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Sources Say, DOJ to Meet Today With Epstein Accomplice Maxwell; GOP-Lead House Panel Votes to Subpoena DOJ for Epstein Files; Source Says, Gaza Talks Include Potential New Way to Deliver Aid. Aired 10- 10:30a ET

Aired July 24, 2025 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, U.S. Justice Department meeting with the Ghislaine Maxwell. Her attorneys just arrived to talk with the deputy attorney general. We're live outside the Florida courthouse.

Plus, further away from peace, Ukraine and Russia make little in their third round of direct talks. That meeting lasting just 40 minutes. We're live in Kyiv with the latest.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world.

[10:00:00]

I'm Wolf Blitzer. Pamela Brown is off today, and you're in The Situation Room.

We begin with the breaking news in the Jeffrey Epstein case. So, right now, the wheels appear to be in motion for his former girlfriend and accomplice, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, to take part in a very pivotal meeting. This is her attorney, David Oscar Marcus, arriving last hour at the Federal Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. According to CNN sources, she's expected to meet today with the deputy attorney general of the United States, Todd Blanche.

It is the latest ripple in a world win of developments. The biggest headline so far, President Trump was told that his name is in the Epstein files. Sources now tell CNN that the attorney general, Pam Bondu, briefed the president back in May about the US Justice Department's review of the case and told him his name is there. To be clear, there is no context and the president has not been accused of any wrongdoing with Epstein. But just last week, Trump flatly denied knowing his name is in the files.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: On Epstein of the review of the files. Attorney General Pam Bondi briefed on that.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: A very quick briefing.

REPORTER: Did she tell you -- what did she tell you about the review? And specifically, did she tell you at all that your name appeared in the files? TRUMP: No, no. She's given us just a very quick briefing, and in terms of the credibility of the different things that they've seen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Congress is demanding answers from the Justice Department with new subpoenas. House Republicans have joined Democrats to demand the Epstein files be released in full. And the House Oversight Committee wants to depose Maxwell.

Let's go live right now to CNN Correspondent Ivan Rodriguez, who's over at the Tallahassee courthouse, Ivan, I should say. What do we know about Maxwell's expected meeting with the deputy attorney general today?

IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, good morning. We saw those images of Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney entering the U.S. Federal Courthouse here right behind me just before 9:00 A.M. Marcus is -- and Maxwell are expected to meet with the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche.

We're still not exactly clear, Wolf. That's the biggest question right now whether this meeting is already taking place. Again, Maxwell's attorney has been inside of this federal courthouse here for the last hour or so.

From my vantage point here, and I'll flip this camera around to give you a better sense of what I can see, I'm standing right in front of those front steps of the U.S. Federal Courthouse and. We are expecting Blanche at any moment here to either come through, we're expecting, through these gates. These are armored gates here in front of me. These are the front doors here of the courthouse of that video where we saw Maxwell's attorney enter about an hour or so again.

But the biggest question here, Wolf, is exactly what is going to come out of this meeting, what exactly Todd Blanche can bring to the table. We know that Maxwell has been very adamant about her innocence now and she, you know, wants to get out of prison. And two days ago, we also heard from Maxwell's attorney mentioning how Ghislaine will testify truthfully.

BLITZER: All right. Ivan Rodriguez on the scene for us, we'll stay in close touch with you. Thank you very, very much.

I want to go down to CNN Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez. Evan, what do we know, first of all, about the president's name in these unreleased Epstein files?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we know that his name appeared in that first tranche that was released back in February to those MAGA influencers who came to the White House. You remember those binders that the attorney general, Pam Bondi, presented them with. His name was in those files. And it occurred again in the subsequent tranche that was being reviewed by the FBI.

Now as early as March, people inside the Justice Department knew that Trump's name appeared in there multiple times along with dozens of other people, obviously, who associated with Jeffrey Epstein. We know, of course, that the president and Epstein were friends. They were associated with each other. They went to events together. So, it's not entirely a surprise.

We don't know additional context, however. We know that a lot of the interviews with witnesses, you know, they would've told some hearsay. There was definitely things that that maybe the Justice Department and prosecutors didn't necessarily have evidence to be able to prove whether they happened or not. So, that's the additional context that was going on there, as the attorney general and the deputy attorney general the president back in May.

Now, the question is, you know, from this meeting going down in Tallahassee, does Ghislaine Maxwell know more and what can she provide?

[10:05:08]

And what can Todd Blanche offer her? Because she really has very little incentive to talk to the Justice Department at this point, given the fact that she maintains her innocence and she's continuing to appeal her conviction. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, lots of questions to be answered.

Evan Perez, thank you very, very much.

A subcommittee of that oversight committee up on Capitol Hill delivered its own surprise move yesterday and voted to subpoena the U.S. Justice Department for files related to the Epstein case.

I'm going to go live right now to our Congressional Correspondent Lauren Fox. She's up on Capitol Hill. So, Lauren, was this completely unexpected?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was certainly a surprise that there were three Republicans willing to vote with Democrats on that subcommittee in order to subpoena not just the Epstein files but also additional information, including any communications between the Biden administration and DOJ officials during the Biden administration. There's also calls included in this subpoena for the Clintons to give a deposition, as well as James Comey.

But it was remarkable in part because of what had played out previously during the week. You had several committees, Democrats on those committees, who were trying to push forward with votes that were going to be really difficult for Republicans to release the Epstein files.

The House Rules Committee essentially became inoperable earlier this week, which meant that the House couldn't bring forward some immigration bills that they had planned to vote on. The House speaker was imploring his members to basically give Trump and the administration additional time to get information out rather than force their hand. And yet just a couple of hours after the final vote of the summer session, you had this remarkable moment in this subcommittee for the House Oversight Committee, in which three Republicans voted with Democrats and worked with them to craft a subpoena that they could all support.

So, yes, it was, in many ways, a huge surprise, but I think coming from the reality that so many of these conservatives feel caught between constituents who want more information and Donald Trump, who is urging Republicans on Capitol Hill to move on.

Now, the fact that this is probably going to be playing out now, not just for weeks, but potentially months because of the nature of these subpoenas, how long this process can take, when lawmakers return after the August recess, you can expect that this is not going to be going away for Donald Trump. This is something that's going to play out in several stages and chapters up here on Capitol Hill. Wolf?

BLITZER: In many ways, this story may just be beginning.

Lauren Fox, thank you very, very much.

Also happening now, sources say the U.S. special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will be in Sardinia later today for ceasefire talks. The meeting with Israeli and Qatari officials could include a potential new way to try to get to a desperately needed -- to try to get desperately needed aid into Gaza.

The humanitarian crisis in the enclave is clearly spiraling. Health officials now say two more Palestinians have died of malnutrition. Gaza reportedly needs 1,500 aid trucks a day to begin preventing starvation.

Let's go live to the Israel Gaza border right now. CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson is on the scene for us.

Nic, I know you're at the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing. What are you seeing?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, not a lot is the real short answer to that. And that's the story here, Wolf. If there was a lot of aid going into Gaza, there would be a lot of activity here. I'll just walk you through what we're seeing here.

So, back there is the sort of the crossing point itself, that sort of arched building over there. This car park would be busy with trucks. And the big concrete wall at the back with the yellow tunnel going above it there, that takes you into Gaza. The trucks get processed on this side in a secure area and then go and wait to be picked up by U.N. officials inside of Gaza.

And that's the crux of the problem here at the moment. And this is one of the things that the ceasefire deal that's been under talks earlier today may address in a future structure about different ways of doing the humanitarian aid.

And it's contentious today because those trucks over there, Israel says, it's doing its bit. The president has said it that, that Israel is abiding by international law. The spokesman for the government has said it. David Mencer has said it, that it is Hamas that's creating the problems that is preventing the U.N. aid agencies getting into that area to get the trucks, to take them deeper into Gaza to distribute that amount of aid.

In fact, the U.N. secretary general described it this way, and I think it gives you a sense of the real frustration they have.

[10:10:01]

He says this. He said, this border crossing is not a drive through McDonald's, he said, where you phone in an order and then you just come and pick it up. He said, there are bureaucratic controls, security controls that Israel puts on. They make it very difficult. In fact, in essence, he said, the U.N. wonders if Israel is really trying to slow down the process of getting aid in rather than actually help and expedite it. So, that's the contentious issue here.

