What we covered here
• Epstein files: The Senate has unanimously agreed to pass the House-backed bill forcing the Justice Department to release the Jeffrey Epstein case files as soon as it’s received from the chamber. Majority leader John Thune said that would happen tomorrow.
• Next steps: The Senate will not have to take any further action, and the bill will be sent to President Donald Trump, who has said he’d sign the legislation, a stark reversal in his position.
• Saudi meeting: At the White House today, Trump defended Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he dismissed questions about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Read more about their summit here.
Our live coverage has ended for the day. Get the latest here.
Epstein survivors witnessed Congress pass the bill to release the DOJ files on him
Earlier today, CNN’s MJ Lee followed survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse as both the House and Senate voted to release the Justice Department’s files on him.
CNN's MJ Lee follows Jeffrey Epstein survivors, while both the House and Senate voted to release the files regarding Epstein on the same day.
Jeffries defends House Democrat who texted with Epstein
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has refused to say if he believes it was appropriate for Democratic Delegate Stacey Plaskett to text with Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 hearing, calling the failed Republican effort to censure her baseless and “not credible.”
Jeffries says he has “no recollection” of fundraising email sent on his behalf to Epstein
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said today that he does not remember an email Democratic fundraisers sent on his behalf to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
When asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Source” if he recalls the email, Jeffries said, “I have no recollection of the email.”
In a March 2013 email, Dynamic SRG, a Democratic consulting group, asked Epstein if he wanted to participate in a fundraising dinner with Jeffries and former President Barack Obama or get to know Jeffries better.
There is no evidence Epstein responded. CNN has reached out to Dynamic SRG for comment.
When asked if he ever got a donation from Epstein, Jeffries said, “Certainly not.”
CNN’s Annie Grayer contributed to this post.
House rejects GOP effort to censure Plaskett over Epstein texts
The House on Tuesday night rejected a Republican effort to censure US Virgin Islands Democratic Del. Stacey Plaskett over texts she exchanged with Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing.
The vote on GOP Rep. Ralph Norman’s resolution rebuking Plaskett and seeking to remove her from the House Intelligence committee was 209 yeas to 214 nays, with 3 Republicans joining all Democrats to defeat the effort. 3 Republicans also registered as present.
Norman’s resolution accused Plaskett of “inappropriately” coordinating with Epstein over text during a February 2019 Oversight committee hearing and taking instruction from the convicted sex offender on how to question former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who was testifying.
Trump says Iran would “very much like” to make a deal with the US
President Donald Trump said that Iran is “very much” signaling interest in striking a deal with the United States over its disputed nuclear program.
“They’d like very much to make a deal with us, and they call us, and we’ll end up probably doing that, that’s Iran,” Trump said in a room filled with high-profile guests at a White House dinner honoring Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday.
The president’s comments echoed remarks he made earlier in the day, when he indicated he was open to pursuing negotiations.
“It would be a nice thing to have a deal with Iran,” Trump said during a joint Oval Office presser with the crown prince, who said he would try to help the two countries reach an agreement.
“I am totally open to it,” the president added.
Trump says he is designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States will designate Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, announcing the decision during a black-tie dinner at the White House with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“And I’m just telling you now for the first time, because I wanted to keep a little secret for tonight, and just heard him say, ‘Oh, that’s nice,’” Trump added.
Trump’s announcement underscores a push by the United States to deepen and formalize its military partnership with the kingdom. He said earlier Tuesday that Saudi Arabia will purchase F-35 fighter jets it’s long coveted.
Trump and the crown prince also finalized “a series of landmark agreements that deepen the U.S.-Saudi strategic partnership, expand opportunities for high-paying American jobs, strengthen critical supply chains, and reinforce regional stability,” according to the White House.
Speaking at the dinner, Crown Prince bin Salman touted his kingdom’s relationship with the US, saying, “today is a special day.”
“We’ve been signing a lot of agreement that’s going to open the door to develop the relation deeper in many areas,” he said.
Major non-NATO ally: Major non-NATO allies are not entitled to specific security guarantees, like NATO members under Article 5, but the designation changes how the US military interacts with the country, according to the State Department.
These allies are eligible to receive material and supply loans, serve as a location for US-owned War Reserve stockpiles and can enter into agreements with the United States on training. Additionally, private companies from the designated country can bid on contracts to maintain, repair or overhaul US military equipment overseas. Currently, 19 countries are designated as major non-NATO allies, including Israel, Japan and New Zealand.
Elon Musk and Cristiano Ronaldo among high-profile guests at Trump’s dinner for Saudi crown prince
An array of high-profile guests filled the White House East Room on Tuesday night for a black-tie dinner in honor of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Taking the microphone as he entered the room, Trump nodded to the star-studded crowd. “This room is loaded up with the biggest leaders in the world, business, sports,” he said.
