Trump Rails Against WSJ Epstein Report, Pushes To Unseal Grand Jury Testimony

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Plus: CBS Axes ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ — Could More Late-Night TV Follow As Ratings Decline?

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🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Trump Orders DOJ To Release Epstein Docs; Denies Writing Racy Letter To Disgraced Pedophile

President Trump called Thursday night for the unsealing of grand jury testimony related to Jeffrey Epstein, directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to push for its release in court. It came after dismissing the Epstein story for two weeks and calling on his supporters to stop talking about the issue.

  • The move comes as there is growing pressure from Trump supporters, who have been demanding transparency and access to all FBI and DOJ files on Epstein.

What led to the change? The Wall Street Journal published a story Thursday that featured a 2003 birthday letter Trump reportedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump and his allies are denying it — and the president is threatening to sue the Journal, despite the fact that it is run by conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

INSIDE THE FILES
Attorney General Bondi said she will act on the president’s request Friday. However, don’t hold your breath. Legal experts note that grand jury transcripts are typically protected under federal secrecy rules, with only narrow exceptions.

  • It’s unclear whether the Justice Department can convince a federal judge in New York — where Epstein was indicted in 2019 on child sex trafficking charges — to release the transcripts and whether making the documents public will satisfy critics demanding broader disclosures.

Earlier on Thursday, Trump rejected calls from some of his supporters to appoint a special counsel to investigate the handling of the Epstein files. He has called the public scrutiny a “hoax” perpetrated by Democrats and previously dismissed the issue as a distraction.

TRUMP TAKES AIM AT MURDOCH
The letter published by The Wall Street Journal on Thursday was part of a leather-bound album compiled by Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is behind bars for her involvement in his child sexual abuse ring. It was made about three years before Epstein was first arrested in 2006. The album includes a dialogue-style note allegedly from Trump and a sketch of a nude woman signed by him.

  • It goes:

    • “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.

    • Donald: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.

Trump denies writing the letter or drawing the image, calling the report “fake” and saying, “It’s not my language. It’s not my words.” His allies are making similar assertions:

  • Donald Trump Jr. tweeted: “My father has a very specific way of speaking... The insanity written in the Wall Street Journal, AIN’T IT and everyone knows it. Also in 47 years I’ve never seen him doodle once.”

  • Vice President JD Vance called the story BS, and questioned: "Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?"

  • Charlie Kirk posted: "This is not how Trump talks at all. I don't believe it."

Now, Trump says he is going to go after Murdoch and his publication in court. Behind the scenes, Trump failed at persuading his longtime friend (and occasional critic) to kill the story.

The two billionaires have had an on-again, off-again relationship for decades, beginning when Trump was a frequent New York Post tabloid subject. Murdoch was even skeptical of a Trump presidential run, but once Trump became the GOP nominee, Murdoch aligned with him, recognizing the financial benefits, a former Fox News commentator said.

FRIEND OR FOE
Murdoch’s outlets — including Fox News and The New York Post — have been credited with helping Trump win the presidency. Trump frequently watches Fox and reads The Post, often sharing their stories on Truth Social, and back in February, Trump praised Murdoch in the Oval Office, saying he is “in a class by himself” and “an amazing guy.” Trump added, “I don’t agree with him on some things.”

While these outlets typically offer extremely supportive coverage of Trump, the latest WSJ Epstein story is not the first time a Murdoch-owned publication has published a negative story about the president.

  • Murdoch told a colleague via email, after the attacks on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, that “we want to make Trump a non-person.”

  • Post-Jan. 6, many of Murdoch’s publications were critical of Trump. The New York Post editorial board, separate from the newsroom, wrote amid the 2022 Jan. 6 Committee hearings that “Trump has proven himself unworthy to be this country’s chief executive again.”

    • The newspaper also mocked Trump when he announced his second bid for the presidency in 2022.

  • On election night 2020, Fox News was the first major network to call Arizona for Biden — a move Murdoch reportedly approved by saying “F—k him.” Trump was furious about the decision, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner lobbied Murdoch to retract the call.

    • While two of the network’s top news executives were fired over the call, it stood. The network did, however, have to pay a $787 million settlement to voting machine company Dominion in a defamation lawsuit for pushing Trump’s claims of possible election fraud.

Bottom line: The timing of Trump’s new stance is notable as he takes heat over a recent DOJ report that dismissed many Epstein conspiracy theories and closed its review of the case. The release of the letter is reigniting scrutiny of Trump’s past ties to Epstein — and raising new questions about what was left out of the DOJ’s review.

