𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The Justice Department has admitted that grand jury transcripts in the criminal cases of Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell contain mostly publicly available information.

The Trump administration has been firefighting the fallout from the so-called “Epstein Files” since the DOJ released a memo last month that contained little new information and concluded no further investigation was warranted into the late sex offender’s alleged trafficking scheme.

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Business Minister Guy Parmelin have flown to Washington in a last-ditch effort to avert punitive 39 percent tariffs imposed by the U.S. The steep duties, announced by President Donald Trump, have sent shockwaves through Switzerland, with the higher rate set to take effect this Thursday.

The tariffs, which were increased from an initial 31 percent rate announced in April, were revealed on Friday, prompting a swift response from Bern. The Swiss government described the visit as an attempt to “facilitate meetings with the U.S. authorities at short notice and hold talks with a view to improving the tariff situation for Switzerland.” However, it did not specify which U.S. officials the delegation would meet, nor whether a direct meeting with President Trump was scheduled.

A source familiar with the Trump administration’s thinking indicated confidence that a resolution could be found if Switzerland presented a “meaningful offer.” The source alluded to a “bad interaction” during a phone call between President Trump and Keller-Sutter last Thursday evening, adding: “There was some kind of bad interaction, but that can blow over, if the Swiss come with a meaningful offer.” The individual also highlighted the significant trade imbalance, stating: “It is a large trade deficit, especially in per capita terms.”

President Trump himself addressed the conversation with Keller-Sutter during his interview with CNBC this morning, reiterating his concerns over the U.S. trade deficit with Switzerland.

“Look, I did something with Switzerland the other day,” he told the broadcaster, referring to their call. “The woman was nice, but she didn’t want to listen, and they paid essentially no tariffs.” He continued: “And I said, we have a $41 billion deficit with you, madam… and you want to pay 1% tariffs. I said, you’re not going to pay 1%, we lose, because I view deficit as loss.”

With reporting from Reuters

President Donald Trump made an unusual appearance on the White House roof, briefly interacting with reporters below.

Asked about his presence, Trump said he was “taking a little walk” and mentioned the “ballroom on the other side.”

The White House announced last month that construction on a $200 million ballroom will begin in September, marking the first structural change since the Truman balcony was installed in 1948. One of the five men with him appeared to be James McCrery, architect for the project.

“Just another way to spend my money for this country,” Trump said. “Anything I do is financed by me.”

Here’s Andrew Feinberg’s report on the new ballroom:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that he recently discussed severe sanctions on Russia with President Donald Trump, which Trump has threatened to announce on Friday.

Such a move, Zelensky said on social media, “can change a lot” in the war. The discussions precede a U.S. deadline for Russia to halt its three-year invasion of Ukraine.

He also noted Ukraine and the U.S. are working on bilateral drone production, thanking Trump for his peace efforts.

President Donald Trump has been spotted surveying the White House grounds from the roof of the West Wing.

He appeared to be taking stock of several areas, including the roof of the press briefing room and the Rose Garden.

Wearing a suit with a red tie, Trump walked the area Tuesday with several other people, as someone with them took photographs.

Trump may have been surveying ongoing renovation and construction work at the White House. He returned to the presidency with grand ideas for remaking the building, such as paving over the Rose Garden and constructing a massive ballroom.

The Trump administration is considering publicly releasing an audio recording of an interview with Ghislaine Maxwell and senior officials from the Department of Justice about Jeffrey Epstein, according to a new report.

It was not previously known that such a recording existed, and officials are currently discussing whether or not to release a transcript of the discussion between the British socialite and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the committee, tweeted a list of testimony dates for upcoming witnesses who have been compelled to appear by subpoena.

John Bowden has the latest from Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump has, predictably, said that recent polling showing his approval rating at near all-time lows is “fake.”

Here’s Rachel Dobkin’s report on recent Gallup polling that shows him with a 37 percent approval rating:

And here’s Graig Graziosi with the latest Reuters/Ipsos numbers putting his approval rating at 40 percent: