Good evening everyone. Apologies for the delayed update tonight. Just as I was about to send it, the Justice Department uploaded the previously missing FBI 302 interview files involving a woman who accused Donald Trump of sexually abusing her when she was a child. I am going through the documents now and will be digging through them throughout the night to understand what they contain and what may have been withheld until now.
At the same time, a new analysis indicates that the United States military was likely responsible for the strike on an all-girls school in Iran that reportedly killed more than 100 children. These developments are unfolding rapidly, and I will continue to break down the facts and the documents as I review them.
Many of you began following my work because of my reporting on the Epstein case. From the start, I have promised that I will not stop pushing for the truth and for justice for the survivors. Tonight, the Justice Department released thousands of additional files, and I am working through them as quickly and carefully as possible.
Here’s the news:
- The Justice Department posted three previously missing FBI interview summaries related to a woman who alleged sexual abuse by Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, after a CNN analysis found gaps in the Epstein files archive; the DOJ says it is reviewing its document-release process and currently has no active investigations tied to Epstein. I found the three interviews, and go through them carefully in the video above. If you want to see the interviews yourself, you can find them here (the interview from August 22, 2019), here (the interview from August 30, 2019), and here (the interview from October 22, 2019).
- It is unclear why the Justice Department waited until now to release these documents and it is unclear whether the FBI conducted any follow-up interviews and/ or investigation into these allegations. As I make clear in the video, I am not claiming that these allegations are true or false, I am merely reporting on newly released documents. A screen grab from the first interview can be seen here:
- The Republican-controlled House voted 212–219 to reject a bipartisan war powers resolution that would have required President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before continuing military operations against Iran, a decision that—along with a similar Senate vote—effectively allows the administration to proceed with strikes despite opposition from most Democrats and a few Republicans and growing public criticism of the conflict.
- After being removed as homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem thanked President Donald Trump for appointing her “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” saying she will work with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to strengthen security in the Western Hemisphere and combat drug cartels, while also highlighting what she described as major achievements during her time leading the Department of Homeland Security.
- Corey Lewandowski is expected to leave his role alongside former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, according to Fox News, as leadership changes continue following Noem’s removal from the Department of Homeland Security.
- Markwayne Mullin, Trump’s nominee for Homeland Security secretary, has faced criticism over past controversies, including challenging a labor union leader to a physical fight during a 2023 congressional hearing, undergoing an ethics investigation related to his involvement in family businesses while serving in Congress (which required him to repay $40,000), and drawing backlash for aggressively defending Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth by accusing fellow senators of hypocrisy over alleged workplace drinking.
- Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said he would appoint a conservative who supports Donald Trump to replace Sen. Markwayne Mullin if Mullin is confirmed as Homeland Security secretary, noting state law requires the replacement to be from the same party and not run in the next election since Mullin’s term ends in January.
- Democrats sharply criticized former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem after her removal, calling her tenure incompetent and chaotic and arguing her exit alone is insufficient, with several lawmakers urging President Donald Trump to also remove other controversial officials such as Stephen Miller, Pam Bondi, Pete Hegseth, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while citing controversies including immigration enforcement actions, a costly DHS ad campaign, and other disputes during her leadership.
- President Donald Trump dismissed concerns, in a conversation with Reuters, about rising U.S. gas prices linked to the Iran conflict, saying the military operation was more important and that “if they rise, they rise,” while ruling out releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve despite fuel costs climbing and oil prices jumping amid disruptions in Middle East supply.
- According to NBC News, Kristi Noem is facing scrutiny over allegations she personally selected contractors for a $100 million ICE recruitment campaign without a competitive bidding process, according to officials and internal communications, raising concerns about procurement practices and adding to the controversies surrounding her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security.
- The U.S. has closed its embassy in Kuwait City due to escalating risks from the Iran conflict, after Iranian drone strikes hit nearby areas and killed six American service members in the wider fighting, prompting the State Department to urge Americans in Kuwait to leave or shelter in place while the U.S. also shutters other regional embassies and ramps up evacuations of citizens from the Middle East.
- An investigation by the New York Times using satellite imagery, verified videos, and social media analysis indicates that the Feb. 28 strike on Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Iran, which reportedly killed at least 175 people including many children, likely occurred during a coordinated attack by the United States on a nearby Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps naval base, suggesting the school may have been hit during the same precision-strike operation.
- Evidence reviewed by analysts suggests the strike was probably carried out by U.S. forces operating in southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz, potentially due to target misidentification, while U.S. officials have neither confirmed nor denied responsibility and say the incident remains under investigation amid questions about possible violations of international law.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized past U.S. military campaigns as “dumb” and “politically correct,” saying earlier wars had vague objectives and restrictive rules of engagement, and argued the current approach rejects those limitations.
- President Donald Trump hosted pastors from across the United States in the Oval Office for a prayer session, where religious leaders prayed with him amid the ongoing conflict and political developments.
- Prediction platform Polymarket removed a betting market on the likelihood of a global nuclear detonation after U.S.–Israel strikes on Iran drove a surge in trading and public backlash, with the market reaching about $244,000 in daily volume and drawing criticism from lawmakers who objected to people wagering on catastrophic events.
- U.S. Central Command appeared to revise an earlier statement about an incident over Basra, initially denying that any crash had occurred before later updating the post to clarify that a U.S. fighter jet had not been “shot down,” raising questions about what exactly happened in the incident.
- An Economist analysis described the current U.S.–Israel war with Iran as a potential “third Gulf war” that could fundamentally reshape the Middle East, arguing that the conflict—sparked after strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader—may alter regional power dynamics in ways comparable to the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War, with lasting consequences for Iran, Israel and Gulf states.
- Donald Trump suggested to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Cuba could be the next focus after the current conflict, saying Rubio is “waiting” but wants to finish the current operation first, while adding that although multiple actions could happen simultaneously, doing so could lead to “bad things.”
- Donald Trump criticized Tucker Carlson, saying Carlson has “lost his way” and is “not MAGA,” arguing that the MAGA movement represents America First and efforts to strengthen the country, while claiming Carlson is “not smart enough” to understand those goals.
- Donald Trump urged Iranian diplomats around the world to request asylum and assist in shaping a new Iranian government, saying the United States would ensure that whoever leads Iran in the future does not threaten America.
- Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) joined Capitol Police in forcibly removing an antiwar Marine veteran protesting the Iran conflict from a Senate hearing, a struggle captured on video in which the protester said his arm was broken and police reported injuries to three officers, while the Marine was later charged with assaulting officers and resisting arrest.
- According to the Washington Post, Senators Ted Cruz and Tim Scott urged the Treasury Department to implement a roughly $200 billion capital-gains tax cut without congressional approval, arguing the administration could use executive authority to index capital gains for inflation, though legal experts and critics say such a move likely requires Congress and would primarily benefit wealthy investors.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he would consider dropping out of his Senate runoff race against Sen. John Cornyn if Senate leaders agree to abolish the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act, attacking Cornyn for refusing to support ending the 60-vote rule even though changing Senate rules would require a majority vote and several Republicans oppose eliminating the filibuster.
- The New York Times confirmed that former U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan is under investigation by the Florida Bar over potential professional misconduct, including concerns from judges that she made fundamental misstatements of law and improperly pursued indictments against Trump critics James Comey and Letitia James despite questions about the legality of her appointment and the integrity of the grand jury process.
- Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) introduced articles of impeachment against Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, accusing her of obstructing Congress, dereliction of duty and politicizing the Justice Department, though the effort is considered unlikely to succeed in the Republican-controlled House.
See you soon.
— Aaron
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