What we're covering
• Venezuela tensions: US personnel are pursuing a vessel in international waters near Venezuela after attempting to intercept it, a US official said, making it the second ship targeted this weekend as Washington increases pressure on the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.
• Epstein files: Meanwhile, the Justice Department says it will continue to review and redact materials from the thousands of files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation released since Friday to “protect victims.” At least 16 files that were released Friday appeared to have been removed from the website as of this morning — although at least one of them, a photo containing an image of President Donald Trump, has been restored to the database.
• Young conservatives gather: On the final day of Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Arizona, Vice President JD Vance made an appeal to young conservatives to come together, and rapper Nicki Minaj made a surprise appearance, heaping praise on the president.
Moscow labels Europe and Ukraine’s changes to US proposal as "unconstructive" amid talks with US
Russia views changes made by Europe and Ukraine to US proposals for an end to the war in Ukraine as largely “unconstructive” amid talks with the US, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told state media VGTRK on Sunday.
Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, who is in Miami for meetings with the US delegation, received signals from Americans that have been conveyed by European and Ukrainian officials, Ushakov said.
“We will discuss all of this here and see what we can accept and what we categorically can’t,” Ushakov added.
Ushakov said Dmitriev has shared some preliminary information about the talks, but Russian officials are waiting for his return, expected on Monday.
“After that we will work out a position to move forward, including contacts with Americans,” he added.
US and Ukraine had "productive and constructive" meetings in Miami, negotiators say
Ukraine’s delegation held “productive and constructive” meetings with US and European negotiators over the weekend, Ukrainian National Security Secretary Rustem Umerov and US special envoy Steve Witkoff said today.
“Ukraine remains fully committed to achieving a just and sustainable peace,” Umerov and Witkoff said in a joint statement posted on X. “Our shared priority is to stop the killing, ensure guaranteed security, and create conditions for Ukraine’s recovery, stability, and long-term prosperity.”
The US and Ukrainian delegations met with European national security advisers before holding a separate US-Ukraine meeting.
During the second meeting, the negotiators focused on developing the 20-point peace plan introduced by US President Donald Trump and a security guarantee framework for Ukraine, according to the statement.
“Particular attention was given to discussing timelines and the sequencing of next steps,” the statement read.
The statement noted that Ukraine “highly values the leadership and support” of the US.
Senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev arrived in Florida on Saturday afternoon to meet with Witkoff and Jared Kushner for talks on a possible end to the war in Ukraine. In an update later Saturday, Dmitriev said that talks were “proceeding constructively.”
The US has not released a statement updating the status of the discussions with Dmitriev.
This latest round of talks follow a previous meeting between negotiators that was held in Florida earlier this month.
US pursuing another oil tanker in waters near Venezuela
The US is pursuing a vessel in international waters near Venezuela on Sunday after attempting to intercept it, a US official said, as President Donald Trump’s administration tightens its crackdown on the country’s oil industry.
The tanker, called Bella 1, was sailing toward Venezuela to pick up oil. It is under US sanctions for links to Iranian oil. American officials view it as part of the shadow fleet that transports oil from sanctioned nations, and a warrant had been issued for its seizure.
When US Coast Guard personnel attempted to board the ship, however, the vessel kept sailing, the official said, leading to the pursuit.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation.
“The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion,” a second US official said. “It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.”
It was the second operation in the same number of days meant to interdict tankers tied to Venezuelan oil. On Saturday, the US Coast Guard intercepted the Centuries tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela.
Justice Department restores photo containing image of Trump to Epstein files website
The Justice Department says a photograph containing an image of President Donald Trump that was removed from its Epstein files library has been restored to the online database.
The image shows a desk drawer with several photographs, including one that shows Trump, Jeffrey Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and others. It was released late Friday as part of the Justice Department’s dump of documents related to Epstein.
The image disappeared from the website Saturday. In a statement posted to X on Sunday, the Justice Department said it was removed while the agency ascertained whether more needed to be redacted to protect victims.
“The Southern District of New York flagged an image of President Trump for potential further action to protect victims. Out of an abundance of caution, the Department of Justice temporarily removed the image for further review,” the statement read.
“After the review, it was determined there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph, and it has been reposted without any alteration or redaction,” it went on.
Vance tells crowd of conservatives there could be “more prosecutions”
Speaking at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix today, Vice President JD Vance suggested “more prosecutions” could come from the administration with support from conservatives.
Trump has used his second term to target his political enemies, including unsuccessful attempts to indict former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Trump has also publicly groused about the rate of judicial confirmations during his administration, calling on the Senate to abolish the “blue-slip” tradition that allows senators to block confirmations of judicial nominees in their home states.
Vance also looked ahead to the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race, blasting Democratic candidates, including possible presidential hopefuls former Vice President Kamala Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, along with Senate candidates Graham Platner of Maine and Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas.
“Ask yourself, what do all of these people have in common? And the unfortunate answer is they are puppets — they don’t actually matter,” Vance said. “They are cogs in a machine that wants to make you poor, that wants to make you less powerful, and wants to make you less safe in the country your ancestors built.”
He continued: “And you know what else unites them? We are going to kick their ass next November, and every year after that.”
Vance tells supporters to avoid “endless, self-defeating purity tests” amid cracks in the MAGA coalition
Vice President JD Vance addressed Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix on Sunday, appealing to young conservatives to come together, even as cracks have begun to show in President Donald Trump’s coalition of supporters.
As conservatives have descended on Phoenix for the weekend’s programming, division in their movement has been on full display, with some speakers condemning what they describe as an increasingly vocal corner of the MAGA movement that is willing to engage in racist and antisemitic rhetoric.
On Friday, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy told the audience, “If you believe in normalizing hatred towards any ethnic group, towards Whites, towards Blacks, towards Hispanics, towards Jews, towards Indians, you have no place in the future of the conservative movement.”
For his part, Vance did not condemn racist rhetoric from his party, saying, “I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to deplatform. And I don’t really care if some people out there — I’m sure we’ll have the fake news media — denounce me after this speech.”
Later in his speech, he urged supporters to remain emboldened despite Republican infighting.
“I know some of you are discouraged by the infighting over any number of issues — don’t be discouraged,” he said. “Wouldn’t you rather lead a movement of free thinkers who sometimes disagree than a bunch of drones who take their orders from George Soros?”
Catch up on the latest from Turning Point USA’s annual youth gathering
Prominent Republicans appeared onstage Sunday at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference, an annual gathering of young conservatives started by the late Charlie Kirk.
Here are some highlights from today’s speakers in Phoenix:
House Speaker Mike Johnson voiced support for GOP Rep. Andy Biggs’ effort to install a Kirk statue in the United States Capitol. Johnson also urged the crowd to advance Kirk’s principles and to “adopt his approach.”
Donald Trump Jr. acknowledged the Trump administration has work to do when it comes to lowering prices, a key issue his father is wrestling with as the country barrels toward next year’s midterm elections.
“Inflation is under control, but when you have compound interest on double-digit inflation for four years, those prices are still too high. We have to work on that. But it doesn’t happen overnight,” the president’s eldest son said.
He also advocated for unity in Trump’s political movement, touching broadly on the tensions among prominent conservative influencers in the aftermath of Kirk’s death, including at AmericaFest, where Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson clashed on Thursday.
“What binds us together, what matters more than the disagreements, is the ability to have that discourse,” he said.
Erika Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA and Charlie Kirk’s widow, had an onstage discussion with surprise guest Nicki Minaj, who praised the president.
“Charlie would always say it really does not take skill to be courageous, it takes a choice,” Erika Kirk told Minaj. “It takes a decision. … I want to say again, thank you for coming and being courageous and being able to share your heart with us.”
US was pursuing a vessel near Venezuela after attempting to intercept it, official says
The US was pursuing a vessel in international waters near Venezuela after attempting to intercept it, a US official said, as President Donald Trump’s administration tightens its crackdown on the country’s oil industry.
The tanker, called Bella 1, was sailing toward Venezuela to pick up oil. It is currently under US sanctions for links to Iranian oil. American officials view it as part of the shadow fleet that transports oil from sanctioned nations, and there was a warrant issued for its seizure.
When US Coast Guard personnel attempted to board the ship, however, the vessel kept sailing, the official said.
The status of the pursuit remains unclear.
Nicki Minaj praises Trump in surprise appearance at Turning Point USA conference
Rapper Nicki Minaj made a surprise appearance Sunday at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, appearing in a conversation onstage with the conservative group’s CEO, Erika Kirk, and heaping praise on the president.
“He’s from Queens, New York, like me,” she added. “What it’s shown me personally is sometimes even in the worst-feeling times in your life, you think that you’re never going to come back from it. But you do.”
Minaj also praised Vice President JD Vance, who was set to speak after her at the conference, by saying that both Vance and President Donald Trump have “a very uncanny ability to be someone that you relate to.”
She also read some of her own social media posts about California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Kirk asked her to riff about the potential presidential candidate.
“Dear Newscum, we don’t have a problem cleaning up the scum if we have to. Please tread lightly,” Minaj said.
Some background: Sunday was not the rapper’s first foray into politics. Minaj, who has offered her admiration for Trump before, spoke last month at an event in New York to draw attention to what some are saying is the plight of Christians in Nigeria. At that event, she was introduced by the president’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, and thanked both Waltz and Trump.
What some GOP senators are saying about escalating tensions with Venezuela
Tensions between the US and Venezuela continue to escalate as US personnel are working to intercept another vessel near Venezuela today, a US official said.
