The Lead with Jake Tapper

This afternoon, the Justice Department for the first time released information about Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s interview with Ghislaine Maxwell. In the interview she says she doesn’t think Epstein died by suicide. She also downplays President Trump’s involvement with Epstein.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump joined the National Guard and law enforcement at the US Park Police headquarters in a show of support for federal law enforcement. Plus, Russia continues to pound Ukraine, killing even more civilians. Is the peace deal now going up in smoke?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A look at why the CEO of the giant retailer Target is stepping down. Plus, former President Obama is endorsing the pending plan by California Democrats to redraw the state’s congressional maps. Also, an update on Hurricane Erin.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will Russia and Ukraine come to the table and end more than three years of conflict and will Trump be front and center for discussions? New details are emerging as the White House rules out United States boots on the ground to help secure Ukraine from Russian attacks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A full day of diplomacy is still underway at the White House where President Trump tries to broker a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine. Last hour President Trump paused a meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky and European leaders to speak with with Vladimir Putin on the phone. This comes as President Trump appears to waffle at the idea of a ceasefire.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

In less than 24 hours, a major summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place in Alaska. President Trump believes he can deliver a deal in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and says that both sides are ready to make peace. He is also teasing a second meeting which would include Ukraine’s President Zelensky.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.c...

Just days before his face-to-face with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump is getting an earful from European leaders as Russia makes more territorial gains in Ukraine. Plus, President Trump makes a surprise announcement about the upcoming Kenny Center honors.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nearly 1,000 federal agents and officers are on the streets of Washington DC as CNN gets community reaction about the visible presence of this temporary federal takeover. Plus, investigators are revealing new details about the shooting at the CDC in Atlanta last Friday.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump previews his Friday summit with Putin in Alaska, as United States officials rush to finalize the details of this crucial face-to-face to end that war. Plus, local officials in Washington DC pushing back after Trump announced he is deploying National Guard troops in the nation’s Capitol.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump at the White House moments ago said he will soon announce details of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. We bring you all the latest in this breaking news development.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump has slapped higher tariffs on nearly every country in the world which means, according to experts, Americans will be paying the highest tax rate on foreign goods since 1933 in midst of the Great Depression. Plus, protests erupt over Israel today as Prime Minister Netanyahu says he is planning for a full military takeover of all of Gaza.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc...

Key new details about the suspect accused of shooting five soldiers at Fort Stewart earlier today. An Army sergeant is in custody after he allegedly used his personal handgun to shoot five fellow soldiers this morning at the Fort Stewart military base in Georgia, according to base officials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump is pressed on whether Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell is credible as CNN learns the White House is debating releasing a transcript of Maxwell’s recent meeting with the deputy attorney general. Plus, President Trump has been creating his own equations when it comes to jobs numbers.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has just ordered the arrest of state Democrats who skipped town and didn’t show up for today’s special session. How long can those Democrats stay away and hold up the vote as Republicans try to gerrymander the map? Plus, new reports that Israel is considering a full takeover of Gaza.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump announces a slew of new tariffs. Also, President Trump deploys two nuclear submarines after what he calls provocative statements by Russia’s former leader. Plus, a look at what CNN is learning about the transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell to a prison in Texas.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump is pushing ahead with a slew of new tariffs but will his biggest deals yet come down to the 11th hour? Plus, an attorney behind the case challenging if Trump’s tariffs are even legal joins to discuss. Also, an Israeli human rights organization that is saying Israel is committing genocide in Gaza joins to discuss.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi each join to discuss the Epstein files, Medicaid cuts, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and more. Plus, Canada plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 The investigation into the deadly New York City office building. With new details about the gunman's weapon, his suicide note, and how surviving employees hid from the killer. An audacious demand from Ghislaine Maxwell, the woman serving 20 years in prison for grooming young teen girls for Jeffrey Epstein and friends.  Texas residents get a say in Republican efforts to redraw the maps. One Democr...

With images of emaciated, dying children and Palestinians fighting for food, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu falsely stated there is no starvation in Gaza. What will President Trump do, if anything, to pressure Israel to alleviate this manmade humanitarian crisis?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tens of thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv, calling on the Netanyahu government to end the mass starvation of the Palestinian people in Gaza as new images illustrate the dire hunger crisis, man made in the region.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Trump’s Jeffrey Epstein problem keeps growing, today he dispatched his deputy attorney general to Florida to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s girlfriend who groomed underage girls for Epstein. She is currently serving a 20 year sentence. Plus, Trump’s visit to the Federal Reserve headquarters was born from his continuing anger at Federal Reserve Chair Powell’s unwillingness, so far, to lo...

A slew of new details emerge in the Jeffrey Epstein case just as a judge declines to release some grand jury documents from the criminal investigation. CNN has confirmed that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump back in May that his name was one of many in the Epstein files.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Justice Department today says they want to speak with Ghislaine Maxwell, the once girlfriend and associate of pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Will she comply and would she tell the truth?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump shows fake clips of President Obama in handcuffs and calls for the Washington Commanders to change their name back to the Redskins or else. Is operation change the subject underway? Trump drums up controversy while avoiding discussing his own connections to pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and the scandal around it.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adc...

Attorney General Pam Bondi, at the direction of President Trump, asked a federal judge to unseal grand jury testimony related to the prosecution of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices