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Erin Burnett Outfront
Texas Governor Orders Arrest Of Dems Who Fled State Over Redistricting; Epstein Victims Speak Out; ICE Detains Korean Student. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired August 04, 2025 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:22]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
Breaking news, arrest the Democrats. The Texas governor ordering the arrest of lawmakers who have fled the state to avoid a vote on a Republican redistricting map. One Democrat on the run is OUTFRONT. How long can he actually keep it up?
Plus, more breaking news this hour. Epstein victims speaking out, accusing the DOJ of protecting, quote, wealthy men -- as questions grow over what led to Ghislaine Maxwell's incredible prison upgrade.
And she's the daughter of an episcopalian priest. A South Korean student at Purdue University. Tonight, though, she's in ICE custody. What happened? We'll tell you.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett, and we begin OUTFRONT tonight with breaking news. Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordering the arrest of 56 Democratic state representatives who have fled the state of Texas. The Democrats refusing to show up for a vote to redraw congressional districts in Trump's favor.
Now, the plan, obviously backed by Trump, would give Republicans five more Trump friendly seats in the House. And that's crucial at any time, but especially ahead of the midterm elections. Democrats say the plan is both corrupt and racist. Republicans say the Democrats aren't showing up for work, and because they're not showing up for work, they should be arrested.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DUSTIN BURROWS (R), TEXAS HOUSE SPEAKER: The sergeant at arms and any officers appointed by her are directed to send for all absentees whose attendance is not excused for the purposes of securing and maintaining their attendance under warrant of arrest, if necessary, until further order of the house.
(END VIDOE CLIP)
BURNETT: All right. Well, the stakes couldn't be higher here because Republicans have an extremely narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Tonight, 219 to 212. So, what does that mean on any given vote? It means that only three Republicans can be lost on a party line vote. You lose more than that. You lose the whole thing.
So that's the context of why just a few seats could make all the difference in terms of what happens in this country and the House next year.
So, here's what Texas Republican lawmakers are trying to do. I'll show you. On the left of your screen. We'll show you the current congressional map. That's how it voted in the 2024 election. The two pink districts in South Texas supported Trump by less than ten points. Narrow, narrow in the state of Texas. On the right, you can see how Republicans want to redraw the lines.
And what that would do would be take those pink districts and instead of turning them more purple and going in that direction, it would make them a solid red. Five districts in their redraw becoming much more favorable for Republicans.
Now this effort is almost unheard of. And you may say, why isn't gerrymandering stuff that happens all the time on both sides? Well, let me just lay that out this way. Congress mandates states redraw congressional lines every ten years, every decade, and doing it based on the Census and -- the Census.
So, this is 2025. This is in the middle of a decade. This is in the middle. This is not anywhere near -- you're not a year off, but you're right in the middle, five years in, and Trump has admitted directly that this is a purely political power grab, moving the lines to benefit Republicans before the midterms. They're not trying to mince words here.
Trump has not tried to hide his intentions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Texas would be the biggest one, just a very simple redrawing. We pick up five seats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Right. So he's saying exactly what it is that he thinks. And now, Democrats are rallying around Texas state lawmakers who say that they are not going to return before the end of the special session two weeks from now. So they've fled the state, and in the meantime, they're being slapped with a $500 fine for every day they missed. Well, that's really going to add up, right, over -- over two weeks.
So, tonight, from California to Texas, Democrats are now vowing retaliation. So, they say, as goes Texas, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, for example, saying simply, quote, apocalyptically, we are at war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D), NEW YORK: We'll do everything in our power to stop this brazen assault.
GOV. JB PRITZKER (D), ILLINOIS: All bets are off. Everything has got to be on the table.
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D), CALIFORNIA: Everything is on the line here. It's not a gross exaggeration. I feel it in my bones.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Ed Lavandera is OUTFRONT, live from the Texas capitol.
And, Ed, the story moving by the hour because you've got all these lawmakers that had to flee the state to avoid this vote. What are you learning right now?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the escalation continues, Erin, as the governor of Texas also saying this later -- this late this afternoon, that not only is he issuing the arrest warrants issued, sending out DPS troopers to try to find these lawmakers.
[19:05:04]
But he's also saying that he's ordering Texas rangers to investigate the Democrats for bribery if they accept donations to cover the cost of those fines and the travel costs to leave the state.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Texas Democrats left the house chamber relatively empty in the state capitol, 56 Democrats did not show up in business ground to a halt.
BURROWS: Members, a quorum is not present.
LAVANDERA: Democrats fled the state in a last ditch attempt to sabotage Republican plans to add five GOP seats ahead of the midterm elections.
BURROWS: They've left the state, abandoned their posts and turned their backs on the constituents they swore to represent.
LAVANDERA: The Texas house speaker then issued civil arrest warrants to be issued for representatives who were not present at the special session, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Department of Public Safety to return them to the house chamber.
On Sunday, the state representatives flew to places like Chicago, New York and Boston.
We spoke with Representative Mihaela Plesa just after she landed in New York.
What is the ultimate goal here with leaving?
STATE REP. MIHAELA PLESA (D), TEXAS: It really is the nuclear option to stop democracy crumbling in the United States.
LAVANDERA: Some Democrats say the redistricting is a rigged power grab that has been orchestrated by Republicans with the support of President Donald Trump.
HOCHUL: We are at war, and that's why the gloves are off. And I say, bring it on.
LAVANDERA: It's a war that Democrats say began with moving lines on a Texas map.
PLESA: Redistricting should be about representation. But what's happening here is map manipulation.
LAVANDERA: Redistricting is normally done every ten years, and it's tied to U.S. census results. But for Republicans who want to hold on to the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, the stakes couldn't be higher.
And the Texas governor is threatening to unseat Democrats who left the state, saying that they need to return to the capitol and the house chamber. And the governor also went on to say that there is nothing illegal about gerrymandering.
GOV. GREG JARRETT (R), TEXAS: I believe they have forfeited their seats in the state legislature because they are not doing the job they were elected to do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The idea that a governor of Texas could remove all of the sitting legislators, if one party that should shock every American.
LAVANDERA: The Democrats who left the state also face a $500 fine for every day of the session that they missed. And the Texas governor is also threatening these lawmakers with criminal charges of bribery if they accept donations to cover those fines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The $500, whatever they're going to fine us, that is nothing compared to the pain that the American people have felt and the people of Texas have felt.
LAVANDERA: Are you concerned that this could backfire on you guys, that there could be political backlash?
PLESA: I think that democracy is something worth fighting for. We were elected to represent the constituency of Texans, not of Donald Trump.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (on camera): And, Erin, while Republicans continue to hammer away at Democrats saying that they are cowards for leaving the state and not facing them head on here on the floor of the Texas house, Democrats also believe that a lot of the threats you're hearing from the governor, as far as stripping away their seats and the bribery investigation and the arrest is are simply hollow threats. But the escalation of the rhetoric will continue. The house is
supposed to reconvene at 1:00 Central Time tomorrow afternoon, and that quorum is not expected to be met. So, we could have another day where business has been ground to a halt -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Ed, thank you very much.
And I want to go now to Texas State Representative Ramon Romero Jr. He's in Chicago, so he's in Illinois tonight as part of the Democratic effort to block the Republicans redistricting effort that Trump has been pushing.
So, Representative Romero, I appreciate your time.
So let's just start off with what the Texas governor is saying tonight, Greg Abbott, he is now ordering the Department of Public Safety in Texas, to quote, locate, arrest and return to the house chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans, ordering the rangers to investigate Democrats for potential bribery violations.
Are you concerned at this point that you'll be arrested?
RAMON ROMERO JR. (D), TEXAS STATE HOUSE: Thank you, Erin.
Look, no, I am not concerned for an arrest of any sort. I am doing exactly what I was elected to do, and that's represent the people of Texas, specifically the people of Fort Worth. So I'm not worried about that. And as far as the fines are concerned -- look, that will be a very small price to pay for the power and the understanding of all my citizens in Texas that their vote matters.
This is absolutely not just a paragraph, but a delusion of the value of our votes.
BURNETT: So just talk about the money here of the fine. And I know he's saying he's going to investigate bribery if money is raised to pay for these fines. But depending on how you count, even the 14 days of this session, whether you count weekends or not is what I'm saying.
[19:10:02]
You're paying $5,000 to $7000. He could drag this on for months by continuing to call special sessions, right? I mean, $5,000 to $7000 is a lot of money. This could get stratospherically higher if that's -- if that's what Democrats choose to do. And if you don't go home for that long, and if, if, if the governor continues to call these special sessions.
So how long are you willing to stay away from Texas?
ROMERO: I think that as long as we continue to stay out, more and more people are finding themselves being educated by your show and others to understand how grave this situation is. Governors around this, around the country, from New York to California, from here in Illinois and down back to Texas. I would hope that a little bit of will and a little bit of honor and pride back in the Texas flag would occur within the heart of Greg Abbott.
Erin, this is about Donald Trump making a call and telling Governor Abbott, this is what I need you to do. Look, he's asked for favors. Governor Abbott of the president, for his scam with sending public school dollars to private schools. And now he's just repaying the favor. Everyone knows that.
Now, when he says that were abandoning our jobs, Erin, our job is to represent our people. That's the fact. That's what we're going to continue to do. Whatever the cost is, we will pay it.
BURNETT: So, you know, just looking back, I mean, I remember this, you know, the attorney general, Ken Paxton, obviously, in Texas, has said, look, he doesn't think Democrats are going to be able to maintain the numbers needed to block this, right? The math just isn't going to work. Eventually, guys are going to run out of gas, he says. Democrats will cave. You'll come home.
And I remember, of course, representative, the last time or one time this happened in 2021, you know, you took part in this. But then three of your colleagues came back, right. And then the math didn't work. And, you know, it was it was -- you know, you did the public relations part of it, but didn't actually get over the finish line.
Here's what Attorney General Paxton is saying.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
KEN PAXTON, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL: Eventually, they're going to have to come back. There's no doubt they'll come back. They have to. They have jobs. They have lives. They have families. They're not going to live in Chicago, especially when it starts getting cold.
I'm telling you, that's worked. Every time that they've taken off, we have successfully gotten what we needed done.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BURNETT: So what do you say to him every time they've taken off and left the state, they have successfully gotten what they needed done. Is that how this is going to end?
ROMERO: No, I hope not. I think that if that does occur, it did happen in the past in 21, and we couldn't get Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema to actually do their job. And I'm sure they have regrets about not taking the decision that they should have taken and passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and updating that position so we wouldn't be where we are today.
Now, on mid mid-decade redistricting attempt to take away the power of Black and Brown votes, that's what this is really about. Some people think it's just about creating five Republican areas. This is about taking away Brown votes. This is about taking away Black votes and removing our ability to be properly represented.
So, yes, it's -- I'm going to have to go back and he'll have to call a special session and we will convene. And until a bill is on the floor before us, if they keep bringing us back, then we may leave again. And it also depends on is the bill going to be different? The last time we left, I will tell you, we broke quorum in 2021 and the final days of the 140-day session, we were able to change the bill that eventually passed.
So yes, there was movement. That's what he won't describe. We won. We didn't win fully, but we won. We also have put on the map to walk all the nation, keep an eye on Texas.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Representative Romero, I appreciate your time and thank you very much tonight.
We do have breaking news coming up after this regarding Jeffrey Epstein victims now accusing the DOJ of protecting wealthy men.
Plus, more breaking news this hour. The main reason that Trump fired the top official who compiles the jobs numbers -- well, what was the reason as opposed to just what it seemed to be? We have new reporting this hour.
And a dark and ominous warning from Russia tonight. CNN live on the ground tonight in Moscow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:18:36]
BURNETT: Breaking news, Jeffrey Epstein's victim speaking out tonight. One of them accusing the DOJ of protecting, quote/unquote, wealthy men. And another one demanding all of the Epstein files be released.
Paula Reid is OUTFRONT.
And, Paula, what more are these victims saying tonight? They are now choosing to speak out.
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Erin, remarkable statements tonight from two of Epstein's victims. They are weighing in on the Justice Department's request to release grand jury transcripts. Now, notably, neither of these victims opposes releasing this material. But what they're asking for is to make sure that victims are protected.
They write, quote, why not be completely transparent? Show us all the files with only the necessary redactions be done with it, and allow us/me to heal.
Now they're also criticizing the government for what they say is a lack of respect shown to victims, writing, quote, I feel like the DOJ and FBI's priority is protecting the third party, the wealthy men, by focusing on scrubbing their names off of files of which the victims know who they are.
They directly called out President Trump here, alleging that he was using thousands of agents to protect his identity and those of other wealthy, high profile individuals. They also took aim at the current Justice Department, saying that it appears that it is more interested in talking with Ghislaine maxwell, a quote, convicted, imprisoned sex trafficker than in speaking with victims.
[19:20:01]
Now, here, the judge is weighing whether to release these transcripts. Even the Justice department has acknowledged there wasn't a lot of evidence presented to this grand jury. It heard from two witnesses. So even if the judge decides to make the unusual decision to release this material, which is by default confidential, it is unlikely to quell the calls for more transparency because most of the information is with the attorney general. It's with the Justice Department.
