Years Eve rant

Donald Trump said a fellow Republican doesn't deserve a happy new year and instead should be sent to "Hell."

The president early Wednesday took to Truth Social to go to bat for an incarcerated GOP operative.

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Trump official pressures admin to arrest president's targets in expletive-filled rant

President Donald Trump's Agency for Global Media director went on Newsmax this week to rage against the people who criminally investigated President Donald Trump — and called for them to be imprisoned for life.

Kari Lake, a former Phoenix-area news anchor who has run unsuccessfully for statewide office in Arizona twice on a MAGA platform, made the comments during a segment on David Harris' "The Pulse" about the allegations of benefits fraud schemes in Minnesota, which have reached fever pitch as Republicans scramble to attack Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, despite the actual evidence on the ground painting a very different picture of what really happened.

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'No end in sight': Trump admin has Americans worried ahead of new year

Donald Trump's administration has members of the public worried for their futures as they head into 2026.

One person suggested there is "no end in sight" when it comes to bad news from the government, and others are worried about their financial security after Trump's first year in office. Trump's second term in the White House has seen the president enact controversial economic laws, with tariffs leaving their mark on economic security.

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Trump scrambles to appease crucial voting bloc that is slipping from GOP

President Donald Trump tossed a bone to a crucial voting block that's drifting away from the Republican Party less than a year after helping him win re-election.

The 79-year-old president received a higher percentage of the Latino vote in 2024 than any other Republican presidential candidate in history, with 46 percent of their vote, but Trump tried to shore up their support in a New Year's Eve social media post touting his accomplishments on border security.

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'I had to say no': DC plastic surgeon spills on Trump-linked patients with 'Joker' smile

A plastic surgeon who has worked in Washington D.C. for nearly 15 years said this second Trump administration is unique in that she's noticing a "Mar-a-Lago face" trend she has had to say no to.

Dr. Anita Kulkarni this month did a Substack interview in which she was asked all about the D.C. trends in the second administration.

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'Utter insanity': GOP lawmakers warn Trump one issue is overshadowing his presidency

A political choice dubbed "utter insanity" has overshadowed Donald Trump's administration during the first year of his second term.

The Republican Party's attempted redistricting across the US this year was criticised by a representative whose district was split up in the process. Rep. Kevin Kiley, a staunch critic of Governor Gavin Newsom, suggested that redistricting across the country, be it in California or Texas, was widely frowned up on "both sides".

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Trump Kennedy Center appointees stacked the deck before name change vote: report

Before voting to add Donald Trump's name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the center's bylaws were altered to ensure the measure would pass without opposition, according to new reporting.

According to documents obtained by the Washington Post, after Trump purged the board and replaced members with his appointees—including himself, Vice President JD Vance's wife Usha, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Dan Scavino, who oversees the president's Truth Social account—new bylaws were adopted in May that restricted voting eligibility.

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CBS thumbed its nose at Trump over the Kennedy Center's poorly rated broadcast

CBS declined to honor President Donald Trump's wish to rename the Kennedy Center after himself during its poorly rated broadcast.

Ratings for Kennedy Center Honors, which was held earlier this month and aired last week, fell sharply this year compared to previous years after the board he appointed named him chairman and invited him to host the annual event, which was held Dec. 7 and aired Dec. 23, reported the Washington Post.

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'Jaw dropping' order by judge is 'not good news for DOJ's Todd Blanche: legal expert

A ruling issued Tuesday by Federal District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. threatens to undermine the government's case against immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia and potentially damage Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's reputation.

According to former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance, the Tennessee court ruling compels the Department of Justice to release key materials demonstrating that DOJ leadership directed the prosecution of Abrego Garcia despite protestations to the contrary.

The government has maintained that then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire pursued Abrego Garcia independently, without direction from Washington leadership.

On her Substack platform, Vance characterized the unsealed ruling as "not good news for the government." She cited an April 27 email from Blanche's subordinate Aakash Singh to McGuire that explicitly identified Abrego Garcia's prosecution as a "top priority" for the Deputy Attorney General's office— among the sensitive materials now subject to disclosure to Abrego Garcia's legal team.

Vance emphasized the significance of these developments: "These developments are all phrased in the polite language used in courts by judges and lawyers, but they are jaw-dropping."

She explained the contradiction at the case's center: "The government represented to the court that the decision to prosecute Abrego Garcia was made locally, disconnected from his effort to enforce his constitutional rights and challenge his deportation. Their own emails appear to contradict that assertion."

Vance drew on her 25 years of DOJ experience, noting, "I've seen a number of cases during my tenure where a defendant argued vindictiveness. In every case, the government explained why the prosecution was legitimate, and in every case, it prevailed. I've never seen a case where the government made representations to a judge that were refuted by its own internal communications."

Vance noted that prosecutors may be required to testify under oath to defend their actions if the case proceeds. "Abrego Garcia's case, which has been highly irregular from the start, may well be the one where that happens."

You can read more here.

Professor flags 'underreported story' about Elon Musk's 'unorthodox power' in Trump admin

The Department of Government Efficiency is still active and has an "unorthodox power" according to a political analyst.

Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat says the ongoing work of DOGE, not as a central government project but "entrenched in departments across the administration, is an issue that will have long-term consequences for the public. Writing in NOTUS, the professor of history and Italian studies at New York University suggested there should be more awareness of just how much power DOGE still maintains.

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Trump's grip on power 'beginning to end' as Pete Buttigieg breaks down president's year

Pete Buttigieg believes Donald Trump's grip on presidential power is "beginning to end", with the former Secretary of Transport highlighting a rough first year.

The Trump administration has come under fire from both the Republican Party and Democratic representatives over healthcare, the cost-of-living crisis, and the release of Jeffrey Epstein's files. Buttigieg, speaking in a new years address uploaded to his YouTube account, has since shared his thoughts on the apparent power base in the White House shifting away from Trump.

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