US House Speaker calls for 'transparency' on Epstein, in departure from Trump

1 hour ago Share Save Nadine Yousif BBC News Share Save

Bloomberg via Getty Images "We should put everything on the table and let the people decide," says Johnson

US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has called for the justice department to release all its files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in a split with President Donald Trump, who has sought to draw a line under the matter. "We should put everything out there and let the people decide," Johnson, an ally of the president, said in an interview. It came as Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi should release "whatever she thinks is credible" on Epstein. At the weekend, the president urged supporters not to "waste time and energy" on the controversy. Bondi is under fire after she said last week there was no evidence Epstein kept a "client list" or was blackmailing powerful figures.

Convicted paedophile Epstein's 2019 death in a US prison while awaiting federal trial was ruled to be a suicide, but many in Trump's Make America Great Again (Maga) movement suspect a cover-up. Asked about the Epstein files on Tuesday by US conservative commentator Benny Johnson, Speaker Johnson said he was in favour of "transparency". The Republican congressman from Louisiana added that he trusted President Trump and his team, and that the White House was privy to facts that he did not know. But he said Bondi "needs to come forward and explain it to everybody". Trump defends US Attorney General Pam Bondi over Epstein files

Who was Jeffrey Epstein? Trump is facing a rare backlash from his staunchly loyal political base over their theories that details of Epstein's crimes are being withheld in order to protect influential figures, or intelligence agencies. On Tuesday, he praised his attorney general's handling of the matter, saying: "She's handled it very well, and it's going to be up to her. Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release." Last week the president vented frustration in the Oval Office about his supporters' fixation on Epstein and implored them to move on. But other Republican allies of the president are not letting go of the matter. Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene told Benny Johnson in a separate interview on Tuesday: "I fully support transparency on this issue." She praised Bondi's work as attorney general, but said that leaders and elected officials should keep their promises to voters. President Trump had previously pledged to release all details of the Epstein investigation.

Getty Images Pam Bondi has said the memo released last week on Epstein by the Department of Justice "speaks for itself."

Ex-PM 'extremely cavalier' in Brexit handling, says Tory MP

60 minutes ago Share Save Jayne McCormack BBC News NI political correspondent Share Save

Getty Images Tory MP Julian Smith says David Cameron had been "extremely cavalier" in how he handled the Brexit referendum

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith has accused ex-Prime Minister David Cameron of treating the 2016 Brexit referendum as "some sort of Eton game". Smith was the government's chief whip from 2016 until 2019 under Theresa May's premiership, which was fraught with tension over how the UK should leave the EU. The Tory MP was highly critical of Lord Cameron, who made the decision to hold the referendum after pressure from Eurosceptics, saying he had been "extremely cavalier". "There should have been a proposition which outlined how both answers would be addressed," he said.

'Some sort of Eton game'

"I joined the Conservative Party because of David Cameron, because he was dynamic... but looking back on it, it was unforgiveable that this fundamental question was put to the British people when you have a whole range of issues, not least the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland," he told the BBC's Red Lines podcast. "It was put to the British people as if it was some sort of Eton game."

Getty Images Smith says the Brexit referendum was "put to the British people as if it was some sort of Eton game"

Brexit referendum in 2016

Lord Cameron is among a number of former British politicians who were educated privately at Eton College in Berkshire. After a majority voted to leave the EU, Lord Cameron resigned as prime minister. Speaking in 2016, after leaving office, he defended his decision to call the referendum. "I believe and still believe that the fact that we hadn't had a referendum on this issue for 40 years, despite the fact that the European Union was changing ... was actually beginning to poison British politics - it was certainly poisoning politics in my own party. "And I think, more broadly, people felt 'well, we have been promised referendums and they haven't been delivered' and people were beginning to feel very frustrated about this issue."

When Lord Cameron quit as prime minister others in the Conservative Party were left to handle the Brexit process. Smith was part of that government under Theresa May, which struggled to get agreement on how it should be done.

'Pretty disastrous'

Getty Images Smith says issues such as how to maintain an open border between NI and the Republic of Ireland should have been foreseen

The former cabinet minister said issues such as how to maintain an open border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK and therefore would leave the EU, and the Republic of Ireland, which remains in the EU, should have been foreseen during the campaign. "Instead the UK was led into years of contemplating an answer to that question. "As time went on moderates turned into purists on either side, it was a pretty disastrous period."

Getty Images Theresa May resigned as prime minister in 2019 due to an inability to pass Brexit legislation

After Theresa May resigned as prime minister due to an inability to pass Brexit legislation, Boris Johnson took over and appointed Smith as Northern Ireland Secretary in July 2019. Smith was a key player in getting devolution at Stormont restored the following January, after three years of deadlock, but he was sacked from the job a month later due to disagreements with Johnson. Smith said he "loved" the job, but was not surprised to lose it given he had been an ardent supporter of Theresa May. He remained an observer of Northern Ireland issues after moving to the Commons' backbenches, and called on the Stormont Executive to take "tough decisions" on public services.

Border poll

Trump says attorney general should release any 'credible' information on Epstein

23 minutes ago Share Save Nadine Yousif BBC News Share Save

Watch: Trump says Pam Bondi should release 'credible' Epstein files

US President Donald Trump has said Attorney General Pam Bondi should release "whatever she thinks is credible" on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as he faces a rare backlash from supporters after seeking to draw a line under the case. Bondi has been lambasted by some of Trump's political base after she said last week there was no evidence that Epstein kept a "client list" or was blackmailing powerful figures. At the weekend Trump urged supporters not to "waste time and energy" on the controversy. But allies of the president, including House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, are calling for "transparency". Epstein's 2019 death in a US prison while awaiting federal trial was ruled a suicide.

But many in Trump's Make America Great Again (Maga) movement have theorised that details of the well-connected convicted paedophile's crimes have been withheld in order to protect influential figures, or intelligence agencies. On Tuesday, Trump praised his attorney general's handling of the matter, saying: "She's handled it very well, and it's going to be up to her. Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release." When asked by a journalist if the attorney general had told Trump whether his name appeared in any of the records, he said: "No, no." Later on Tuesday, the president again called for the release of "credible" information, but he questioned the enduring fascination with the Epstein case, calling it "sordid but boring". "Only really bad people, including the fake news, want to keep something like this going," Trump said. Who was Jeffrey Epstein? Last week he vented frustration in the Oval Office about the fixation on Epstein and urged everyone to move on. But some Republican allies of the president are not letting go of the matter. In an interview on Tuesday with US conservative commentator Benny Johnson, Speaker Johnson said that he trusted President Trump and his team, and that the White House was privy to facts that he did not know. But he said Bondi "needs to come forward and explain it to everybody". "We should put everything out there and let the people decide," Johnson said in an interview. Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene told Benny Johnson in a separate interview on Tuesday: "I fully support transparency on this issue." She praised Bondi's work as attorney general, but said that leaders and elected officials should keep their promises to voters.

Getty Images Pam Bondi has said the memo released last week on Epstein by the Department of Justice "speaks for itself."

Another conservative Republican, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, said if more Epstein files were not released, a special counsel should be appointed to investigate the financier's crimes. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said the voters expect more accountability. "I think it's perfectly understandable that the American people would like to know who he [Epstein] trafficked those women to and why they weren't prosecuted," Kennedy told NBC News. But other influential Republicans – including Senator John Thune and congressman Jim Jordan – deferred to President Trump on the matter.

Bloomberg via Getty Images "We should put everything on the table and let the people decide," says Johnson