TV News LIES

The White House on Thursday confirmed that what appears to be a recurring bruise on Trump’s hand is indeed the result of a medical condition.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during her regular briefing that after a “thorough evaluation,” the president has been found to have “chronic venous insufficiency,” which she stressed was “a benign and common condition,” especially in people over the age of 70.

In addition to bruising, Leavitt said Trump also has experienced swelling in his lower legs.

She added that Trump, 79, shows no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease, and that an echocardiogram showed “no signs of heart failure.”

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The Wall Street Journal has published the contents of a lewd birthday message Trump allegedly sent Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 — enraging the president, who denies he had anything to do with the note.

The letter features the drawing of a naked woman and a peculiar message about secrets. Here’s how the Journal described it:

It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the woman’s breasts, and the future president’s signature is a squiggly “Donald” below her waist, mimicking pubic hair.

The letter was solicited by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s girlfriend and associate, the Journal reported, and was put in a leather-bound album with other messages for Epstein on his 50th birthday.

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Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey, was fired Wednesday from her job as a prosecutor in the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, according to two people familiar with the matter who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The reason for her firing was not immediately clear. She did not immediately respond to phone calls and an email seeking comment

Comey, who had worked in the U.S. attorney’s office for nearly a decade, prosecuted both Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have faced a firestorm of criticism over their decision not to release additional files related to Epstein, the disgraced financier whom the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office charged with running a child prostitution ring. He died by suicide in jail while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired two top deputies at the Department of Health and Human Services, ABC News has learned.

Heather Flick Melanson, Kennedy's chief of staff, and Hannah Anderson, deputy chief of staff of policy, are departing, according to a department spokesperson and another person familiar with the decisions.

No reason was given for the ousters. The person familiar with the situation told ABC that Kennedy "has every right to make personnel decisions."

Neither Flick nor Anderson immediately responded to an ABC News request for comment.

"Secretary Kennedy has made a leadership change within the Immediate Office of the Secretary," according to a statement provided by an HHS spokesperson to ABC News. "Effective immediately, Matt Buckham will serve as Acting Chief of Staff."

"Mr. Buckham currently serves as Kennedy’s White House liaison at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he oversees the recruitment and onboarding of political appointees across the agency. He brings valuable experience in personnel strategy and organizational management to this new role," the statement continued.

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President Donald Trump’s meltdown on Wednesday over what he called the “Jeffrey Epstein hoax” had quite an impact on social media.

The president took to his Truth Social platform and posted a lengthy diatribe in which he referred to speculation about the convicted sex offender’s clients as “bullshit” that his own “PAST supporters have bought into ... hook, line, and sinker.”

He also said Epstein truthers were “weaklings” who are doing the Democrats’ work and insisted, “I don’t want their support anymore!”

Trump’s post came a day after he claimed the so-called Epstein files were fabricated by former FBI Director James Comey and former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

The financier had associated with various politicians, including both Trump and Bill Clinton, and was facing sex trafficking charges before his 2019 death in a New York jail cell. But Trump’s DOJ and FBI heads recently stated that no “Epstein client list” exists, generating even more speculation from the public.

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US House speaker Mike Johnson has waded into the Epstein files saga that is roiling Donald Trump’s conservative base – by calling on the justice department to release the Epstein files.

Johnson, a key ally of the US president, was asked about the controversy during an interview for a rightwing podcast. “It’s a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it,” Johnson told Benny Johnson, in comments released on Tuesday. “I agree with the sentiment that we need to put it out there.”

Referring to a comment attorney general Pam Bondi made to Fox News this year that Epstein’s client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review”, Johnson said: “She needs to come forward and explain that to everybody.

“We need the DoJ focusing on the major priorities. So let’s get this thing resolved,” the speaker added.

The comments put Johnson at odds with Trump, who has defended Bondi’s handling of the case.

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US president Donald Trump has claimed that the Club World Cup trophy that has featured prominently in the Oval Office will stay there, and that Fifa made a copy of the trophy that was awarded to Chelsea after their win in the tournament’s final on Sunday.

Trump attended the final along with numerous members of his cabinet and Fifa president Gianni Infantino. The pair of presidents jointly presented the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James, with Trump staying front-and-center despite the apparent confusion of Chelsea players and the pleading of Infantino.

The incident is just the latest in a long series of intersections between the US president and the world of Fifa, which began in earnest this year soon after Trump started his second term in office. Infantino unveiled the Club World Cup trophy for the first time in an event at the Oval Office in March, and the trophy has stayed there for all subsequent events in the historic space since.

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The Justice Department’s senior ethics attorney, a position tasked with ensuring all employees abide by the department’s moral principles, announced Monday that Attorney General Pam Bondi had fired him.

Joseph Tirrell said he received notice from Bondi on Friday and shared a copy of her letter to him on LinkedIn. The notice did not provide any reasoning for his firing, which was effective immediately, but says he may appeal the decision.

Tirrell said in his LinkedIn post that he was “responsible for advising the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General directly on federal employee ethics” and led a team of 30 people dedicated to upholding ethics across the Justice Department.

His public service career spanned a quarter of a century, Tirrell wrote in his announcement, saying he began as a U.S. Naval officer before earning a law degree and working at the FBI before moving to the DOJ. He’s led the ethics office since 2023.

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