But victims and even Ghislaine Maxwell and anyone else involved in this has until tomorrow to weigh in with the judge.
BURNETT: All right. Paula, thank you very much.
And of course, when Paula talks about the grand jury testimony. Just to remind everybody, you know, there were it was really based on the testimony of two officials. So it's a drop in the bucket of the Epstein files. So, to be very clear, while it's good to have that, it is a drop in the bucket of what actually is out there and what needs to be known, and it all comes nearly two weeks after three Republicans joined Democrats on the House Oversight Committee to subpoena the DOJ to release all the Epstein files.
But here's the thing. You might say, okay, well, that was three weeks ago. So where are the files? Its a good question. The Republican chairman of the committee still has not issued that subpoena, even though he agreed to do so.
So back with me now is Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia of California, top Democrat on the oversight committee.
And, Congressman, obviously, you and I spoke, you know what, 10 days ago, 11 days ago. James Comer, Republican chairman of your committee, had said he was going to move quickly on that subpoena. And I know you had had a good faith conversation, right? He'd agreed to do it. And you said, but you're going to hold him to it.
So, do you know what's going on here?
REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): We're in very close contact. We just spoke actually last Friday, and we think that we are likely a day or two away, a couple days from the subpoena release. We've seen and gone back and forth on some of the language. We've had discussions about getting this out as fast as possible.
Now, look, we think it should have already been out and issued. We put that pressure on. We also know that James Comer has been very clear that it's going to be sent out there, essentially almost there. And so, we are taking him by his word. But the clock is ticking, so we hopefully are days away from this release. And he's very aware that this needs to happen immediately. BURNETT: All right. So, when -- when you talk about the wording and
the wordsmithing going on, is the final wording such that you understand it, that it's going to be in the subpoena that that you say that Chairman Comer has told you within, I guess, the last business day, Friday, right, is going to go out in the next couple of days. Is it for everything?
GARCIA: It's the full files, documents, videos. But a couple of pieces are really important. I mean, I think some of this speaks to what you just reported on. It's very important in why this is also a little complicated is we want to ensure that what we get is also centers the victims. We don't want to have is to revictimize or retraumatize the victims.
And so, ensuring that that is redacted, that that information is done very carefully, but that the subpoena is clear to the motion that Democrats made is going to be very, very important. So that's what we have been pushing with Chairman Comer and of course, the house Republicans, their protection and centering justice for the victims is really important in this part of the process.
BURNETT: So how do you deal with the victimizers, right? I mean, I understand there's are, you know, there could be an argument made. Well, if there isn't enough to actually charge, man A, man B, really wealthy people in Palm Beach, whoever these people may be, then do you redact the names or not?
But, obviously, what people want to know here is not to revictimize they want to hold to account the people who engaged in assault, who weren't named Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell. Is that going to happen?
GARCIA: That's -- yes, that's and that's exactly right. And that is our goal as well. Look, at the end of the day, it's clear that Donald Trump is covering something up. It's clear that Donald Trump is involved in some sort of cover up at the White House or the DOJ. I mean, we know that Donald Trump is in the files. The DOJ has told him that.
We also know that there are other powerful people, and we should not care who they are, what power they hold, how much wealth they have, what political party they're in. But those victims deserve justice. The full files should be released to the public. And of course, we should protect the victims along the way.
But at this point, this is something the president campaigned on.
BURNETT: Yeah.
GARCIA: We now have a bipartisan vote of the oversight committee to get the files released. And so, it's important that James Comer signs that subpoena immediately. And we get the files in front of the Congress.
BURNETT: All right. So then last week, Ghislaine Maxwell -- well, the week before that, she meets with the number two at the DOJ, Todd Blanche, she meets with him to a couple of times, right?
Two days, two long meetings. They say the DOJ said she mentions 100 people in the files, but yet, suddenly, then she gets moved to a new prison in Texas, much less security.
Not something where you would put a convicted child sex offender serving 20 years in prison. Never. No precedent for any such thing and no precedent for anybody being moved so quickly in the system, and so, efficiently.
[19:25:04]
So, what do you think happened here? I mean, it smells bad. Is it really bad?
GARCIA: We're very concerned about this. I mean, to be clear, there's no reason why Ms. Maxwell was moved. And this is happening right after that DOJ meeting, of course, with essentially Donald Trump's former lawyer, Mr. Blanche, and that meeting that happened over the course of those two days.
