What we covered here
• Epstein files: Ghislaine Maxwell, jailed for 20 years for conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to abuse minors, sent a message to Donald Trump today that if the president were to grant her clemency, she would clear his name of any wrongdoing as it pertains to Epstein. Separately, members of Congress were able to begin reviewing unredacted versions of the Epstein files today.
• DHS funding: Sources tell CNN that Republican and Democratic negotiators have yet to make significant progress on a funding solution for the Department of Homeland Security as they face an agency shutdown by the end of the week.
• Super Bowl reaction: Trump — who skipped the Super Bowl and attended a watch party in Florida — called last night’s Bad Bunny’s halftime performance “a slap in the face” and claimed “nobody understands a word” said by the Puerto Rican music star.
Our live coverage of the Trump administration has ended for the day. Get the latest here.
Democrats say GOP needs to offer more details in DHS funding fight
Top Democrats released a statement Monday criticizing Republicans’ counteroffer to their demands on reforms to federal immigration enforcement as being devoid of details.
“Republicans shared an outline of a counterproposal, which included neither details nor legislative text. The initial GOP response is both incomplete and insufficient in terms of addressing the concerns Americans have about ICE’s lawless conduct,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. “Democrats await additional detail and text.”
The criticism comes as the deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security is mere days away and as many Democrats are signaling they may not back another short-term funding measure for DHS if more progress isn’t made.
Trump will soon deal final blow to EPA's ability to regulate climate pollution, WSJ reports
The Trump administration plans to deliver a final blow to longstanding US climate policy this week, finalizing rules to revoke the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate climate pollution.
The Trump EPA’s repeal of the “endangerment finding,” a 2009 scientific analysis that found human-caused climate change endangers human health and safety, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin told the Wall Street Journal Monday. In the interview, Zeldin called the move “the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States.”
The endangerment finding has underpinned the EPA’s authority to limit planet-warming pollution from the oil and gas industry, power plants and vehicles since the Obama administration and is considered the federal government’s most powerful tool to tackle climate pollution.
In addition, the Trump administration will finalize a repeal of rules that regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, since they stem from the finding. Under former President Joe Biden, the EPA sought to tighten those standards to prod the auto industry to make more fuel-efficient hybrids and electric vehicles – an effort the industry has since backtracked on.
More details on the content of the repeal weren’t immediately available. In a statement to CNN, an EPA spokesperson referred back to Zeldin’s quote in the Wall Street Journal article and did not comment further.
House tees up Tuesday vote to block lawmakers’ ability to challenge Trump tariffs
The House is expected to vote Tuesday on a rule that contains language restricting lawmakers’ ability to challenge President Donald Trump’s tariff policies through the end of July.
GOP leaders have successfully passed similar restrictions before, with the latest block expiring in late January. But some Republicans have become increasingly uneasy with the moves, and it’s not clear whether leaders will have the votes to clear the rule this time.
Speaker Mike Johnson expressed confidence Monday night, telling reporters, “I think we’ll have the votes” to pass it.
He explained he wants to give the Supreme Court time to weigh in on Trump’s tariffs before House members can force votes on them.
“The Supreme Court will be issuing an opinion soon, and I think we need to allow time for the legal process to play out. So, that’s our position,” he said.
The rule needs to be adopted to advance other, unrelated legislation on the floor. The House Rules Committee approved the rule Monday night.
Democrats receive White House’s counteroffer on DHS demands
Democrats have received a counteroffer from the White House to their demands on reforms to federal immigration enforcement just days before a funding deadline for the Department of Homeland Security, four sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
The contents of the offer were not immediately clear but it signifies some movement in the negotiations between Democrats and Republicans. Lawmakers have been trading barbs over who is responsible for stalling talks in recent days with the deadline looming.
The Democrats sent Republicans legislative text of their demands over the weekend. One of the sources told CNN that the GOP offer is not legislative text.