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🚨 ONE THING TO SAY GOODBYE TO

‘Late Show’ Cancellation Leads To Questions About Role Of Politics, Decline Of Late Night

CBS announced Thursday that it is canceling 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.' The comedian's run and the overall 32 year-old 'The Late Show' franchise are set to end in May 2026 — after the next season. Colbert took over hosting duties in 2015 from David Letterman, who started the show in 1993.

  • In a statement, George Cheeks, president of CBS and co-CEO of its parent company, Paramount, said the cancellation was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night" and did not have to do with "the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount."

    • Sources inside CBS say the show was losing $40 million a year.

The cancellation is also leading to accusations that the company is trying to curry favor with President Trump amid its proposed merger with Skydance. Meanwhile, Trump is celebrating the dismissal of his longtime critic.

It comes after Colbert has used the late-night talk show to criticize CBS's parent company, Paramount, for its $16 million payout to Trump. The company settled a lawsuit about edits made to a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. In an episode Monday, Colbert called Paramount's settlement "a big fat bribe."

On Friday, the Writers Guild of America said it has “significant concerns” about the move and called on the New York Attorney General to investigate whether it was a bribe to the Trump team.

Some Democrats are also calling for investigations into whether the show’s cancellation was tied to Colbert's political outspokenness.

RETRIBUTION OR SIGN OF LATE NIGHT’S DEMISE?
The news comes as late-night TV shows overall have been struggling to find their footing amid changing viewing habits. While 'The Late Show' has been leading competitors in the same time slot like 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' and 'The Tonight Show' in viewership, between 2018-2019 and 2023-2024, Colbert's show saw a 32% drop in viewership.

Late-night shows collectively used to get around 20 million viewers on a given night — today, that number has dropped to about 5–6 million.

What’s leading to the drop? Streaming services and YouTube have upended the usual format of live interviews and monologues, and companies have struggled to figure out how to monetize online clips.

His friend, and fellow late-night host, is not having it:

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

  • Explosion at LA County Sheriff's Department facility leaves 3 deputies dead, sources say (FOX)

  • Trump administration hands over Medicaid recipients’ personal data, including addresses, to ICE (CNN)

  • 17-year-old charged with murder in death of paddleboarder in Maine (CBS)

  • White House official: $2B for Alcatraz renovations ‘sounds excessive’ (THE HILL)

  • Border Patrol raids Home Depot parking lot in Sacramento; multiple people arrested (KCRA)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

  • EU imposes new sanctions on Russia's oil and banks after Robert Fico lifts his veto (EURO NEWS)

  • Israel “deeply regrets” strike that hit Gaza’s only Catholic church (MO NEWS)

  • Brazil police raid ex-President Bolsonaro’s home, fit ankle tag, citing flight risk concern amid criminal trial (CNN)

  • Russian mom and 2 young girls found living inside remote cave in snake-infested forest in India (CBS)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

  • Trump signs first law regulating cryptocurrencies (MO NEWS)

  • Consumer sentiment improved in July, despite Trump's tariff threats (ABC)

  • Apple sues leaker Jon Prosser for stealing iOS secrets (THE VERGE)

  • West Nile virus detected in mosquitoes in Northeast Philadelphia, health officials say (CBS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

  • Fans speculate after Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham share cryptic Instagram posts (FOX)

  • NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell steps down amid conflict of interest, collusion controversies (CBS)

  • Alan Bergman, Oscar-winning lyricist, dies at 99 (THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)

  • 'Friday the 13th' prequel series casts Jason Vorhees (NEWSWEEK)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… The Chinese company, Pop Mart, is expected to see profits grow by at least 350% for the first half of 2025, thanks to the exploding popularity of the Labubu, a pointed-ear furry doll with jagged teeth.

  • The Labubu character was originally designed by Hong Kong-based artist Kasing Lung as part of a picture book series called "The Monster Trilogy."

    • Since 2019, hundreds of versions have been released with different colored fur and facial expressions. In 2023, the Labubu with a keyring attachment took to the shelves.

  • They typically sell for $20-$30, but rare or "secret" Labubus have popped up on resale sites for thousands of dollars.

    • As of this week, Pop Mart has a market cap of more than $40 billion. Popular American toy companies, Hasbro and Mattel, have market caps of about $10.6 billion and $6.4 billion respectively.

Part of the excitement: Labubus are known for their blind boxes — buyers don't know which Labubu they'll get until they open the box. They have been seen on celebrities like Rihanna and Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink.

The story got a lot of attention on the exclusive Mo News Premium Slack channel. Here are some of the comments:

Join today at mo.news/premium — subscribers get access to a members-only Instagram page (where we cover weekend news), podcast, workshops, a weekly news quiz, and more in the works.

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