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Trump Changes Focus Off Mention on Epstein List to Calls for Obama Treason; Todd Blanche to Meet with Ghislaine Maxwell; Trump Administration Ramps Up Deportation Efforts. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired July 24, 2025 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30]

CARLOS GIMENEZ, REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE, FLORIDA: -- tax on tips and overtime, Social Security, you know, lowering gas prices through energy dominance. I think the American people are a lot more interested in that than in the Epstein files.

WOLF BLITZER, CO-ANCHOR, CNN THE SITUATION ROOM: I want to play for you, Congressman, what your fellow Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski had to say about the Trump administration's recent attacks on former President Obama. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA MURKOWSKI, REPUBLICAN SENATOR, ALASKA: It does cause one to wonder if, if this is an effort by folks in the administration to have the conversation move on to something else, other than the Epstein matter, move on to something else, another somebody other than President Trump. So let's go back to prior presidents. Based on the timing of all of this, it does kind of cause you to question. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: What do you think? What do you think, Congressman? Does she have a point?

GIMENEZ: Well, she may have a point, but I also believe that we need to look at exactly what happened back in 2016. I always felt that the whole thing was made up. I always felt that there was, you know, a conspiracy inside the administration to basically cut the knees out from under President Trump in his -- in his first administration. Remember what Peter Strzok said, you know, when he had in that email, that, oh God, they were really, really afraid that Donald Trump was going to win. He said they had a plan B. I think we're seeing what the plan B was all about. A concocted Russia collusion hoax that dominated the airwaves and dominated the news for the first two, three, probably all four years of the first Trump administration. The entire thing was concocted, made up, and everybody should have known better because it was all the genesis of it was the Steele dossier, a political -- It was a -- it was, you know, a political piece underwritten by Hillary Clinton and the DNC. Everybody should have known something was up, but everybody fell into the trap and it really hurt the first four years of President Donald Trump. We need to look at exactly who was involved, and we know why they did it, who was involved and how they pulled it off and get to the bottom of it. If some people were guilty of trying to undermine the President of the United States, then they should be punished for it. BLITZER: All right, Congressman Carlos Gimenez of Florida, thanks so much for joining us.

GIMENEZ: My pleasure.

BLITZER: And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:35]

BLITZER: Sources tell CNN that the Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi, informed President Trump two months ago that his name appears in the Epstein files. The briefing reportedly happened back in May, but just last week, the President appeared to tell reporters that never happened. We should note there is no evidence that President Trump was involved in any wrongdoing or that he knew of Epstein's activities.

Joining us now is longtime Democratic strategist James Carville. He was also the lead strategist for Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. James, thanks so much for joining us. As you know, the White House says Trump's name being in the Epstein files isn't groundbreaking or surprising. Do you agree with that?

JAMES CARVILLE, FORMER LEAD STRATEGIST 1992 CLINTON CAMPAIGN: In some ways I do. But there is evidence he knew about it. He said Epstein likes girls, particularly on the younger side. I mean, he was obviously aware at a minimum of what Epstein was up to. But anybody, you know, my name could be in an FBI file. Your name could be in an FBI file. That doesn't mean anything in itself and that's and nor does FBI files particularly determinative of anything. But I do agree, just because your name is in a file doesn't mean that you did anything wrong.

BLITZER: That's a good point. That's an important point and we keep underscoring that here in The Situation Room as well. The Epstein case, as you know, James, is very important to at least a part of Trump's so called MAGA base. Do you see this as something that could cause real political damage to the President if in fact more information is not released?

CARVILLE: But if you think about it, well, he can't lose any of his base. He clocks in, let's just say 88% of Republicans, maybe 90, you know, he's sprawling (ph) among independents and 90% of the Democrats don't like him. Well, if he loses even 10% of his Republican support, that's a political catastrophe for him. I mean, he's operating under very small margins here. And they have been told part of MAGA and deeply inbred MAGA is that there's a certain cabal of people who are involved in child sex trafficking and they've been told to believe this and they're a little flummoxed now. And Trump is not assuring them in any way or form that this not happening. He's not part of a coastal elite or Epstein and everything else. So yes, he does have some problem with part of his base.

BLITZER: The Trump administration, James clearly wants to move on from Epstein. The Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, is accusing former President Obama, former President Obama of manufacturing intelligence about Russia's 2016 election interference. And now the Department of Justice is creating a panel to investigate all the evidence. What do you make of this?

