President Donald Trump continues to face backlash from his MAGA supporters over his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi "to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval" related to the case.
On Friday, Trump signed the GENIUS Act -- the first major federal cryptocurrency bill -- into law.
Trump on Bondi and Epstein: 'What more can she do?'
President Donald Trump came to Attorney General Pam Bondi's defense on the Jeffrey Epstein files on Wednesday.
Trump was asked if he's asked Bondi to release more documents to put the controversy to bed. Trump again said she should release what's "credible" on Epstein.
"What more can she do than that? Honestly, what more can she do?" Trump said.
Donald Trump meets with Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa (L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 16, 2025.
Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
He then tried to shift focus, saying Epstein "is dead, he's gone" and argued there are more important things to focus on.
Jul 16, 2025, 12:12 PM EDT
Trump says it's 'highly unlikely' he will fire Powell
President Donald Trump was asked on Wednesday about Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell amid reports that Trump had indicated to allies he would fire him. Trump said he talked to Republicans about the "concept of firing him" but denied drafting a letter, as the New York Times had reported.
Trump first said he was "not planning on doing anything" on Powell, though the administration was "very concerned." He again slammed Powell as "too late" to bring down interest rates and called on him to do so immediately.
"So he's doing a lousy job," Trump said. "But no, I'm not talking about that. We get -- fortunately, we get to make a change in the next one eight months or so, and, we'll pick somebody that's good."
Donald Trump walks upon his arrival from Pennsylvania, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, July 15, 2025.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
Powell's term as the chair of the Fed ends in 2026.
Trump said firing Powell is "highly unlikely" but suggested he could be removed if there is "fraud" found in the Federal Reserve's building renovation. The Federal Reserve has brought in its inspector general to review the expansion.
Jul 16, 2025, 9:34 AM EDT
Trump admin sues CPB board members in latest attempt to force their ouster
Just as the Senate began debate on the rescissions package that would strip the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of two years’ worth of its funding, the Trump administration filed a new lawsuit against the three CPB board members whom the president has attempted to fire, but have refused to leave.
Tuesday’s filing, in US District Court in Washington, is the latest volley in a monthslong legal fight between the administration and the entity that funds the nation’s public radio and television stations. It seeks to affirm Trump’s power to remove members of the CPB board -- a power the corporation and its board members insist he doesn’t have.
President Donald Trump attends the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, July 15, 2025.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
"As recent Supreme Court orders have recognized, the President cannot meaningfully exercise his executive power under Article II of the Constitution without the power to select—and, when necessary, remove—those who hold federal office," the administration’s filing says. "Personnel is policy, after all."
CPB and its board members argue that while the president has the power to appoint the organization’s board members, there is no provision in law that allows him to fire them.
-ABC News' Steven Portnoy
Jul 16, 2025, 5:41 AM EDT
Trump to host Bahrain, Qatar officials at White House
President Donald Trump will meet on Wednesday with Bahrain's crown prince, hold a bill signing ceremony, then have dinner with the prime minister of Qatar, according to the White House.
Trump is scheduled at 11 a.m. to greet Bahrain's Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the crown prince, who has also served as prime minister since 2020. The pair will hold a bilateral meeting, then have lunch, the White House said.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stands next to him, as he departs for travel to Pennsylvania from the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C. U.S., July 15, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
The crown prince of the Gulf state met on Tuesday with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, according to Al Khalifa's office. The crown prince announced late Tuesday that private sectors in Bahrain and the U.S. signed agreements worth about $17 billion.
The president will then hold a bill-signing ceremony at 3 p.m., before having dinner with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at 7 p.m., the White House said. The dinner comes as Israeli and Hamas officials are in Doha, Qatar, where they're engaged in discussions about a potential ceasefire.