Asked to characterize the White House offer, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told CNN, “I’m not going to able to do that right now. The Dems and the White House are trading papers, which, I think I said, is a good sign, but I’m not going to get into particulars of it, I don’t think either wants to probably litigate it in the press.”
“Hopefully, we can find some common ground and I think both sides, at the point, are trying to do that,” he said.
Trump says he'll block Ontario-to-Michigan bridge until US is "fully compensated"
President Donald Trump said Monday that he will block the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge — which is under construction and will eventually connect Ontario to Michigan — until the United States is “fully compensated,” again lashing out at Canada over economic issues.
“I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve. We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
The bridge, which the Transportation Department says is projected to cost more than $4 billion dollars, will be 1.5 miles long and will be the “longest cable-stayed bridge in North America.”
The president’s post comes as he has threatened additional tariffs on Canada, the America’s second-biggest trading partner, over a possible trade deal with China.
Last month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on his turf, and the two formed a “new strategic partnership,” with Canada easing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and allowing up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into its market annually. China is also expected to reduce tariff barriers on Canadian canola seed, lobster and peas later this year.
Jeffries: "Ball is in the Republicans' court" as DHS funds due to lapse Friday
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made clear that it is on Republicans to accept Democrats’ demands for immigration enforcement reform in order for the Department of Homeland Security to remain open past Friday.
Asked if he would be willing to support a bill that would separately fund agencies like FEMA and TSA while lawmakers continue to negotiate ICE reforms, even if that means forfeiting leverage in those talks, Jeffries responded, “we don’t look at the moment that we’re in as exercising leverage over the other side. We want to fund the government in a manner that actually promotes the health, the safety and the economic well-being of the American people.”
Jeffries told reporters that the asks Democrats have laid out, including requiring ICE agents to remove masks, are a “line in the sand that we’ve drawn on behalf of the American people.”
Pressed on if he’d back a short-term stopgap to extend existing DHS funding while lawmakers continue to work through a compromise deal on reforms, Jeffries didn’t directly answer, responding, “ICE is out of control right now. The American people know it, and ICE clearly needs to be reined in.”
He suggested that Democrats are still waiting to hear directly from the White House on their reform proposals, which, he said, “shows to me that these extremists aren’t serious about getting ICE under control.”
Congressman says he saw “lots of co-conspirators” in Epstein documents
Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz emerged from viewing the unredacted versions of the Jeffrey Epstein files, saying he saw “lots of co-conspirators” mentioned.
“I mean it’s disgusting. There are lots of names, lots of co-conspirators, and they’re trafficking girls all across the world,” he said, adding, “I mean it’s exactly as people thought it was. It’s that. And, and, and more unfortunately.”
Members of Congress could begin reviewing unredacted versions of the Epstein case files in the Department of Justice’s possession on Monday.
Moskowitz told reporters that some of the documents he reviewed still had redactions like grand jury testimony, raising questions about how that happened.
Key Democrat warns DHS headed to a shutdown unless talks pick up
Sen. Chris Murphy, who initially helped leadership draft the demands to Republicans on DHS, argued Republicans have “wasted a week” in the talks and are careening toward a shutdown of the agency unless they assert more of a good faith effort in the talks.
“We get nothing back. Republicans need to stop telling us what they’re against and talk to us about what they can vote for,” he said. “They’ve wasted a week while we’ve been diligently trying to move the negotiations and the talks forward, but you know, I wish Republicans were more serious about getting a budget. We’re certainly, you know, on the verge of having the department shut down.”
Murphy argued that even if Republicans can redirect funds from the “One, Big Beautiful Bill” to DHS and avert real impacts on immigration enforcement, that it will take some time for the administration to redirect funds.
“It’s not a simple on off switch to move everything from being paid by appropriations to the ‘big, beautiful bill’. There are restrictions on BBB dollars. There’s restrictions on appropriations dollars. Obviously, you know, the money in the appropriations bill is not peanuts. It’s $10 billion for ICE,” Murphy said. “So they can do a lot more. They can do a lot more damage if they have money without restraints out of the appropriations bill, as well as the ‘big, beautiful bill’. So, yeah, obviously, ICE has a lot of money right now, but it’s not a simple thing for them to just decide to move all of their operations from one account to the other.”
Thune warns a stopgap funding bill will be needed to avert a DHS shutdown
Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled that there is some positive movement between Senate Democrats and the White House amid ongoing negotiations for changes to ICE protocols and tactics. But he warned that he believes they will not be finished by Friday’s funding deadline for the Department of Homeland Security, and Congress will have to pass another short-term extension of funding for the agency.
“I hope that there’s enough progress on it that, whether it’s ready to go by Friday or not, there’ll be an understanding that we can extend the time period to allow negotiations to hopefully come to a conclusion,” Thune told reporters, adding that there is an incoming GOP counterproposal to Democrats’ bill text they sent over the weekend.
Asked about the likelihood of a stopgap funding bill, Thune replied, “I think probably part of that depends on how well the negotiations are going and whether it looks like there’s going to be a pathway to success,” though he noted, “I think, based on what I’m familiar with about the discussion so far, I think there is, but we’ll know more when the proposal comes back and Democrats have a chance to evaluate it.”
Johnson downbeat on DHS talks: "I hope the Democrats come to their senses"
Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday said Democrats need to “come to their senses” to avoid a funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security starting on Friday, insisting that some in the party don’t actually want to allow the White House to rein in illegal immigration.
Johnson told CNN that he had viewed Democrats’ most recent demands from over the weekend and again criticized some of the party’s biggest asks, such as forcing ICE officers to remove masks during deportation raids and requiring immigration agents to receive warrants from a judge, and not just an administration official.
“Look, some of the ideas — taking the masks off ICE officers, the reason we can’t do that, it would subject them to great harm, their families to great threat. The idea that you would have a whole new layer of judicial warrant necessitated before you could apprehend and deport someone is not a workable standard. And I think they understand that,” Johnson told CNN when asked about the Democrats’ most recent asks.
“I think some of them that are proposing that don’t want any apprehensions of illegals and that’s part of the problem,” he added.
Asked if he believed DHS could lose its funding on Friday, Johnson said: “I certainly hope it doesn’t come to that. I hope the Democrats come to their senses. I mean, some of the demands they’ve made are just not reasonable. But I hope cooler heads will prevail.”
Hear more about the funding deadline and the ongoing negotiations in the video below:
Raskin: "Lots of examples" of unnecessary redactions in Epstein files
Rep. Jamie Raskin said he saw “lots of examples” of over-redactions in the Jeffrey Epstein files, including names redacted by the Justice Department that should not have been.
“We didn’t want there to be a cover up and yet, what I saw today was that there were lots of examples of people’s names being redacted when they were not victims. And so, we still haven’t gotten from the DOJ their privilege log explaining why certain redactions were made but I can tell you that I saw a whole bunch of them that seemed very suspicious and baffling to me,” Raskin told reporters.
President Donald Trump’s name was redacted in multiple places where it shouldn’t be, the Maryland Democrat said. That included an email thread between Epstein’s lawyers and Trump’s lawyers in 2009 about Epstein’s visits to Mar-a-Lago.
“Epstein’s lawyers synopsized and quoted Trump as saying that that Jeffrey Epstein was not a member of his club at Mar-a-Lago, but he was a guest at Mar-a-Lago and he had never been asked to leave. And that was redacted for some indeterminate, inscrutable reason,” Raskin, paraphrasing the email chain, said.
Trump has previously said Epstein’s poaching of some of his former Mar-a-Lago employees who were young women prompted a breakup between them. The White House said in July that Trump barred Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club “for being a creep.”
Raskin also said he viewed one government document related to former Victoria Secret CEO Les Wexner that DOJ redacted. Raskin said it struck him as “strange” because Wexner is not a victim. Wexner is expected to be interviewed by the House Oversight Committee later this month.
Meanwhile, DOJ failed to black out identifying information about many of Epstein’s victims as required by the law, the congressman said.
DHS negotiations remain stuck on Capitol Hill
The deadline for funding the Department of Homeland Security is Friday at midnight, but Republican and Democratic negotiators have yet to make significant progress, sources tell CNN.
The lack of serious progress over the weekend raises the stakes that funding for the department could lapse in just a matter of days as Democrats have sought to make major reforms to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection practices as part of these talks.
Democrats sent some legislative text to Republicans over the weekend that crystalized their list of demands, a source briefed on the matter told CNN. Yet, there hasn’t been a sustained back-and-forth. One source characterized it as a car stuck in neutral but sort of rolling down a hill – so not totally stalled out.
Last week, Democrats and Republicans were engaged in a public fight over who was stalling the talks, a sign that the negotiations aren’t yet at a serious point.
It’s possible that Senate Majority Leader John Thune may need to begin the process of filing cloture on another short-term funding stopgap, known as a continuing resolution, but again, it’s not clear that Democrats would back that plan barring significant progress on Republicans meeting their demands on ICE reforms.
Catch up on the latest on the Epstein files, including Ghislaine Maxwell’s reaction to House deposition
The fallout from the release by the Department of Justice of millions of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continued unabated today, here and abroad.
His jailed associate Ghislaine Maxwell invoked the Fifth Amendment during a virtual deposition as her attorney made an extraordinary overture. She is currently serving time at a minimum security prison in Bryan, Texas.
If you’re just joining us, here’s the latest:
Maxwell deposition:
- House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer called the Maxwell’s decision to invoke the Fifth “very disappointing” and said lawmakers “had many questions to ask about the crime she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspiracy.”
- Maxwell sent a clear message to Donald Trump: If the president were to grant her clemency, she would clear his name of any wrongdoing as it pertains to Epstein. The extraordinary overture came via a statement from Maxwell’s lawyer.
- Epstein survivors urged members of the House Oversight Committee to treat Maxwell “with the utmost skepticism, to rigorously scrutinize any claims she makes,” according to a letter entered into evidence during the deposition.
International fallout:
- British police are assessing a report that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor allegedly shared confidential reports with Epstein during the former prince’s role as UK trade envoy. Mountbatten-Windsor has previously repeatedly denied any wrongdoing over his ties to Epstein. He has not publicly responded to the latest allegations.
- Separately, the Prince and Princess of Wales said they were “deeply concerned” by revelations from the Epstein files, a spokesperson told journalists in Riyadh ahead of Prince William’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
- In Norway, former ambassador Mona Juul has been charged with “gross corruption” due to her relationship Epstein, Norway’s crime agency Økokrim said. Her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, was also charged with complicity in gross corruption.
Learn more about the British royals’ statement below:
CNN’s MJ Lee, Annie Grayer, James Frater, Caitin Danaher and Billy Stockwell contributed to this report.
Vance hails US-Armenia partnership in first ever vice presidential visit
Vice President JD Vance on Monday became the first sitting US vice president (or president) to visit Armenia, where he touted partnerships between the two nations — including US drone technology sales and a civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
“Tonight marks a new beginning for Armenia and the United States and the partnership that our country can have together,” Vance said, standing beside Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, whom he endorsed ahead of upcoming elections.
Vance credited President Donald Trump and Pashinyan for advancing a forward-looking vision for peace in the region. Trump hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House in August, where they finalized a peace agreement that would grant the US exclusive development access to a critical transit corridor in the South Caucasus.
Vance praised that Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, saying it’ll ensure “private capital is going to flow into building railroads, into building pipelines, again, to building the interconnectedness that would create real prosperity for the region, but also allow the peace agreement to stick.”
Pashinyan, for his part, said he hopes Trump will win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2026 and discussed his role on the Board of Peace, confirming he plans to attend an upcoming meeting.