[10:40]

CARVILLE: Well, President Trump wanted to play golf with President Obama and President Obama wouldn't even want to play golf with him. So why would he play golf with someone that he thought was treasonous? I mean, look, I don't think the public is going to get distracted from this.

And this story has other potential avenues it can go. Remember that Epstein had a, I think a 7,500 acre ranch in New Mexico. And how do we know that New Mexican authorities are not looking into this? And of course, that would not be subjected to a pardon by Trump.

So, I mean, that's another thing to think about here. I mean, there's a lot of different things going on here, but the idea that President Obama, let's say he was a traitor. Let's say President Clinton's a traitor. Secretary -- They're going long right now. That's all I can say. It's 4th and 72, and they're trying something.

BLITZER: Hunter Biden, as you know, is very angrily speaking out this week about the 2024 presidential election and the Democrats who called on his father to exit the race, including you. And I want to play a little bit of what he's been saying. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTER BIDEN, SON OF FORMER PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: You know what? We are going to insert our judgment over yours. We, me and James Carville, who hasn't run a race in 40 years, and David Axelrod, who had one success in his political life, and that was Barack Obama. And that was because of Barack Obama, not because of f---ing David Axelrod and David Plouffe and all of these guys and the Pod Save America guys who were junior f---ing speechwriters on Barack Obama's Senate staff, who've been dining out on the relationship with him for years, making millions of dollars.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: I want to give you a chance to respond to Hunter Biden. Go ahead, James.

CARVILLE: First of all, it's 31 years, not 40, but okay, I'll take it. You know, I'm kind of part of an Irish clan. And he is too. And I would never blame a guy for trying to defend his daddy. I understand that. And if it was the shoe was on my foot, I didn't -- I did what I thought I had to do. I did it. I didn't enjoy doing it, but I'm not unhappy that I did. And you know, I'm not upset by this. This is a son that's, you know, having a difficult time. Things are emotional and they say things. And all the stuff that's said about me, that's like the 152nd worst thing I've ever heard.

BLITZER: All right. James Carville, thanks very much for joining us as usual.

CARVILLE: Thank you, sir. You bet.

BLITZER: And just ahead, the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is expected to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell later today. This is new video of her attorney arriving at the Tallahassee Federal Courthouse. We're keeping a very close eye on new developments as they unfold. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45]

BLITZER: Now to a Situation Room special report. At any moment, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, Todd Blanche, is expected to meet with Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, according to two people familiar with the meeting. This is video, by the way, of her attorney arriving at a Tallahassee courthouse just a little while ago. Maxwell is serving a 20 year prison sentence at a federal prison in Tallahassee for her role in helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse underage girls.

For the latest on Blanche's central role within the Department of Justice, here's CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, US PRESIDENT: Todd, wherever you may be. Please.

TODD BLANCHE, UNITED STATES DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: Thank you, President Trump.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Todd Blanche's public profile catapulted when he represented Donald Trump at Trump's criminal hush money trial last year. Blanche is now the Deputy Attorney General of the United States and is square in the middle of the Jeffrey Epstein controversy swirling at the White House. Blanche says he plans to soon meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former associate who's serving a 20 year sentence in federal prison for carrying out a long running scheme with Epstein to groom and sexually abuse underage girls.

Donald Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing in that case. In a statement posted on X by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Blanche writes the Trump Justice Department, quote, does not shy away from uncomfortable truths and, quote, until now, no administration on behalf of the department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government. That changes now. Blanche said he had communicated with counsel for Maxwell regarding the meeting. That counsel is a man Todd Blanche knows well.

DAVID OSCAR MARKUS, PODCAST HOST, FOR THE DEFENSE: Okay, I want to welcome Todd Blanche to For the Defense.

TODD: David Oscar Markus, Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney, has hosted Blanche on his podcast titled For the Defense at least twice in 2023 and 2024. In the podcast last year, Blanche spoke of their relationship.

BLANCHE: I know a lot of people that have worked with you. I know a lot of people who know you very well. I now consider you a friend and someone who I know pretty well. You are by far the best out there.

TODD: In that same podcast, Jeffrey Epstein came up when Blanche complained about having to leave his law firm to represent Trump.

BLANCHE: It cannot be that defendants like Jeffrey Epstein, defendants like even Hunter Biden, right, who you know, and I don't mean any disrespect to them, but they can have big law represent them and the big law lawyers get awards, they get to go to galas, they get to speak, they're posting on the LinkedIn how amazing they are, but that if you're representing somebody like the former President of the United States in a white collar case, that I have to leave my law firm.

[10:50]

TODD: In the 2023 podcast with Markus, Epstein also came up when Blanche spoke about representing former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and visiting Manafort at Manhattan's notorious Metropolitan Correctional Center, where Epstein later killed himself.

BLANCHE: And to the left when I'm facing him, is Jeffrey Epstein sitting there, and he had just gotten arrested and he had a bail argument the very next day.

TODD: There's nothing Blanche said in those podcasts that would indicate any bias regarding Epstein or Maxwell. Attorney Aitan Goelman, who's known both Blanche and Markus for years, told us their friendly relations raised no red flags for him.

AITAN GOELMAN, ATTORNEY: Prosecutors and defense attorneys are friends, have friendly relationships, have known each other in the past all the time. I don't think that implicates anything. I don't think either Todd or David Markus would let that affect them doing their jobs. I would say I have a lot of doubt about Ghislaine Maxwell's truthfulness and, you know, her motives and what she's going to say, what they're going to release about what she said. But the relationship between Todd and David doesn't bother me at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: We reached out to the Justice Department and Todd Blanche to see if Blanche would comment on our story and asked if he could characterize the nature of his discussions with David Oscar Markus. We did not hear back from Blanche. We also reached out to David Oscar Markus for comment and asked how his relationship with Todd Blanche might affect the Ghislaine Maxwell situation.

Excuse me. David Markus emailed us back saying only this quote. Thanks for listening to the podcast episodes. I hope you enjoyed them. End quote. Wolf, all eyes now on this meeting, any moment now, between Todd Blanche and Ghislaine Maxwell to see how the Justice Department characterizes what she said and also to see if she really brings any credibility to this whole situation at this point. And there are serious doubts about that.

BLITZER: She's serving a 20 year prison sentence and she'd like that to be reduced or maybe potentially get a pardon down the road. We'll see what happens. Thanks very, very much. Brian Todd reporting. Coming up, the Trump administration is moving to quickly deport migrant children. This CNN exclusive reporting, that's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:55]

BLITZER: New this morning, exclusive new details about the Trump administration's latest efforts to ramp up deportations. There's a new push to rapidly deport unaccompanied migrant children by having federal agents ask them if they want to volunteer to self deport. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has this exclusive reporting. She's here with me in The Situation Room right now. What can you tell us, Priscilla?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, there's a new directive that came down this week as to how federal authorities are to deal with the children that they encounter in their immigration enforcement operations. So who are we talking about here? We call them unaccompanied migrant kids, that they are in the United States, they are living with family members or guardians, but they are still deemed unaccompanied because they at one point crossed the U.S.-Mexico border alone.

So now the directive is that US Customs and Border Protection personnel who, remember Wolf, are fanned out across the country arresting immigrants, are to ask teenagers, those 14 to 17 who fall in this unaccompanied migrant children category, if they want to voluntarily depart the country. This is a shift from how the administration -- or how the United States has dealt with children before. In the past, at the US southern border, this was a question that was posed to children that came from Canada or Mexico because under U.S. law, they come from contiguous territories and then they were swiftly removed.

But to apply this now to everyone else is a change. Now, the administration said this in a statement. I'll read part of it. The only change pursuant to the big, beautiful bill is expanding this option to return home unaccompanied children from additional countries beyond Mexico and Canada. But that's doing a lot there, Wolf, because the majority of children who do arrive who are across the United States are from other countries.

Now, these teenagers, if they are encountered in an immigration enforcement operation, will be asked, do you want to go back to your origin country? Some may say yes, but the reality is that advocates are concerned that some kids just may not realize the gravity of the decision they're making in that moment.

BLITZER: 14 to 17 year old kids. All right, thanks very much. Excellent reporting from Priscilla as usual.

And coming up right after the break, Columbia University in New York agrees to pay the federal government more than $220 million to get its federal funding back. What the school president is now telling CNN. That's just ahead here in The Situation Room.

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