The path to finding an impartial jury in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York has faced a number of setbacks throughout the week.
On Thursday, two jurors were dismissed after being sworn in on Tuesday, including one who had previously been arrested for tearing down Right-leaning political posters.
Judge Juan Merchan excused juror #4 after a prosecutor from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said the man had been arrested for ripping down “political posters that were on the Right,” Fox News reported. Juror #4’s dismissal came just after another juror — juror #2 — was excused by Merchan following her admission that she could no longer be impartial.
“I definitely have concerns. I don’t think I can be fair,” she said, adding that “outside influence” would “interfere” with her judgment.
The dismissals of jurors #4 and #2 brought the total of those seated down to five, but shortly after they were let go, more jurors were sworn in, bringing the total to 12, according to the New York Post.
Five more jurors must be selected as alternates before the trial can move forward. Thursday marks the third day of the hush-money trial, which is the first criminal trial against a former U.S. president. Jury selection will continue on Friday and with hopes that opening statements will kick off at the beginning of next week.
Dozens of prospective jurors were dismissed on Monday after they said it would be difficult for them to remain impartial throughout the trial.
Trump is being charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to make alleged hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels.
President Donald Trump is suing The Wall Street Journal after it published a story about his relationship with deceased financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The Journal reviewed an album containing 50th birthday greetings to Epstein from his associates in 2003. That album was compiled by Epstein’s friend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for child trafficking.
“Pages from the leather-bound album—assembled before Epstein was first arrested in 2006—are among the documents examined by Justice Department officials who investigated Epstein and Maxwell years ago, according to people who have reviewed the pages,” the publication stated. “It’s unclear if any of the pages are part of the Trump administration’s recent review.”
One of those well-wishers was Trump, who sent Epstein a birthday letter that contained a drawing of a nude woman:
The letter bearing Trump’s name, which was reviewed by the Journal, is bawdy—like others in the album. 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 concludes: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
The message also contained an imaginary dialogue between Trump and Epstein:
“Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything,” the note began.
Donald: Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is.
Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is.
Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.
Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it.
Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?
Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.
Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.
Trump denied he drew the photo and threatened to sue the Journal:
“I’m gonna sue The Wall Street Journal just like I sued everyone else.”
Trump says he’s suing the Wall Street Journal, News Corp and Rupert Murdoch for their Epstein story pic.twitter.com/yliFwrqhDI
The Justice Department last week released a memo concluding there was no evidence suggesting the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender kept a “client list” to blackmail high-profile individuals. The memo also found no evidence to suggest foul play in Epstein’s death, which had previously been ruled a suicide.
The memo spurred fierce backlash from many Trump supporters, who had long called on the government to release material on Epstein that they argue would expose wrongdoing at the highest level of elite circles.
Trump has brushed aside calls to reveal more information about the Epstein case and has shown increasing frustration when asked about it over the past week.
“You mentioned past supporters when you were talking about the Epstein issue. Does that mean that you’re effectively disowning any supporters who are now calling—” a reporter asked Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Trump cut off the question and added, “I’ve lost a lot of faith in certain people, yeah, I’ve lost. Because they got duped by the Democrats.”
First Lady Melania Trump participates in the Senate Spouses Luncheon at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, May 21,2025. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)
Things are about to get ugly…
First Lady Melania Trump is threatening to sue former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, for $1 billion over “defamatory” claims linking her to late financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Melania’s attorney Alejandro Brito demanded that Biden “immediately retract the false, defamatory, disparaging and inflammatory statements made about Mrs. Trump,” which were contained in a video interview with Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan and posted to Youtube in early August.
Read the full letter:
“Failure to comply will leave Mrs. Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to her to recover the overwhelming financial and reputational harm that you have caused her to suffer,” Brito wrote.
In the video interview, titled “Hunter Biden Returns” video earlier in August, the former first son claimed “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump. The connections are, like, so wide and deep.”
Biden also claimed that “Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania, and that’s how Melania and the first lady and the President met.”
“If you do not comply with the above by August 7, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EST, Mrs. Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce her legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for over $1 Billion Dollars in damages,” Brito wrote. “You are on notice.”
A source close to the matter told Fox News that Biden did not comply with the requests by the set deadline.
After Fox News published the piece, however, Melania Trump got Biden’s reply addressing the attorney’s letter when Callaghan posted a further interview with him to YouTube on Thursday.
Callaghan, holding up a copy at the interview’s opening, declared: “The day of presidential litigation has arrived!”
“We’re here, maybe, to give you the platform to apologize to the first lady for your statements that you made about her possible connection to Jeffrey Epstein,” the host said to Biden.
“F*ck that! That’s not going to happen,” Biden laughed.
Defending his comments as citation, Biden continued:
First of all is that, what I said was what I have heard and seen reported and written, primarily from Michael Wolff but also dating back all the way to 2019 when the New York Times – I think Annie Carney and and Maggie Haberman – reported that sources said that Jeffrey Epstein claimed to be the person to introduce Donald Trump to Melania at that time.
Biden added that he would not bow down to pressure or lawsuit threats: “I also think they’re bullies and they think that a billion dollars is going to scare me.”
I have this to say to them: If they want to sit down for a deposition and clarify the the nature of the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein, if the president and the First Lady want to do that and all of the known associates around them at the time of whatever time that they met, I’m more than happy to provide them the platform to be able to do it.
The letter comes after the Daily Beast pulled the article detailing allegations by journalist Wolff that Melania Trump was introduced to her husband Donald Trump via a modeling agent connected to Epstein, after a challenge from the first lady’s lawyers.
“Editor’s Note. After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump’s attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding,” The Daily Beast posted in place of the article. The url for the article appears to have been amended to remove the original headline and now reads: thedailybeast.com/epstein-this-story-has-been-removed.
It also comes after famed Democrat strategist James Carville apologized to the first lady after repeating the same claim.
“In last week’s podcast episode, we spoke with Judd Legum,” he said. “After the episode, we received a letter from Melania Trump’s lawyer. He took issue with our title of one of those YouTube videos from that episode and a couple of comments I made about the first lady. We took a look at what they complained about, and we took down the video and edited out those comments from the episode. I also take back these statements and apologize.”
An aide to the first lady, Nick Clemens, told Fox News in a statement, “First Lady Melania Trump’s attorneys are actively ensuring immediate retractions and apologies by those who spread malicious, defamatory falsehoods. The true account of how the First Lady met President Trump is in her best-selling book, ‘Melania.’”
On Monday, a court motion was filed stating that Atlanta-area District Attorney Fani Willis (D) improperly hired the special prosecutor who assisted in securing a grand jury indictment against former President Donald Trump.
The filing by Michael Roman, a co-defendant and 2020 Trump campaign official, states that the court should disqualify Willis for the alleged affair that financially benefitted her and her lover.
Roman alleges that private attorney Nathan Wade, who is married with children, paid for lavish vacations with Willis using funds his law firm received from the county.
According to court documents reviewed by The Washington Times, Mr. Wade’s firm has been paid nearly $654,000 in legal fees since January 2022 in the prosecution of Mr. Trump over his efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
Mr. Roman is a former Trump campaign official and one of 19 defendants charged with election interference in the case. He is seeking to have the charges against him dismissed and for the prosecutors in the case to be disqualified.
Mr. Roman said Ms. Willis did not obtain county approval in hiring Mr. Wade, and brought him on board to lead the day-to-day prosecution of the former president, despite her own office having “numerous experienced lawyers fully capable of preparing this case for the grand jury and trial.”
The court filing asserts that “sources close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney have confirmed they had an ongoing, personal relationship.”
The motion goes on to state that the lovers went on vacations from Napa Valley to the Caribbean, “and the special prosecutor has purchased tickets for both of them to travel on both the Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise lines.”
A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the Trump administration may continue swiftly deporting migrants while a legal challenge to the policy proceeds.
In a 2–1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit allowed the deportations to continue and moved to speed up the timeline for the next stage of the case. The panel issued its order without an accompanying explanation.
