Trump calls for DOJ probe into other Epstein ties, including Clinton
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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump, in a social media post on Friday, said he will “be asking A.G. Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice, together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and many other people and institutions, to determine what was going on with them, and him.”
“Stay tuned!!!” Trump wrote.
Clinton has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and has denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island.
The post comes after House Democrats released emails from Epstein that mentioned Trump by name, including a post that referred to Trump as the “dog that hasn’t barked” and told his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell that an alleged victim had “spent hours at my house” with Trump.
Bipartisan pressure is ramping up on the administration to release the rest of the Epstein files. This week, Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva became the 218th signature needed on a discharge petition to compel the DOJ to make those records public.
Trump, who was friendly with Epstein for years, said after Epstein’s arrest in 2019 that they hadn’t spoken in more than a decade after having a falling out. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the new emails in a press briefing earlier this week, saying they “prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani’s projected victory as New York City’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor marks a historic moment, that could galvanize those communities, some voters and experts tell ABC News.
“It is going to make a big difference for our people — South Indians, Muslims, people who are immigrants like me. They will also think … there’s a place for them in this country,” Asif Mahmood, a Democratic bundler who helped fundraise for Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris and ran for Congress himself, told ABC News ahead of Election Day.
Some Democratic strategists have pointed out that South Asian and Arab Muslims in the U.S., many of whom immigrated post-1965, have historically not been invested in politics. Asian-Americans in general have also been underrepresented in polling and research, even in recent election years, ABC News previously reported.
But Mamdani’s catapult into the national spotlight could help turn the tide, with members of those communities mobilizing in large numbers on his behalf throughout his campaign.
In fact, South Asian voter turnout in the 2025 NYC primary election increased by about 40% compared to the 2021 primary, according to data from research firm L2 provided to ABC News.
“This has created so much interest,” Mahmood said, saying that South Asians and Muslims are “definitely engaging more” in New York politics. He did, however, express concerns over how long the participation will last, and said he was “real skeptical” that such energy will translate to other candidates in the future.
The emphasis on a candidate’s identity was particularly heightened in this race — something that has been embraced by Mamdani’s campaign and supporters, but attacked by his opponents.
Born in Uganda, Mamdani is a Muslim of Indian descent who has lived in the United States since he was seven years old before becoming a naturalized citizen in 2018.
“This campaign has awakened something powerful in New York’s South Asian and Muslim communities — a sense of visibility, pride, and political belonging that’s been denied for generations,” Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Mamdani, told ABC in a statement.
Vishvajit Singh, a storyteller and artist who has lived in NYC for ten years, told ABC News prior to Election Day that “the excitement to vote is real, even beyond the South Asian community.”
“Both supporters and critics of his candidacy stand to benefit — his rise may open more opportunities for South Asians (‘desis’) in U.S. governance,” Singh said, adding that Mamdani’s victory will “inspire children of brown and even Hispanic backgrounds to think about big governmental positions.”
Raza Ahmad Rumi, a policy analyst and lecturer at City University of New York originally from Pakistan, told ABC how Mamdani’s rise “reflects a generational shift in New York politics.”
“His charisma and connection with people — including support from white and Jewish youth — show that his appeal goes far beyond identity,” Rumi said.
Mamdani’s impact appears to transcend beyond the Big Apple, reaching community members across the country and overseas.
“I don’t know a single South Asian — and I know a lot of South Asians — who doesn’t know about this race going on,” Mahmood, who is based in California, said.
Dr. Naomi Green, assistant-secretary general for the Muslims Council of Britain, told ABC News that Mamdani’s “broad support across New York and beyond is proof that people value justice and inclusion over prejudice.” In 2016, London made history when the city elected its first Muslim mayor.
Ushering in NYC’s first Muslim mayor marks a significant milestone in a place that has experienced longstanding Islamophobia, especially following the deadly 9/11 terrorist attacks that occurred in the city.
The dark day in NYC was repeatedly mentioned in the run-up to Election Day, with Mamdani accusing his opponent, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, of engaging in Islamophobic rhetoric relating to him and 9/11.
Cuomo has pushed back on these accusations, arguing that Mamdani was being divisive and falsely alleging Islamophobia. Speaking to Fox News just days before the election, Cuomo accused Mamdani of “playing the race card” and attempting to win voters on the basis of his identity.
Mahmood told ABC that such commentary actually helped Mamdani by fueling voter anger against his opponents.
But not all South Asians are enthusiastic about Mamdani. In October, Cuomo launched a “South Asians for Cuomo” coalition that rallied around the Independent candidate over Mamdani.
The Indian community has seen particular divide, with some criticizing Mamdani’s economic policies and even accusing him of being anti-Hindu, pointing to his past remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Mamdani campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on these anti-Hindu accusations. A campaign adviser told the New York Times that Mamdani rejects anti-Hindu rhetoric, and pointed out that his mother is Hindu.
Fahad Solaiman, member of Jackson Heights Bangladeshi Business Development Association and Community Board, told ABC that he takes issue with feasibility of Mamdani’s promises, calling them “unrealistic.”
“We’re hardworking people. There are so many South Asian Americans in public office now — even the FBI Director is South Asian. But the problem isn’t who’s in office; it’s the kind of promises being made. [Mamdani] overpromises constantly,” Solaiman said.
Mamdani has also received backlash from some members of the Jewish community, with over 1,000 rabbis nationwide signing a letter decrying his rhetoric on Israel.
Mamdani’s victory as the Democratic candidate also comes during a time of declining Democratic support among Indian-Americans nationwide. The Carnegie Endowment for American Peace found less Indian-Americans voting blue in 2024 compared to 2020, even with former Vice President Harris, a Black and Indian woman, at the top of the Democratic ticket.
A recent Pew Research Center report also noted shrinking Muslim support for Democrats, with 42% of Muslims identifying with or leaning Republican in 2024, compared to 13% of Muslims identifying or leaning Republican in 2017.
Mahmood emphasized that Mamdani’s identity does not define his candidacy.
“He’s not going to make his mayorship [about being] a Muslim mayor, but he’s a good mayor, and he happens to be Muslim,” Mahmood said. “He’s a good mayor, he happens to be South Asian.”
Sen. Mark Kelly leaves after the Senate voted on the Venezuela War Powers Resolution at the U.S. Capitol, January 08, 2026, in Washington. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly on Monday filed a lawsuit against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arguing that Hegseth’s censure of him last week over his inclusion in a social media video that told U.S. service members they have a right to refuse unlawful orders violated his constitutional rights.
“Pete Hegseth is coming after what I earned through my twenty-five years of military service, in violation of my rights as an American, as a retired veteran, and as a United States Senator whose job is to hold him — and this or any administration — accountable. His unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the President or Secretary of Defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted,” Kelly said in a statement.
The senator’s lawsuit also names the Department of Defense, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan and the Department of the Navy as defendants.
Kelly alleges, among other things, that actions taken against him violate his First Amendment right to free speech, the speech and debate clause that protects lawmakers and his right to due process.
ABC News has reached out to Department of Defense for comment.
Hegseth censured Kelly on Jan. 5 for “conduct [that] was seditious in nature,” referring to the video Kelly participated in in November alongside other Democrats who previously served in the military or in the intelligence community.
Kelly and the other five Democrats involved in the video have defended their message as being in line with the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Constitution.
The censure will result in a reduction in rank and Kelly’s retirement pay, a process Hegseth said would take 45 days. Kelly retired as a Navy captain and receives retirement benefits for his more than 20 years of service.
Kelly retired as a Navy captain and receives retirement benefits for his more than 20 years of service.
In an interview with ABC News after the censure, Kelly said he still would “absolutely not” have changed his message to U.S. troops about not following illegal orders.’
“Let me make this perfectly clear, though, that Gabby and I are not people that back down,” Kelly said last Tuesday during an appearance with his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, on “Good Morning America.” “From anything, from any kind of fight.”
ndiana Gov. Mike Braun speaks before U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signs three new SNAP food choice waivers for the states of Idaho, Utah, and Arkansas in her office at the United States Department of Agriculture Whitten Building on June 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images_
(INDIANAPOLIS) –Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun announced on Monday that he will call for a special legislative session to begin next week that will include considering redrawing Indiana’s congressional map — drawing the state more deeply into the mid-cycle redistricting battle occurring across the country.
“I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair,” Braun wrote in a statement.
The special session — which is set to begin Monday, Nov. 3 — will also deal with tax issues, according to Braun.
The White House has openly pushed for Indiana, which currently has seven Republican and two Democratic members of the U.S. House, to redraw its congressional map. Vice President JD Vance has visited the state twice in recent months for discussions with state lawmakers and figures.
As of Monday, three states have finished redrawing their congressional maps: Texas, Missouri and North Carolina. Analysts believe that Republicans stand to gain up to seven congressional seats in these redrawn maps — significant changes in a Congress with a razor-thin Republican majority.
A spokesperson for Republican state Sen. Rodric Bray, the Senate President pro tempore, told ABC News on Wednesday, “the votes aren’t there for redistricting.”
President Donald Trump spoke with Republican state legislators from Indiana on Friday about redistricting.
Braun later indicated that he’s still confident to get support for “fair representation.”
“I am still having positive conversations with members of the legislature. I am confident the majority of Indiana Statehouse Republicans will support efforts to ensure fair representation in congress for every Hoosier,” Braun wrote on X on Wednesday.
His lieutenant governor, Micah Beckwith — who is the state Senate’s president — went further in a statement: “I am calling on my Republican colleagues in the Indiana Senate to find your backbone, to remember who sent you here, and to reclaim Indiana’s rightful voice in Congress by drawing a 9-0 map.”
President of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee John Bisognano on Monday slammed Braun’s move.
“Governor Braun clearly called this special session solely because he got orders from Washington,” Bisognano said in a statement. “Hoosiers do not want a mid-decade gerrymander. Indiana legislators now have a choice: stand up for their constituents by rejecting a mid-decade gerrymander or cave to the White House by undermining the voting rights of their constituents.”