CNN spotted Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, mingling alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, greeting attendees as the room filled ahead of the president’s entrance.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk was also seen seated in what appeared to be a deep conversation. Trump and Musk, the former “first buddy,” had a public falling-out earlier this year, though they spent time together at Charlie Kirk’s funeral in September.
Other notable figures in attendance included Fox News host Bret Baier, Donald Trump Jr., FIFA President Gianni Infantino, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and US Administrator of the Small Business Administration Kelly Loeffler.
Trump singled out one guest he said his youngest son admires, soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays in the Saudi Pro League: “You know, my son is a big fan of Ronaldo, wherever Ronaldo is.”
President and first lady welcome Saudi crown prince back to the White House for a black-tie dinner
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman returned to the White House on Tuesday evening for a black-tie dinner, capping a day of high-level diplomacy that included an Oval Office meeting and bilateral lunch with President Donald Trump.
Trump, dressed in a black tuxedo, and first lady Melania Trump, wearing an emerald gown, greeted the crown prince at the South Lawn entrance as a military band stood at attention, marking a ceremonial welcome underscoring the significance of the visit.
The guest list includes largely chief executives, as well as lawmakers and governors — some of whom Trump himself called to invite to the dinner, people familiar with the plans previously told CNN. The event is being coordinated by Melania Trump, as all state visits are planned through the first lady’s office.
While the White House has decided to pull out all the stops, the visit cannot be classified as an official state visit as Prince bin Salman is not Saudi Arabia’s head of state. That position is occupied by his 89-year-old father, King Salman. But the crown prince has assumed almost all day-to-day responsibility for ruling the kingdom, and attends summits and other diplomatic engagements as the country’s leader.
House Oversight chair highlights email sent by Democratic fundraisers to Epstein on Jeffries' behalf
House Oversight Chair James Comer highlighted an email Democratic fundraisers sent to Jeffrey Epstein on behalf of Hakeem Jeffries in 2013 as part of a broader accusation that Democrats were cherry-picking information in the files from the convicted sex offender’s estate to selectively criticize President Donald Trump.
“Another email shows Democrat fundraisers invited Epstein to an event or to meet privately with Hakeem Jeffries as part of their 2013 effort to win a majority. So Hakeem Jeffries’ campaign solicited money from Jeffrey Epstein. That’s what we found in the last document batch,” Comer said on the House floor on Tuesday.
A Democratic consulting group asked Epstein in a March 2013 email if he wanted to participate in a fundraising dinner with Jeffries and former President Barack Obama or get to know Jeffries better.
“Sometimes referred to as ‘Brooklyn’s Barack,’ he is a staunch supporter of President Obama and a progressive voice for the people of New York City,” the email from Dynamic SRG reads.
There is no evidence Epstein responded. CNN has reached out to Dynamic SRG for comment. A Jeffries spokesperson pointed to FEC filings, which show the consulting group has not worked with Jeffries since 2015. And there is no record of Epstein giving Jeffries money directly.
Schumer calls on Johnson to transmit Epstein files bill from House "right now"
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed that the “fight continues” until all of the Jeffrey Epstein files are made public after the chamber unanimously agreed to send the House-passed bill to President Donald Trump’s desk as soon as the Senate receives it.
He said Senate Democrats are committed to making sure “all of it comes to light, and they don’t hide evidence against anyone who might be incriminated by these documents.”
“Good victory today,” he added. “The fight continues until the American people see all of the documents.”
Schumer told reporters on Tuesday evening that House Speaker Mike Johnson should transmit the bill “right now,” arguing, “there’s no reason it can’t be on the president’s desk in an hour.”
The Senate adopted a bipartisan bill passed earlier in the House to force the Justice Department to make the Epstein files public within 30 days by unanimous consent, meaning it will be transmitted to the president’s desk as soon as it arrives to the Senate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told CNN that he expects that the House will send over the bill on Wednesday morning.
Though Trump has publicly committed to signing the bill, Schumer remarked, “You never know with him,” adding, “let’s wait and see.” He also cast doubt on whether DOJ will actually release the complete Epstein files and “there are no games.”
“We know there’s a corrupt Justice Department,” he said, accusing Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel of bowing to pressure from Trump.
Meanwhile, Kamala Harris campaigns in Tennessee special election for US House
Former Vice President Kamala Harris made a campaign trail appearance in Tennessee on Tuesday as national Democrats step up their efforts in a special election to replace a Republican lawmaker.
It’s the first appearance Harris has made for another candidate since leaving office, though she did some campaigning around the Proposition 50 redistricting referendum in California. The former Democratic presidential nominee is also slated for an event in Nashville Tuesday evening to promote her memoir about the 2024 election.
