Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that the Justice Department’s decision Saturday to remove more than a dozen photographs that were released as part of the files on Jeffrey Epstein had “nothing to do with President Trump” and came at the request of victim advocacy groups.
Blanche said the removed photographs included unredacted pictures of women and “will go back up” after Justice Department officials investigate whether they need to make further redactions.
One of the files included a photo of a tabletop covered by framed photos of Epstein with famous people. An open drawer on the tabletop included printed photos of Trump with women in bathing suits.
“We don’t have perfect information,” Blanche told moderator Kristen Welker. “When we hear from victims’ rights groups about this type of photograph, we pull it down and investigate. We’re still investigating that photo. The photo will go back up, and the only question is whether there will be redactions on the photo.”
Blanche also answered questions about the criticism he and other officials face from Democrats for not releasing the complete files by Friday’s deadline in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
“The reason why we are still reviewing documents and still continuing our process is simply that to protect victims,” Blanche said.
But that reasoning didn’t sit well with lawmakers.
Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said they are committed to holding Justice Department officials accountable for their failure to release all eligible files, saying they’re speaking with members of Congress about holding Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt.
“The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi,” Massie said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” when he was asked how Congress can force the release of the rest of the files.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said calls to impeach Justice Department officials for their handling of the release are “premature” after Khanna floated the possibility Friday.
Kaine pointed to other mechanisms Congress has to prompt the Trump administration to release certain information.
“We have tools in appropriations bills and other tools to force compliance if somebody is dragging their feet, and I’d rather focus on those tools than get into discussions about contempt and impeachment,” Kaine said.
U.S. Coast Guard pursues another vessel after intercepting a ship off Venezuela
The U.S. Coast Guard was in “active pursuit” of a sanctioned vessel in international waters off Venezuela on Sunday, two U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.
One of the officials said the “dark fleet vessel” is “part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion. It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.”
The vessel, known as Bella 1, was placed on the U.S. sanctions list in June 2024, according to a person familiar with the list.
The vessel was sanctioned under counterterrorism authority for its involvement in the network of Houthi financial facilitator Sa’id al-Jamal, according to the source.
The Defense Department on Saturday interdicted another tanker that the White House said carried sanctioned oil on board.
Politics in brief
- Get out of town: As Congress leaves Washington without a health care deal, 22 million people are set to face increased health insurance premiums.
- Building a campaign: California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed nearly 800 bills this year — which could help form the basis of a future national platform.
- Presidential support: Trump endorsed Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman in the New York governor’s race, just one day after Rep. Elise Stefanik dropped out of the GOP primary.
- Bibi’s warning: Israeli officials have grown increasingly concerned that Iran is expanding production of its ballistic missile program and are preparing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to brief Trump about options to attack it again, sources told NBC News.
With protected status set to expire, many South Sudanese in the U.S. face returning to a country in crisis
Alex Lomong is a man of many labels: He’s a Virginia resident, he was a decorated Division I athlete on the Ohio State University track team, and he is a middle-distance runner whose times put him in sight of qualifying for the Olympic trials.
He is also an immigrant from South Sudan who was granted Temporary Protected Status. Now, with the Trump administration’s plan to end TPS designation for South Sudanese nationals on Jan. 5, Lomong is one of many facing uncertain futures in the United States.
“Ever since I’ve been here, this is the only home I knew,” Lomong, 28, told NBC News.
The end of TPS could mean that he, as well as hundreds of others, will be forced to return to a country with widespread famine and political instability.
“Being deported there is basically like a suicide mission,” Lomong said.
As storms inundated Washington state, federal grants for flood mitigation work sat on hold
As Washington state residents take stock of widespread damage, officials say the recent succession of storms highlights why proactive work to protect communities from flooding is so essential. But the Trump administration has delayed or tried to cut federal funding for some of those projects, leaving a slate of the state’s major initiatives in limbo.
Washington had secured tens of millions of dollars in federal grants for projects to elevate houses, move people away from flood-prone areas and protect homes with new levees, among other measures.
But the Trump administration tried this year to cancel roughly $182 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for natural hazard mitigation projects in the state, prompting a court battle. And according to Tim Cook, Washington’s state hazard mitigation officer, $31 million more in disaster prevention grants has for months been awaiting approval from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, per a department policy she implemented this summer.
“This event — and the one coming whenever in the future — reinforces the importance of investing in the pre-disaster mitigation efforts to reduce damages,” Cook said. “If folks on the ground weren’t believers before about the need to do pre-disaster mitigation, they certainly are now.”
Notable quote
We are born free, and when somebody takes your freedom, I know the pain. You never choose where you will be born. You never choose your religion.
Roya Karimi, a bodybuilder who escaped from Afghanistan
Onstage, wearing a small, sparkling bikini, Roya Karimi projects an image of strength as her tanned, well-defined muscles glisten under the bright lights and she shows off the result of countless hours in the gym. Her physical prowess is matched only by her mental fortitude and a steely determination to both represent and help women in her home country, Afghanistan.
In case you missed it
- Actor James Ransone, who starred in “The Wire,” died at 46 apparently by suicide, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner.
- Thousands turned out for a memorial one week after the Bondi Beach mass shooting shook Australia, with officials announcing a review of the country’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
- “Saturday Night Live” fan favorite Bowen Yang took his final bow on the show alongside Ariana Grande and Cher.
- Miami and Alabama advanced in the College Football Playoffs after upset victories, while Oregon and Ole Miss easily dispatched their opponents.
- Influencer Jaclyn Hill is losing views — and some social media experts say it’s a sign that users are growing tired of overconsumption and luxury content.