President Donald Trump had a busy week, starting with discussions with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and wrapping up with a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani. Additionally, Trump signed a bill for the Justice Department to release files on the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein File
On Wednesday night, Trump announced he approved a bill for the Justice Department to release Epstein’s files, following its passage in Congress the night before. In a message on Truth Social, he expressed pride in the bill’s quick, nearly unanimous approval, which he credited to his direction to key congressional leaders.
He emphasized that the Justice Department has already provided nearly 50,000 pages of documents to Congress, contrasting this with the Biden administration’s lack of disclosure regarding Epstein. Trump’s ties to Epstein have been scrutinized since his administration closed its investigation without making any documents public.
Mamdani Meeting
On Friday, Mamdani met with Trump at the White House. Their interaction seemed cordial, with discussions about tackling affordability issues in New York. Trump said they had more in common than he initially thought and expressed his intent to support Mamdani.
He downplayed criticisms of Mamdani as a tyrant, saying he’s been called worse and that he believed their relationship could improve through collaboration.
Saudi Crown Prince Meeting
Earlier in the week, Trump also welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, including a formal reception with a red carpet and military honors. They discussed enhancing military cooperation, highlighted by a U.S. agreement to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. This marked a stark contrast to the Biden administration’s approach, which had labeled the kingdom a “pariah” due to previous controversies.
Despite past accusations regarding the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump defended the Crown Prince during a press interaction, urging reporters to refrain from embarrassing questions about the incident. Bin Salman, in turn, expressed regret over Khashoggi’s death and promised efforts to prevent future occurrences.