Tennessee is hosting a special election in its 7th District to replace GOP Rep. Mark Green, who stepped down in July to pursue opportunities in the private sector. The Republican nominee is Mark Van Epps, a veteran endorsed by President Donald Trump, and the Democratic nominee is state Rep. Aftyn Behn.
Having outperformed in lower-turnout special elections in recent years, Democrats are hoping to make a statement in the contest after Green won reelection in 2024 by more than 20 points.
“I’m going to speak truth right there, this is real talk – they’re going to look at two groups of people. Who’s writing the checks, and who’s voting?” Harris said, holding a megaphone. “So let’s make sure that they understand, we vote.”
The New York Times first reported Harris’ appearance.
Democratic and Republican senators praise Senate's unanimous consent vote on Epstein files
Republican and Democratic senators were in agreement as they praised the Senate for acting quickly Tuesday to clear the way to send the Jeffrey Epstein case files bill to President Donald Trump for his signature hours after it passed the House with overwhelming support.
“I didn’t know what Sen. Thune was going to do, but the smart play here was to do it by (unanimous consent). Nobody was going to object, and indeed, nobody did object. Now we can move on from the issue,” said Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana. “The president will sign the bill, and presumably the documents will be released and the American people can make up their minds.”
Democratic Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont said it was “long overdue” and praised the four House Republican lawmakers who signed onto the discharge petition in the face of “incredible resistance of President Trump.”
But Welch also raised concerns about whether the Justice Department might find a way to withhold the information going forward.
“Now the next question is, will Trump use some other maneuvers in an effort to deny the information to the public that’s required by the statute? We’ll see, but I don’t trust Trump on that,” he said
House to vote tonight on GOP push to censure Delegate Stacey Plaskett over Epstein text exchange
The House will vote Tuesday night on a Republican-led resolution to censure US Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett and remove her from the House Intelligence Committee amid revelations she texted with Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing.
Lawmakers will vote on the resolution during an 8:15 p.m. ET vote series. Democrats earlier Tuesday attempted to refer GOP Rep. Ralph Norman’s resolution to the House Ethics Committee but fell short, despite two Republicans voting with Democrats to move the matter.
Norman has accused Plaskett of consulting Epstein over text and incorporating his suggestions into her line of questioning during a 2019 Oversight Committee hearing in which former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was testifying.
Defending herself on the House floor on Tuesday, Plaskett said Epstein’s communication with her was among “innumerable” texts she received from people during the hearing, noting Epstein was also at the time a constituent.
She repeatedly denied he had any influence on her questions and said Republicans were weaponizing the exchange to create “political theater.”
Plaskett was backed by House Minority Leader Jeffries who decried the effort by Norman as “nothing more than a political stunt by a desperate” candidate, nodding to Norman’s gubernatorial ambitions in South Carolina.
He argued Plaskett deserved “due process” and the opportunity to make her case.
After many delays, the Epstein files got greenlit super fast by Congress today. Here's the latest
After much controversy, a bill to order the Department of Justice to release all of its case files on Jeffrey Epstein is about to head to President Donald Trump for his signature.
After the legislation nearly unanimously passed the House this afternoon, things moved quickly.
So here a rundown of what’s going on:
- The House voted 427-1 to pass the measure, with GOP Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana being the only member who voted against it. Here’s what he said.
- Now, the bill — and all of its paperwork — is being prepared to be sent to the Senate. Majority Leader John Thune said the House will formally transmit it to his chamber tomorrow. But, when it gets there, we already know it’s going to pass. The Senate unanimously agreed today to pass the bill as soon as it’s received.
- The Senate will not have to take any further action, and the bill will be transmitted to the president’s desk as soon as it arrives in the chamber.
- Trump, who is hosting a dinner tonight for Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said he doesn’t “care” when the Senate passes the bill.
- A senior administration official told CNN tonight that the bill “will be signed whenever it gets to the White House.”
CNN’s Sarah Ferris, Ellis Kim, Aileen Graef, Veronica Stracqualursi, Alejandra Jaramillo, Morgan Rimmer and Kaitlan Collins contributed reporting to this post, which was updated with Thune’s statement.
Thune: House will formally transmit Epstein bill to Senate on Wednesday, then it'll go to Trump's desk
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told CNN that the House will formally transmit the bill to compel release of the Jeffrey Epstein files Wednesday morning, meaning it would then be officially be approved by the chamber and sent to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.
It’s unclear why the bill won’t be sent over to the Senate Tuesday night, but Speaker Mike Johnson has latitude on when to send bills to the Senate after his chamber passes them. His office hasn’t given a reason yet.