Maxwell can clear Trump's name in Epstein probe in exchange for clemency, attorney says
Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to prison for 20 years for conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to abuse minors, sent a clear message to Donald Trump on Monday that if the president were to grant her clemency, she would clear his name of any wrongdoing as it pertains to Epstein.
The extraordinary overture, stated by Maxwell’s lawyer Monday morning during her virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee, ensures the Epstein saga will continue to remain a political hotspot.
Markus also said that: “Ms. Maxwell alone can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation.”
Trump has not ruled out the possibility of offering Maxwell a pardon or commutation.
Trump and Clinton, who appear throughout the files released by DOJ, have denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
House Oversight Chair James Comer called Maxwell’s decision to plead the Fifth “very disappointing” and said lawmakers “had many questions to ask about the crime she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspiracy.”
Democrats on the committee accused Maxwell of trying to buy her clemency by refusing to testify. “We will not allow this silence to stand,” Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury said.
When asked if he would subpoena Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as part of the probe, Comer said he was going to focus on five depositions he has coming up.
The Clintons are expected to appear behind closed doors later this month for depositions.
Epstein survivors urged lawmakers to treat Maxwell's testimony with skepticism
Jeffrey Epstein survivors urged members of the House Oversight Committee to treat Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony “with the utmost skepticism” before she appeared for a virtual deposition with the panel, according to a letter shared with CNN.
Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination during her brief appearance today, according to a person familiar with the matter. The survivors’ letter was entered into evidence during the virtual deposition.
The group writes that many of them were “harmed” by Maxwell over the course of decades, and that they worry her deposition is “becoming another opportunity for deception rather than truth.” They accused her of repeatedly lying under oath and declining to identify powerful men who were involved in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
CNN has asked Maxwell’s lawyer for comment.
Maxwell pleads the Fifth in deposition with House Oversight committee in Epstein probe
Ghislaine Maxwell has invoked her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination in her ongoing deposition with the House Oversight Committee, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice, is appearing before the panel virtually. She is currently serving time at a minimum security prison in Bryan, Texas.
During the deposition, Maxwell appeared to be wearing a khaki-colored short-sleeve button-up shirt and was wearing glasses. Her lawyer Leah Saffian sat next to her at a table and had a laptop.
CNN’s MJ Lee contributed reporting.
Ghislaine Maxwell's virtual House Oversight Committee deposition has begun, source says
Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell’s virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee has begun, per a source familiar.
Her lawyer, David Oscar Markus, is joining virtually. Another lawyer, Leah Saffian, is with Maxwell in person.
Maxwell is currently serving time at a minimum security prison in Bryan, Texas.
Markus, who was first to speak at the deposition, has let lawmakers know that Maxwell intends to invoke the Fifth Amendment. He also said she will speak if granted clemency by President Donald Trump.
A funding deadline looms for DHS as lawmakers appear deadlocked. Here's what we know
A possible Department of Homeland Security shutdown by the end of the week hinges on a showdown over a DHS funding bill — with Democrats looking to impose limits on ICE agents after the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and Republicans refusing their key demands.
Last week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that efforts to find agreement over the Department of Homeland Security funding bill would “continue through the weekend.”
While Thune said he preferred a full-year funding extension as a backup, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries yesterday said he was not willing to accept anything less than Democratic leaders’ demands.
Jeffries cast blame on Republicans for stalled negotiations on a deal to fund DHS, which includes FEMA and TSA, ahead of the February 13 deadline.
Democrats have put forward their list of requirements for a bill to fund DHS and reform ICE, including requiring immigration enforcement agents to wear body cameras and remove face masks and to use judicial warrants, an issue that has been a nonstarter for Republicans.
Jeffries said Democrats haden’t heard back from the White House or GOP leaders on their “common sense” demands, adding, “in our view, the ball is in the court right now of the Republicans.”
CNN’s Stephen Collinson and Alison Main contributed to this reporting.