But in the middle of this Wolf, as you said, Sardinia talks, Steve Witkoff involved with Israel and other mediators. We've just heard from the prime minister's office here, Wolf, saying that the. Israeli delegation is being recalled back to Israel for consultations because of what they had heard from Hamas earlier in the day. Hamas had shifted its position, we'd understood from all our sources, in a positive direction. So, the mood music about what Hamas had said was positive.

Is the delegation, the Israeli delegation, coming back to consult and then move forward again? We don't know, but it does seem that there's a momentum on the talks.

Now, we just don't know if it's positive or not. It hints that it might be, but we've been here before, Wolf, when talks look good and then fail at the last minute.

BLITZER: Is the Israeli delegation that's in Sardinia, in Italy now expected to meet with officials including Steve Witkoff? Is that delegation being recalled to Israel or the separate Israeli delegation that's in Doha, Qatar, getting ready for a new round of mediatory talks?

ROBERTSON: Wolf, I'm having a little trouble hearing your question. I hope you can hear me in my answer.

What we understand is that the delegation had earlier been meeting with Steve Witkoff and had heard Hamas' new negotiating position. Going into last night, Hamas, we're told, that what they'd come back with, one of the issues they were discussing was the border buffer area, beyond that concrete wall in the background there, how broad should that buffer be. Israel wanted it to be three quarters of a mile. Hamas wanted it to be half a mile. That seemed to be the sticking point. Hamas came back with an answer early last night. They were told by the mediators, that isn't good enough. Go away. Come back with something else. Early today, Hamas came back with another answer that mediators and others involved in the process said, sounded more positive.

Is this the part that was communicated by Steve Witkoff by the mediators to Israel's representatives in Sardinia? Not clear. But what we do understand based on Hamas' answer, based on their answer, the prime minister's office is saying that they decided to recall that team that were in Sardinia back here to Israel for consultations. That could mean the prime minister's on the verge of taking a step forward. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, lots going on. Nic Robertson on the border between Israel and Gaza, the Keremm Shalom Border Crossing, thanks very much. We'll get back to you.

Meanwhile, there are new concerns this morning that Ukraine and Russia are further from a potential ceasefire deal than they were just 24 hours ago. Delegations from both countries met face-to-face in Istanbul, Turkey, for a third round of direct talks yesterday. Discussions reportedly lasted only 40 minutes. They agreed to a prisoner swap, but little else.

After two months, CNN is now back on the ground in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Let's go to CNN's Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh. He's on the scene for us in Kyiv.

Nick, this Istanbul meeting came soon after President Trump gave Russia, what, 50 days to make peace or face severe tariffs. Is this deadline a real concern for Moscow?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I think it's probably fair to judge by now that it isn't whether or not what we saw yesterday in Istanbul was performatively Moscow responding to the Trump deadline of 50 days, unclear, really. And, again, the delegation they sent, the result of those talks, just over half an hour in duration. And remarkable, frankly, that they were that short.

Again, I think those here in Ukraine will say echoes the Kremlin's synthetic desire to make peace to essentially appease President Trump rather than genuinely edge towards a ceasefire. Yes, they swapped 1,200 prisoners. We've seen that on multiple occasions though during this now almost three-and-a-half-year conflict.

The deadline closer, but, clearly, Russia more interested in prosecuting its summer offensive here, which is increasingly pressuring three key towns on the eastern frontlines. There's incremental progress, yes, certainly. But at times in this war, we've seen those increments turn into something substantial and there is a risk in the weeks ahead, but that is indeed what Moscow is able to achieve.

To add to that, Wolf, here in Kyiv over the past days, there have been the first real protest since the start of the war against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy government against his decision to put prosecutorial supervision over an anti-corruption body that was originally put in here to protect western aid and try and stop corruption.

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He's essentially acceded to some of those protesters' demands in the last hours and agreed to change the law that takes away some of that supervision, but it's been a crisis he could so deeply have avoided here given the nightly threat of drones across the capital, a hundred just last night. And many deeply concerned, because after diplomacy often ends with Moscow, then nightly assaults follow. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Nick Paton Walsh in Kyiv for us, we'll stay in close touch with you as well. Thank you.

Meanwhile, we're also getting new details this morning here in Washington about the investigation to what's called Signal gate, the scandal involving the U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and other top administration officials. Two people familiar with the ongoing review tell CNN the Pentagon's inspector general now has evidence that classified information was in fact included in the group's chats messages.

Joining us now, CNN Senior National Security Reporter Zach Cohen, he is here with me in The Situation Room. So, what have they found out?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Wolf. This investigation started back in April, but we're now learning that the inspector general of the Pentagon has obtained evidence that appears to further undercut what we've heard from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other members of the Trump administration who have claimed that nothing shared in that Signal group chat was classified.

In fact, we're told that the information about those military operations, those U.S. military operations in Yemen came from a Central Command, U.S. Central Command document that was marked classified and had a secret no foreign marking on the top. That means it's information that's so closely held that it can't even be shared with foreign nationals. That document is in the possession, we're told, of the Pentagon inspector general, who continues to investigate Hegseth's of Signal to share information related to the Yemen strikes.

Again, this is a controversy that the Trump administration really wanted to move past, back when it first started. This is only going to raise more questions about a controversy that they are not enthusiastic about re-litigating.

BLITZER: And just to be precise, it was classified because they were discussing when this U.S. military operation would begin and potentially if the enemy was listening in, which is very possible on this Signal chat. If the enemy was listening in, they would know when U.S. troops were going there and potentially endanger the lives of those U.S. troops. That's why it's so highly classified.

COHEN: Absolutely, Wolf. And it was being discussed before the strikes even happened, which even adds to that danger.

BLITZER: All right. Zach Cohen, thank you very, very much.

Also happening today, President Trump's pressure campaign on the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, will take a new turn later this afternoon, the president and two top aides will tour the Federal Reserve then hold a news conference. The president has criticized the Fed's $2.5 billion renovation at that building on top of attacking Jerome Powell for refusing to lower interest rates.

Let's go to CNN Business and Politics Correspondent Vanessa Yurkevich. Vanessa, I know you're covering this for us. It's very rare for a sitting president of the United States to actually to visit the Federal Reserve building. What can we expect today?

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: It is highly unusual, Wolf. And the last time that we saw a sitting president visit the Federal Reserve was when we saw George W. Bush visit for the swearing-in ceremony of then Fed Chair Ben Bernanke.

But this is a little bit of a recon mission for President Trump to see for himself what this $2.5 billion renovation of the Federal Reserve's headquarters actually looks like. As you mentioned, the president and other administration officials have been highly critical of this renovation and the handling of this renovation by the Fed chair, Jerome Powell.

The president has also not shied away from putting pressure on Jerome Powell over his handling of the economy and not lowering interest rates soon enough, according to the president. Listen to what he said just a couple days ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think he's doing a bad job, but he's going to be out pretty soon anyway. In eight months, he'll be out. He's too late all the time. He should have lowered interest rates many times. Europe lowered their rate ten times. We lowered ours none.

People aren't able to buy a house because this guy is a numb skull. He keeps the rates too high, and probably doing it for political reasons.

It's inconceivable. I know the Fed very well that they can be spending $2.7 billion to build a building. They don't do anything. They just -- I mean, it's the greatest job. You show up one day, a half a day, you make a little speech. The economy's doing well, the economy's not doing well. We're going to raise interest. And he's got it wrong. That's why I call him too late, T-O-O, too late.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YURKEVICH: So, this visit to the Federal Reserve today by the president is certainly upping the pressure campaign. The renovations you see on your screen right there are quite extensive, but Jerome Powell has pushed back saying that there is no VIP dining room, no VIP elevators, no rooftop terraces.

[10:20:08]

In fact, the renovation is mainly about safety, getting rid of asbestos, getting rid of lead, and making the building, which is a hundred years old and has never gotten a renovation more accessible for people with disabilities.

President Trump will hold a press conference after his visit to talk about what he saw and to talk about his findings. The big question is, does this visit, in any way, signal to the president that there is more cause to put pressure on the Federal Reserve chair to resign or to fire him. Just as soon as yesterday, Wolf, he said that he does not plan on firing the head of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. We'll see what happens later this afternoon.

Vanessa Yurkevich, thank you very, very much.

Still ahead, a Situation Room special report, the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, meeting with the Ghislaine Maxwell, new questions emerging about her attorney's friendship with Todd Blanche.

And later, a CNN exclusive. The Trump administration is moving to quickly deport migrant kids, children. What sources are not telling us.

Stay with us. You're in The Situation Room.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:25:00]

BLITZER: We're following major new developments up on Capitol Hill, efforts by the White House and the House speaker to get the GOP to move on from the Epstein files appear to be hitting a brick wall. Now, some House Republicans have actually backed a pair of Epstein-related subpoenas to not only compel the U.S. Justice Department to hand over Epstein files but also to depose longtime Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Republican infighting over this issue shows absolutely no signs of stopping. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RALPH NORMAN (R-SC): It's going to be transparent. It's going to be released. The next four weeks, you'll see it. If it's not, we'll take it up.

I mean, you'd have to be -- have your head in the sand to say that this is going to go away. It's not. The public deserves it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining us now, Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.

I know you serve on both the Homeland Security and Armed Services Committees. Are you in support of the subpoena for Ghislaine Maxwell?

REP. CARLOS GIMENEZ (R-FL): I mean, look, you know, anything that brings out the truth is fine with me. I think the American people have a right to know what the truth and whatever the truth is. I don't expect much from the Epstein files, to be honest with you, because if there was something that was going to compromise President Donald Trump, I think the Biden administration probably would have released it a long time ago because they had the files.

So, you know, I don't expect much, but apparently some people really want to see them all. And so, you know, the truth is never a bad thing. And so, you know, I think we just need to get this thing over with.

BLITZER: Yes, transparency is important. We now know that the attorney general of the United States, Pam Bondi, briefed President Trump back in May about his name being in the so-called Epstein files. Since then, we've heard the president rail against the Epstein case as a witch hunt, even claiming the entire situation was, in his word, a hoax pushed by Democrats. Is that how you see it as well?

GIMENEZ: Look, we don't know that that actually happened. There's some kind of some source that said that that happened. But remember, a lot of these sources don't end up being the truth at the end. And so I don't know that that is exactly what happened or if it actually did happen that Pam Bondi actually told that to the president. But, again, like I said, look, if there was some damaging information about President Trump in the Epstein files, we would've seen it a long time ago during the Biden years. I mean, if it was really damaging, don't you think that he would've released it? And nothing came out.

So, I don't expect much to come out of this but, you know, a lot of people are making a big deal out of it. And so the best thing to do is actually bring it out in the open. And whatever they can release, because there's some things they cannot release, go ahead and release it, you know, and let the chips fall where they may.

BLITZER: Indeed. A House Oversight Subcommittee voted to actually subpoena the Justice Department for the so-called Epstein files. The chairman, James Comer, says an overwhelming majority of Republicans like you in Congress support their release and that many lawmakers are hearing the same from their constituents. Is that what you're hearing from your constituents in Florida? And do you support this entire effort?

GIMENEZ: Look, no, I haven't heard from my constituents. Again, this is much more important to a few people than it is to the vast majority of Americans. Americans are, I think, over the Epstein case. They have been over it for a long time. It keeps being brought up. And that's why I think this -- hey, man, just release the things and this thing will go away and put it in our rearview mirror. We got a lot more important things to do for the American people than what happened, you know, 8, 10, 20 years ago.

It's already been resolved in court. The man was found guilty. He did some heinous things and to young girls. And he paid the ultimate price, I guess, you know, with his own suicide. But, you know, we need to move on. And, again, the American people are more worried about, you know, tabletop issues, kitchen table issues, their economy, how much they're paying for gas, you know, how much money that they can they put keep in their pockets once the effects of the big, beautiful bill take effect, with no tax on tips and overtime, Social Security, you know, lowering gas prices through energy dominance.

[10:30:05]

I think the American people are a lot more interested in that than in the Epstein files.