The Trump administration has expanded the use of “third-country removals” as part of its broader immigration crackdown, deporting migrants to nations other than their countries of origin. The administration has reached agreements with several countries — including Cameroon, South Sudan and Eswatini — to accept deportees.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defended the policy as a way to remove individuals it describes as particularly dangerous.
In court filings, the administration has also argued that federal judges lack the authority to intervene in how immigration enforcement policies are carried out.
The majority on the three-judge panel included Judge Jeffrey Howard, nominated by former President George W. Bush, and Judge Seth Aframe, a nominee of former President Joe Biden. Judge Lara Montecalvo, also nominated by Biden, dissented.
The ruling lifts limits imposed by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, another Biden nominee, who is overseeing a class-action lawsuit filed last year by four noncitizens challenging the deportation policy.
Murphy ruled last month that the administration could not deport migrants to third countries without first attempting to send them to their country of citizenship or another country with which they have ties.
“It is not fine, nor is it legal,” Murphy wrote in his decision.
His order required immigration authorities to first attempt deportation to a migrant’s country of citizenship or the country normally designated for removal. If that effort failed, Murphy said migrants must be given a “meaningful opportunity” to challenge their deportation once a third country is selected.
Murphy delayed the implementation of his ruling to allow the appeals court time to weigh in. The 1st Circuit’s order keeps his decision on hold while the appeal moves forward.
Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, which represents the migrants, said the group welcomed the expedited timeline.
“While the order unfortunately delays implementation of the decision, we appreciate that the First Circuit ordered a swift resolution of the merits of the government’s appeal,” Realmuto said.
The dispute has already reached the Supreme Court once. Last year, the Trump administration successfully appealed to the high court after Murphy imposed earlier limits on the policy.
In a statement following Monday’s ruling, a DHS spokesperson said the court’s decision supports the administration’s position.
“The Biden Administration allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood our country, and the Trump Administration has the authority to remove these criminal illegal aliens and clean up this national security nightmare,” the spokesperson said. “If these activist judges had their way, aliens who are so uniquely barbaric that their own countries won’t take them back, including convicted murderers, child rapists and drug traffickers, would walk free on American streets.”
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel admitted his aggressive hatred of Donald Trump over the years has cost him.
During an appearance with the Naked Lunch podcast, Kimmel admitted he’s likely lost “half” of his fans due to his relentless bashing of Trump over the years.
“There was at one time, maybe, I don’t know, like right around the beginning of this whole Trump thing where … that was kind of hinted at,” Kimmel said.
“But I just said, ‘Listen, I get it. I don’t disagree. I mean, you’re right.’ I have lost half of my fans — maybe more than that,” he conceded. “Ten years ago, among Republicans, I was the most popular talk show host, at least according to the research that they did.”
Eventually, Kimmel gave ABC an ultimatum. “If you want somebody else to host the show, then that’s fine. That’s OK with me. I’m just not going to do it like that,” he said. “They knew I was serious … I just couldn’t live with myself.”
Along with defending his actions against Trump, Kimmel also swooped in to defend President Joe Biden, who has experienced record-low approval ratings.
“He’s a nice old man who quite plainly cared about people through[out] his whole life. He’s certainly not evil. If you believe that, you’ve got some real problems.”
A senior Iranian official identified in media reports as a potential backchannel to President Donald Trump has publicly denied any involvement in negotiations with the United States.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, rejected the reports after The Jerusalem Post described him as the “top person” Trump had suggested his administration was engaging with behind the scenes.
🚨 US is holding talks with Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, source tells @Jerusalem_Post
In a post on X, Ghalibaf dismissed the claim and accused the U.S. of spreading misinformation.
“Iranian people demand complete and remorseful punishment of the aggressors. All Iranian officials stand firmly behind their supreme leader and people until this goal is achieved. No negotiations have been held with the US, and fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.”
2/ No negotiations have been held with the US, and fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 23, 2026
The denial comes amid conflicting signals from Washington about the state of diplomacy. Just hours earlier, Trump said his administration had engaged in “very good and productive conversations” with Iran and announced a five-day pause on planned military strikes targeting Iranian energy infrastructure.
Read Trump’s Truth Social message:
“I AM PLEASE TO REPORT THAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND THE COUNTRY OF IRAN, HAVE HAD, OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS, VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST,” Trump wrote. “BASED ON THE TENOR AND TONE OF THESE IN DEPTH, DETAILED, AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS, WITCH WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO POSTPONE ANY AND ALL MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN POWER PLANTS AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A FIVE DAY PERIOD, SUBJECT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE ONGOING MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS.”
The pause marked a sharp shift in tone after Trump had warned over the weekend that Iran could face “total decimation” if it failed to comply with U.S. demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Trump hinted at the existence of a high-level Iranian contact but declined to identify the individual.
“A top person,” Trump said, offering no further details.
When asked whether Iran’s newly named supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was involved, Trump said the U.S. had not heard from him. Khamenei has not appeared publicly since his appointment and is widely believed to be gravely injured.
“Don’t forget: We’ve wiped out the leadership phase one, phase two and largely phase three. But we’re dealing with a man who I believe is the most respected and the leader, you know it’s a little tough, they’ve wiped out — we’ve wiped out everybody,” Trump added.
Trump’s claims of active discussions followed his announcement that strikes would be temporarily halted to allow negotiations to continue. However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has also denied that any talks are taking place, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the diplomatic track even as tensions remain high following U.S. threats tied to the Strait of Hormuz.
While the left has lambasted Donald Trump for questioning the 2020 election results Hillary Clinton has been given a free pass. As speculation surrounding Clinton’s potential 2024 bid still looms her recent spike in chatter regarding elections has Americans on edge for a reason.
“I’m proud to endorse Nikki Haley because she is whip smart, has executive credentials and was a superb governor,” Sheindlin said in a statement. “She has international gravitas as Ambassador to the United Nations. She is principled, measured and has that elusive quality of real common sense. I truly think she can restore America and believe she is the future of this great nation.”
Haley returned the compliment, calling the judge a “no-nonsense lady.”
“Judge Judy is a no-nonsense lady who has earned the respect of millions of Americans from her courtroom by being thoughtful, fair, and honest. I’m honored to have her support,” Haley said in a press release.
For 25 years, Sheindlin starred on the beloved show “Judge Judy,” where her witty retorts in the courtroom earned her millions of dedicated fans. Instead of stepping away from television for good, she is now the presiding judge on Amazon Freevee’s “Judy Justice,” which became Freevee’s No. 1 original show with more than 150 million viewers over the past two years.
Sheindlin is a graduate of New York Law School, was appointed to the bench in New York City’s Family Court in 1982 and became the Supervising Judge of the Manhattan Court in 1986.
The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A feud is brewing between Fox News veteran Sean Hannity and Pennsylvania Senate hopeful John Fetterman (D). Hannity is now threatening legal action against the Democrat politician over his fundraising messages.
On Fox News, Hannity accused the Pennsylvania Senate candidate of deliberately lying about him in his fundraising texts. Fetterman claimed Hannity also spread lies about him during a recent interview with Republican Senate candidate, Mehmet Oz.
“As of now, the Fetterman campaign is refusing to debate Doctor [Mehmet] Oz, also refusing my invitation to appear on the program — as he and his campaign have been lying about me, raising money off of my name, he apparently yet another fundraising text, attacking me, lying about me, calling me a liar,” Hannity said. “Every day he lies about me, I’ll continue to tell the truth about his radical, extreme positions.”
Hannity then took it a step further by threatening legal action against Fetterman.
“By the way, my trust fund brat friend, when you attack me, I will attack you back 10 to 100 times harder — because you’re a lying loser and raising money for your losing campaign,” Hannity said. “He may be hearing from my lawyers very shortly. He better hope that mommy and daddy have enough money to pay his legal bills.”
“We don’t lie on the show,” Hannity said Monday. He added, “Instead of accusing me of lying, which we didn’t do, John needs to quit his whining, stop his crying, man up, put on his hoodie, defend his radical opinions.”
