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NEWS: Chaos Behind the Scenes at White House as House Moves Closer to Demanding Epstein Files

White House is in chaos as the House moves closer to getting the Epstein Files, Trump will charge Comey despite not having evidence, and Kimmel gets record breaking views following suspension

Aaron Parnas Sep 25

Good morning—brace yourselves: today is going to be busy. Behind-the-scenes chaos at the White House as the House edges toward forcing a vote to unseal the Epstein files; the DOJ is racing to move against former FBI Director James Comey; a government shutdown looms in five days, and the White House is now threatening mass firings of federal workers.

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With that, here’s what you missed:

• The White House is in chaos this morning as Congress moves closer to securing the signatures needed to force a vote on the Epstein Files release. As we speak, GOP leaders and White House allies are quietly pressuring members to block a discharge petition that would force a House vote on releasing Jeffrey Epstein case files, as Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna near the 218 signatures needed despite internal Republican resistance and Speaker Mike Johnson’s objections over victim privacy.

• Inside the White House, according to the Wall Street Journal, Trump grew frustrated that people were “obsessed” with Epstein, dismissed concerns by saying “Palm Beach in the 90s was a different time,” Pam Bondi accused the FBI of targeting her, and Susie Wiles held Situation Room meetings to craft a strategy as disorganization and adviser missteps deepened the crisis.

• Justice Department officials are racing to secure criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey before the statute of limitations expires, preparing to seek a federal grand jury indictment in Virginia over allegations he lied in 2020 congressional testimony about the Trump-Russia investigation—an escalation of Trump’s push to prosecute political opponents.

• Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia advised new U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan against charging James Comey, citing insufficient evidence to establish probable cause or secure a conviction, consistent with DOJ guidelines; the detail was first reported by ABC News.

• The White House budget office instructed agencies to prepare plans for mass firings if a government shutdown occurs, a sharp departure from past practice, with OMB targeting programs deemed inconsistent with Trump’s priorities—drawing fierce backlash from Democrats and unions, who called it intimidation and an attempt to weaponize the shutdown fight.

• Jimmy Kimmel’s return to ABC drew 6.26 million viewers—over four times his usual audience—despite preemptions in nearly a quarter of U.S. households, with his comeback monologue also surpassing 26 million views online and marking the show’s best 18–49 rating in more than a decade.

• In his second show back from suspension, Jimmy Kimmel mocked Trump as an “’80s-movie-style bully,” defended his criticism of the president as free speech, and joked that supporting Trump was like rooting for Back to the Future’s Biff—while acknowledging record ratings despite continued blackouts by some ABC affiliates and criticism from Trump allies.

• The US economy’s Q2 growth was revised up to a 3.8% annualized rate (higher than earlier 3.3% and the initial 3.0%), driven by resilient consumer spending and weaker imports, and the Atlanta Fed estimates momentum carried into Q3 ahead of the government’s first Q3 GDP estimate next month.

• Trump is set to sign an executive order Thursday clearing the way for a U.S. consortium to acquire TikTok’s U.S. assets—transferring control, a copy of the algorithm, and oversight to an American-led venture with Oracle handling data and privacy—while also extending the enforcement pause and setting up his first in-person meeting with Xi Jinping since returning to office.

• An NBC News review of autopsies found at least four Alabama death row inmates — Derrick Dearman, Jamie Mills, Carey Grayson, and Kenneth Smith — had illegal drugs in their systems when executed between 2023 and 2024, raising red flags about contraband smuggling, staff corruption, and the state’s failure to prevent narcotics access even under heightened security, as Alabama faces ongoing federal scrutiny over its prison conditions.

• Bari Weiss, founder of The Free Press, is set to take a major editorial leadership role at CBS News under David Ellison’s backing, sparking newsroom anxiety as her influence grows amid Ellison’s potential Warner Bros. Discovery bid, with critics viewing her as both a symbol of journalism’s rightward shift and a flashpoint in broader media power realignments.

• Starbucks will close hundreds of North American stores—about 1% of its footprint—and cut 900 more corporate jobs in a $1 billion restructuring effort under CEO Brian Niccol, who aims to revive the struggling chain through store remodels, menu revamps, and cost-cutting after disappointing sales and stock declines.

• A Paris court sentenced former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison—ordering incarceration even if he appeals—after convicting him of criminal association in a scheme to seek Libyan funds for his 2007 campaign, though judges said they couldn’t prove money was actually used; Sarkozy, who denies wrongdoing, remains under multiple legal clouds despite his continued influence in French politics.

• A group of 46 House Democrats, led by Rep. Ro Khanna, will send a letter Friday to President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the U.S. to recognize Palestinian statehood, aligning with recent moves by France, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal. The letter cites the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and frames recognition as essential to Palestinian self-determination and Israel’s long-term security. Khanna called the initiative a “litmus test” for Democrats, with J Street endorsing it, while Trump and Netanyahu remain firmly opposed.

• French President Emmanuel Macron said Donald Trump assured him that any Israeli attempt to annex parts of the West Bank would be a “red line” for the US, warning it would also mean the collapse of the Abraham Accords with Arab states. Macron revealed he presented Trump with a three-page plan on Palestine’s future, aligned with the New York Declaration signed by 143 states, which proposes excluding Hamas from governance in Gaza and the West Bank. The statement highlights growing international pressure on Israel, even as Prime Minister Netanyahu remains resistant to concessions on Palestinian statehood.

• Denmark suffered its second major airport disruption this week after drones flew over Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sønderborg, Skrydstrup, and Billund airports, forcing temporary shutdowns. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen called it a “professional hybrid attack,” possibly orchestrated by a state actor, and said Copenhagen may invoke NATO’s Article 4 for the first time.

See you this evening.

— Aaron