This is the second ship targeted this weekend as Washington increases pressure on leader Nicolas Maduro. On Saturday, personnel from the US boarded and seized a vessel off the coast of Venezuela, according to an official familiar with the matter.
Here’s what some Republican senators are saying about the situation:
- Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina dismissed concerns that President Donald Trump would break his promise to avoid new foreign conflicts if the US went to war with Venezuela. “President Trump promised to secure our nation from the scourge of narco-drug trafficking the king pin in our backyard is Maduro and Venezuela. They’re poisoning America,” Graham said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” today. “So I applaud President Trump of trying to bring down this narco-terrorist state in Venezuela run by Maduro. They are bad news.”
- Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said he considers the seizures “a provocation and a prelude to war.” Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” he said he disagrees with those moves, adding that the phrase “weapons of mass destruction” has “come to represent falsehood in intelligence” after US officials accused Saddam Hussein of stockpiling WMDs in the run-up to the Iraq War — a claim which turned out to be incorrect.
- Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma supported the current US position that Maduro is not the legitimate president of Venezuela but deflected on whether he supports regime change in the country. Pressed by CNN’s Kasie Hunt on if he would support regime change with the use of American forces, Lankford warned, “if you break it, you buy it” and compared the hypothetical to the 2011 military intervention in Libya.
More than a dozen photos, including one of Trump, appear to have been removed from Epstein database
At least 16 files that were released Friday as part of the Department of Justice’s “Epstein Library” appear to have been removed from the website as of Sunday morning.
CNN reported Saturday that one of the files was an image including at least one photo in an open desk drawer of now-President Donald Trump, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing or charged with any crimes in connection with Epstein.
Of the additional images that appear to have been removed, the majority show sexually explicit artwork in a room containing a massage table. Some of the others show mail slots filled with envelopes, a tiled hallway, and a notebook page with names and apartment numbers.
It’s not immediately clear why these images may have been removed from the Epstein database. However, the DOJ acknowledged after it released thousands of files on Friday that “because of the volume of information involved, this website may nevertheless contain information that inadvertently includes non-public personally identifiable information or other sensitive content, to include matters of a sexual nature.”
The DOJ has not responded to CNN’s requests for comment about the removed files, but it wrote Saturday on X, “Photos and other materials will continue being reviewed and redacted consistent with the law in an abundance of caution as we receive additional information.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday morning the Justice Department’s move to continue redacting files from the documents it has released “is simply … to protect victims.”
“We’re going through a very methodical process with hundreds of lawyers looking at every single document and making sure that victims’ names and any of the information from victims is protected and redacted, which is exactly what the (Epstein Files) Transparency Act expects,” Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Justice Department rereleases 119-page grand jury document with "minimal redactions"
The Justice Department on Sunday rereleased 119 pages labeled as grand jury materials in the 2021 case against Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, in New York, saying they now have “minimal redactions.”
“Documents and photos will continue to be reviewed consistent with the law and with an abundance of caution for victims and their families,” the department said in a post on X.
The 119 pages had been completely redacted when it was first released on Friday night. Prior to Friday’s release of Epstein documents, the Justice Department’s request to unseal the grand jury material was approved by federal judge, clearing the way for the DOJ to publish the much-sought-after documents.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking minors.
Rollout of Epstein documents could hurt Trump administration, GOP senator says
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky criticized the Department of Justice’s process for releasing numerous redacted documents related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, saying that the documents “should all be released.”
The Epstein Files Transparency Act required the Justice Department to make all files related to Jeffrey Epstein publicly available within 30 days of passage. But Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday, the deadline to release the files, that “several hundred thousand more” files would become available “over the next couple weeks.”
The law also requires the DOJ to redact content that could potentially identify victims who were sexually abused, but the department has faced criticism for the extensive level of redactions included in the documents.
Paul also suggested that the administration should “be transparent and release everything the law requires of you.”
Lawmakers who pushed for Epstein files float effort to hold attorney general in contempt of Congress
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, the representatives who pushed for the law that forced the Justice Department to release the Epstein files, said they are considering an effort to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in inherent contempt of Congress in light of the extensive redactions in the documents.
Khanna echoed Massie, insisting their effort will gain support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Some background: Inherent contempt is a process that involves telling the House or Senate sergeant-at-arms to detain or imprison the person in contempt until he or she honors congressional demands. This is an extremely rare process and hasn’t happened in modern times.
Khanna suggested the contempt measure the lawmakers are drafting “would fine Pam Bondi for every day that she’s not releasing these documents.”
DOJ likely erred on the side of “over-redaction” in latest release of Epstein files, court filing says
The Department of Justice used an extremely broad approach to protecting victims, erring on the side of “over-redaction” by blacking out all women who appeared in photos with Jeffrey Epstein, according to a court filing Friday from the Department describing the document release to a federal judge.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche also told Congress in a separate letter on Friday that in addition to redacting the names, faces and other identifying information of more than 1,200 people in the Epstein files, the Justice Department redacted details that it considered to be confidential and privileged, such as attorney work, executive branch deliberations and attorney-client communications.
Blanche gave Congress legal reasoning why the Department redacted that information, though the transparency law Congress passed didn’t specify that privileged information could be withheld.
Remember: The Department of Justice announced that it will continue reviewing and redacting materials from the thousands of files related to accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein that have been released since Friday.
The announcement comes after an image containing a photo of President Donald Trump appears to have been removed from the Department of Justice’s “Epstein Library.”
CNN’s Riane Lumer and Karenia Murry contributed to this post.
US moves to intercept third vessel near Venezuela
US personnel are working to intercept another vessel near Venezuela on Sunday, a US official said, the second ship targeted this weekend as Washington increases pressure on leader Nicolas Maduro.
It wasn’t yet clear what the status of the vessel was, or whether the ship was carrying Venezuelan oil, as the two previous tankers stopped by the US have been amid an oil blockade ordered up by President Donald Trump.
Yesterday, the US Coast Guard intercepted the Centuries tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela. A White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, said it was carrying sanctioned Venezuelan oil, though the ship itself did not appear on a list of sanctioned vessels.
House minority leader says Epstein file release "falls short of what the law requires"
The Justice Department’s release of extensively redacted documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein “falls short of what the law requires,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said today, adding that he expects the government will provide an explanation soon.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, which forced the release of the documents, requires the Justice Department to report to Congress “all categories of information released and withheld” and “a summary of any redactions made” within 15 days of the deadline for the files to be released. The deadline for the release of the files was Friday.
The law required the Justice Department to redact content that could potentially identify victims who were sexually abused. But the DOJ has faced scrutiny for the level of redactions in the documents that have been released. The department acknowledged Friday the “size and scope” of the redaction process it undertook made the result “vulnerable to machine error” and “instances of human error.”
Democratic Rep. Rho Khanna, one of the lawmakers who led the effort to force a vote the legislation to release the files, has said he is considering launching an effort to impeach Attorney General Pam Bondi after Friday’s document dump.
Asked whether the attorney general should be impeached, Jeffries responded, “I think there needs to be a full and complete explanation, and then a full and complete investigation as to why the document production has fallen short of what the law clearly required.”
Deputy Attorney General says redactions still being made to Epstein documents "to protect victims"
The Justice Department’s move to continue redacting files from the numerous released documents related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein “is simply … to protect victims,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
Blanche defended the DOJ’s posture after an image containing a photo of President Donald Trump appeared to have been removed from the department’s “Epstein Library,” saying it was removed out of concerns for victims in the image.
He stressed that it had nothing to do with the fact that Trump was in the images, considering that “dozens of photos” of Trump with Epstein had already been released to the public.
Blanche said no information about Trump would be redacted in any of the files the DOJ released, or will release, unless the content is “supposed to be redacted under the law, which means victim information or any sort of privilege, like attorney-client privilege.”
He said the DOJ would put the photo featuring Trump back up after they “redact faces or other information” of victims.
Trump yet to publicly respond to release of Epstein files
President Donald Trump does not have any public events scheduled today and is currently in Palm Beach, Florida, where he is expected to stay and spend the holidays in his Mar-a-Lago home through January 4.
Trump has also yet to publicly respond to Friday’s release of thousands of documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, though an image containing a photo of the president appears to have been removed from the Department of Justice’s “Epstein Library.”
It’s not immediately clear why the photo may have been removed. CNN has reached out to the Department of Justice and the White House for comment.
Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing or charged with any crimes in connection with Epstein.
CNN’s Logan Schiciano contributed to this reporting.
Justice Department says it will continue adding redactions to released Epstein documents
The Department of Justice announced late last night that it will continue reviewing and redacting materials from the thousands of files related to accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein that have been released since Friday.
The announcement comes after an image containing a photo of President Donald Trump appears to have been removed from the Department of Justice’s “Epstein Library.” It is not clear why the photo may have been removed. CNN reached out to the Department of Justice and the White House for comment yesterday.
For context: The Epstein Files Transparency Act required the Justice Department to redact content that could potentially identify victims who were sexually abused. But the DOJ has faced scrutiny for the level of redactions in the documents that have been released. The department acknowledged Friday the “size and scope” of the redaction process it undertook made the result “vulnerable to machine error” and “instances of human error.”
Rep. Thomas Massie, the Republican lawmaker who led the effort to force a vote the legislation to release the files, told CNN today that the DOJ is not complying with the law Congress passed last month.
CNN’s Logan Schiciano contributed to this post.