After the House passed the bill on a 427-1 vote Tuesday afternoon, the Senate unanimously agreed to pass the measure as soon as the paperwork is formally received from the House, a rare move and stunning turnabout for GOP leaders and the White House.
Johnson has been sharply critical of the Epstein bill and demanded changes to it – including what he said are more protections for Epstein’s abuse victims. But he ultimately capitulated and voted for the bill on Tuesday.
Asked why he wouldn’t listen to the speaker’s demands to change the bill, Thune told CNN that he has spoken to Johnson and the White House – and that the House’s near-unanimous approval convinced them to move quickly in the Senate.
“I think the conclusion was when it came out of the House 427-1, it was going to pass in the Senate,” Thune said. He said he had consulted with lawyers and had concluded “that the bill was sufficient to accomplish what needed to be done here: And that is to get the information out as quickly as possible.’
Scalise says House has started process of transmitting Epstein bill to Senate
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Tuesday evening the chamber has “started the process” of moving the bill compelling the disclosure of the Jeffrey Epstein case files to the Senate, but was not sure whether the move was complete.
“I don’t know if it’s formally there but we’ve started the process of sending it over there,” he said.
The Senate on Tuesday agreed through unanimous consent to deem the Epstein bill passed by the Senate as soon as it is transmitted from the House, but it’s unclear how long that process of transferring legislation can take.
GOP congressman says House will move tomorrow to strike provision letting senators sue DOJ for $500K
GOP Rep. Chip Roy said he expects the House to pass a bill tomorrow repealing a controversial measure that allows lawmakers to sue the Justice Department for $500,000 or more if the government subpoenas their information or investigates them without notifying the Senate.
Congress passed a stopgap funding bill last week to reopen the government after a record-long shutdown, though many House Republicans expressed a wariness of the measure that says senators can be awarded $500,000 or more in damages for each violation by the government if their cases are successful.
It was added into the bill by Senate Majority Leader John Thune at the request of several members of his conference.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley told Raju he thinks he could support the House’s bill to repeal the DOJ provision, but he wouldn’t give a “definitive answer” until he consults with other members on his panel.
“I think it was put in without proper consideration,” he said.
Republican Sen. Mike Rounds explained that the measure was meant to “send a message to the administration that this can’t happen” in the wake of the news of then-special counsel Jack Smith’s move to obtain phone records of nine GOP lawmakers with grand jury subpoenas in his January 6, 2021, investigation. However, he predicted that many GOP senators would be “open for a reconsideration” depending on how the House approaches the issue.
Sen. Steve Daines, a Thune ally, said he doesn’t think the House’s measure could pass the Senate, arguing that Smith’s subpoenas were a “massive overreach.”
Trump has not yet decided when he will sign bill compelling DOJ to release Epstein files, official says
President Donald Trump has not yet decided when he will sign the bill demanding the Justice Department release the Jeffrey Epstein files, according to a White House official, who said the administration is still waiting for the bill to arrive from Capitol Hill.
Aides plan to give Trump options to sign the bill Tuesday night, on or off camera, or to do so Wednesday morning. Trump has already said he will indeed sign it.
His plans could be complicated by his schedule tonight. He is hosting the Saudi crown prince at the White House and is scheduled to greet him at 6:40 p.m. ET, then participate in a receiving line, followed by dinner.
House Republicans downplay Trump’s defense of Saudi crown prince’s alleged role in Khashoggi murder
House Republicans defended President Donald Trump’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House on Tuesday, though they made clear they opposed the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which the CIA assessed bin Salman likely ordered.
Asked by CNN’s Manu Raju about Trump’s suggestion that the crown prince knew nothing about the murder, Rep. Michael McCaul, a top GOP foreign policy voice, responded “I don’t want to debate the president on that.”
The former House Foreign Affairs Committee chair said he saw evidence in briefings at the time and was “very vocally opposed and still am” to the killing, though he added, “I do think it’s time to move forward in this new Middle East that we’re in.”
Pressed on if the president should be essentially covering up for bin Salman, McCaul pointed to the president’s plans to sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia.
“I think that’s a positive move, because to pull Saudi as an ally of the United States in this direction, rather than to China, and it will also solidify normalization in that process, in a post Gaza world,” he continued.
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler called Khashoggi’s murder a “terrible tragedy,” and said, “obviously there has been some level of accountability.”
“That being said, he is the crown prince of Saudi Arabia,” he continued. “Saudi Arabia is a vital ally in the region, and a country that long term we need to deal with. He will be the king of Saudi Arabia, and so you have to engage moving forward.”
Pressed by Raju on Trump’s dismissal of the Saudi government’s role in Khashoggi’s death, Lawler responded, “I don’t agree with that. I mean, at the end of the day, what happened to Khashoggi never should have happened.”
