Trump news at a glance: More Epstein estate photos released as White House decries ‘Democrat hoax’ | Trump administration
House Democrats have released a new set of photographs they called “disturbing” from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, showing Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and former British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, among others.
The 19 photographs from the first delivery — some of which have already been seen — plus 70 more released later Friday afternoon represent a small number of the nearly 100,000 images released to the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the conduct and dealings of Epstein, the disgraced financier who apparently committed suicide in a New York prison cell in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking crimes.
Notable figures featured in the first version include celebrities including director Woody Allen; Microsoft founder Bill Gates; and Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin empire.
The White House responded to the post with a statement accusing Democrats of selectively “cherry-picking” photographs for political purposes and “trying to create a false narrative.”
“The Democrats’ hoax against President Trump has been debunked repeatedly,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, insisting that “the Trump administration has done more for Epstein’s victims than Democrats ever have by repeatedly calling for transparency, releasing thousands of pages of documents, and calling for deeper investigations into Epstein’s Democratic friends.”
Democrats release more photos of Epstein with Trump and others
The photographs were released without context or captions, but according to Robert Garcia, a California Democrat and ranking member of the Oversight Committee, they raise more questions about Epstein’s ties to wealthy individuals.
“It is time to end this White House cover-up and bring justice to the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and his powerful friends,” he said in a statement.
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Trump appears in three of the 19 images initially released Friday. In one of them, he is photographed with six women whose faces are blackened.
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House Republicans propose last-minute health plan
With health insurance premiums expected to rise sharply for at least 22 million Americans who purchase their coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces using tax credits that will expire at the end of this year unless Congress acts, House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a Republican alternative Friday evening.
Johnson’s bill comes as his party refuses to extend tax-enhanced subsidies to people who buy policies through the ACA, dubbed Obamacare by opponents of the 2010 law. These subsidies help lower premiums for Americans who don’t get insurance through their employers.
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US Churches Use Daycares to Counter ICE
According to some people behind the exhibits, presenting the ancient story of Christ’s birth in a contemporary political framework helps draw attention to the Trump administration’s agenda. They say Holy Family refugee status represents the real fears and experiences of families in their communities, including separation from loved ones and expulsion of working family members, leading to loss of income.
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US Lawmakers Slam VA’s ‘Draconian Approach to Non-Citizen Database’
Exclusive: More than 20 members of Congress are demanding answers from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Homeland Security officials after the Guardian revealed that the VA is compiling a report on all non-U.S. citizens “employed or affiliated” with the government agency, which will then be shared with other federal agencies, including immigration authorities.
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Judge temporarily blocks officials from detaining Ábrego García again
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to prohibit immigration agents from detaining Kilmar Ábrego García just hours before he was due to appear at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Baltimore. The judge said authorities could not detain him again until the court held a hearing on the request for a temporary restraining order.
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Trump sued by preservation group over White House ballroom project
The legal challenge, filed Friday by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, represents the most significant attempt yet to stop Trump’s 90,000-square-foot addition to the White House complex. The organization is seeking a temporary restraining order to freeze all construction activities until appropriate federal oversight procedures are completed.
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What else happened today:
A catch-up? Here’s what happened December 11, 2025.
