Free Republic

*** Driving the news: In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel first obtained by Axios, Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) asked that they "immediately clarify whether this allegation is true." The lawmakers asked for a timeline of the DOJ's declassification and publication of the Epstein files, an explanation for why they haven't turned over any new documents since February. And they requested a description of Trump's role in reviewing the files, a list of personnel involved in their release and an answer for why files previously released to Congress contained "significant...

Whatever sufferance President Trump may have enjoyed from congressional Democrats evaporated instantly just hours after his inauguration when he pardoned most Jan. 6 defendants. Why it matters: Even moderate Democrats who had hoped against hope that they could work with the self-styled dealmaker say the move bodes poorly. "We do want to work together, and hopefully that's what will happen," said Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), a leading member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. But "between Trump's very grim [inaugural] speech and ... the fact he ended the day by releasing hundreds of violent criminals back into our communities, I...

Former President Trump shocked and appalled some Republican lawmakers on Wednesday by announcing plans to nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for attorney general. Why it matters: Republican reaction to even Trump's most controversial nominations has been muted so far, but placing the scandal-prone right-winger in the nation's highest law enforcement role is a step too far for many. We wanted him out of the House ... this isn't what we were thinking," quipped one House Republican, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak frankly about Trump's decision. What we're hearing: Trump's announcement was met with audible gasps by...

Democrats are looking on nervously as their last-ditch goal of recapturing the House in an otherwise brutal election shows signs of fizzling. Why it matters: The House emerged early Wednesday morning as Democrats' last hope of denying President-elect Trump full control of Congress. Republican and Democratic operatives alike concede that while Democrats still have a technical shot at picking up the House, the GOP has the inside track and could even ultimately grow their five-seat majority. Asked to describe the mood of the caucus, one House Democrat told Axios, "Shock, sadness, anger, frustration, disappointment."

Former President Trump's comments about Vice President Harris to the National Association of Black Journalists are being treated as radioactive by many Republicans. Why it matters: The tense interview is being met with GOP reactions ranging from qualified concern to outright shock, with some Republicans questioning Trump's ability to adapt to the new Democratic ticket. ...

Mehmet Oz, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, is quietly shifting his campaign messaging away from former President Trump as he transitions into what's likely to be one of the most hotly contested Senate elections of the midterms.

A seven-point plan of how to reinstate Donald Trump as president ‘in days, not years’ allegedly circulated at the CPAC in Dallas this weekend. The so-called ‘Trump Card’ details that the former president’s best chances of retaking his seat in the Oval Office before the 2024 election is by getting him placed in the House Speakership post and ultimately leading Congress in impeaching and removing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris from office. Here’s the card: The Patriots SOAR card prompts readers to visit a 13-page document online, where a letter from Robert J. Antonellis (pictured below) details...

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday came as close as he’s ever been to conceding his 2020 election loss in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, also claiming he is rooting for President Joe Biden’s success on the world stage. Trump said that although he did “much better” in 2020 than he did in 2016 in terms of total votes, “we didn’t win,” adding that the result was “shocking.”

The Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog group, filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission Tuesday accusing the Trump campaign of “laundering” $170 million through numerous companies, some with connections to former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale.