At his sixth Cabinet meeting of the year, President Donald Trump addressed several pressing national and international issues, beginning with the severe flooding in Texas. He commended emergency responders for their efforts and assured continued federal support for the affected areas. Trump emphasized that his administration would do everything necessary to help Texans recover from the disaster.
During the meeting, Trump took questions from reporters. One inquiry focused on reports that Russian forces used chemical weapons in Ukraine. Citing intelligence from the Netherlands and Germany, the reporter described Russian troops deploying drone-launched choking agents to force Ukrainian soldiers out of trenches. Rather than respond directly, Trump turned to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who suggested that CIA Director John Ratcliffe address the matter.
Ratcliffe confirmed that the use of chemical weapons would be a serious breach of international law. However, he declined to share classified intelligence in the public setting. He reaffirmed that the United States does not tolerate violations of international treaties. Trump agreed, stating simply, “That’s right,” in response to Ratcliffe’s explanation.
Another major topic involved Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was questioned about public speculation regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s death. She clarified that her earlier comments about a “client list” referred to files on her desk that included historical documents like the JFK and MLK files—not an actual list tied to Epstein. She also addressed the surveillance footage from Epstein’s cell, asserting that it showed no signs of outside interference.
Despite Bondi’s explanation, scrutiny intensified after viewers noticed a discrepancy in the video’s timestamp. A full minute—from 11:58:59 to 11:59:59—was missing, raising doubts about the official account of Epstein’s death and renewing speculation about possible foul play in the high-profile case.
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