White House Pressure Fails to Stop Epstein File Vote
Former President Donald Trump is confronting the serious possibility of a politically damaging congressional vote concerning the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. This development follows the reported failure of intense efforts to pressure two Republican congresswomen into withdrawing their support for the motion.
According to the New York Times, attempts to persuade Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Nancy Mace of South Carolina to remove their names from a discharge petition have been unsuccessful. This petition is designed to force a House vote, leaving Trump exposed on a highly sensitive issue that risks alienating parts of his core Maga support base.
A Firm Stand Against White House Lobbying
The situation escalated when Lauren Boebert was invited to the White House for a meeting with Trump himself, who allegedly sought to convince her to withdraw her signature from the petition. The New York Times reported that this meeting occurred just hours after House Democrats on the oversight committee released a batch of emails from the Epstein investigation.
These emails contained potentially damaging suggestions, including one in which the disgraced late financier, Epstein, wrote that Trump 'knew about the girls' in relation to his underage sex trafficking activities. Epstein died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial.
When personal persuasion did not work, the administration reportedly enlisted former attorney general Pam Bondi and FBI director Kash Patel to lobby Boebert. The tactics then allegedly turned to what were described as 'vague threats'. However, this hardline approach backfired, seemingly convincing Boebert that there was a concerted effort to conceal the files' contents and strengthening her resolve to support the petition.
Broader Political Fallout and Other Key Developments
In a separate but significant legal move, the US Justice Department has joined a lawsuit to block California's new electoral map. This action challenges a congressional map championed by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and sets up a high-profile clash between the Trump administration and one of his chief political antagonists.
Meanwhile, the BBC has issued an apology to Donald Trump concerning an edited speech broadcast on its Panorama programme. While the corporation rejected his demands for a $1bn compensation payout and has agreed not to air the edition again, it represents another front in the former president's ongoing media battles.
In a notable use of executive power, Trump is set to pardon UK billionaire and former Tottenham owner Joe Lewis. Lewis was convicted in 2024 for his role in what prosecutors called a 'brazen' insider trading scheme, receiving a $5m fine and three years of probation.
Other developments from Thursday, 13th November, include a federal investigation into Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell for alleged mortgage fraud and a report that the Trump Organization sought to bring in nearly 200 foreign workers on visas for 2025, despite the administration's restrictive policies on such visas for other businesses.