And so, what does, of course, Ms. Maxwell want? She wants a pardon. She wants a reduced sentence, and then she gets moved to a much -- essentially a less secure prison, a place that is actually she can walk around more, have more freedom of her movements. That is not acceptable. That is -- she's not eligible for that type of move.
We have been engaging with the Bureau of Federal Prisons and asking them some tough questions. Did the DOJ request this? Is it something that the president himself ordered to get done for Ms. Maxwell?
She's a convicted sex trafficker. We know this already. She has caused major harm to victims, to young women, to girls. And so why she's getting moved is a concerning pattern of some on the right in trying to somehow lionize Ms. Maxwell. Give her some cover, or somehow lay the groundwork for some type of reduced sentence.
And so -- and for what? For what end? So that she may be essentially takes your focus off Donald Trump or implicates others, but not Donald Trump or Donald Trump's so-called associates or friends.
These are all questions that need to be investigated, which is why we need to actually get the files and make them available to the public. We just cannot take Ms. Maxwell's word for it and for whatever she's going to testify or be deposed on, we've got to see the files herself.
BURNETT: And she has, of course, been convicted of perjuring herself under oath before.
Congressman, I appreciate your time, and thank you very much. I'm glad to talk to you again. And we all hope that that subpoena will come out in the next couple of days, as I know your conversations with Chairman Comer indicate.
Former "National Enquirer" editor Barry Levine joins us now. He's also the author of "The Spider: Inside the Criminal Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell".
And also with me, as you can see, Gretchen Carlson, journalist who is also the co-founder of Lift Our Voices.
So, thanks so much to both of you.
Gretchen, I have to start with you because just as Congressman Garcia and I were talking, you know, these town halls are going on around the country where, you know, Congress people have gone home.
There's a town hall going on right now with Republican Congressman Mike Flood. He's from Nebraska, and he just got questioned about the Epstein case. So, this is ongoing right now. I just want to play an exchange that just happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why are you covering up the Epstein files?
(APPLAUSE)
REP. MIKE FLOOD (R-NE): Let's be very clear, at the next pro forma session of the Congress, you'll find my name as a sponsor on a resolution from the House Rules Committee to release the Epstein files to protect the victims and not revictimize them again.
I support Jamie Comer, who is the House's oversight committee chairman, subpoenaing Ms. Maxwell later this month to come testify in Washington. I am for the release of those records.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Gretchen, it's the way he said it at the end. I am for the right period. After every single word. He wants to be heard loud and clear here, and getting the question the way he got it at this town hall. How serious of an issue is this for Republicans right now who are back in their districts facing voter questions?
GRETCHEN CARLSON, JOURNALIST: It's a huge issue. And a poll just came out today that only 13 percent of those polled actually think the government is doing a good job in not covering up something here, 67 percent are upset with the way it's happening, including 60 percent of those are Republicans, 56 percent of MAGA is upset with that, and only 1 in 5 are not paying attention to this story, which means that 80 percent of the American public right now wants more answers.
So, this is a huge story, not just for Republicans, but of course, you've just heard from a Democrat earlier in the show here. They're pushing for this as well. And the person who keeps perpetuating the idea that this story is going to not go anywhere is the president himself. And he keeps perpetuating the actual story to have to have life with it, because he keeps not being definitive on what he's going to do with Ghislaine Maxwell, for one, and whether or not he's going to release any of this information.
Keep in mind, forget the grand jury. He could release all of the other information, the millions of documents tomorrow if he wanted to.
BURNETT: Right. Yet you've got this subpoena that's been delayed, Barry. I mean, it's fair to say at this point it's been delayed. It could have moved a lot faster. You heard Congressman Garcia, though.
He says it's good faith with Chairman Comer, and he's confident the wording is being finalized. It's going to go out in the next couple of days. He said he's been assured that by the chairman.
[19:30:01]
What is happening here? Do you think that there is a fear among Republicans of what's going to happen here?
BARRY LEVINE, FORMER EDITOR, NATIONAL ENQUIRER: Well, I certainly think that there's some stonewalling going on. I mean, Gretchen was absolutely right. Donald Trump at the snap of his fingers could get these files released, and we wouldn't have to go through all of this, you know, and were waiting on, you know, all these moves being made to get grand jury testimony that's going to deliver us just a sliver of a tiny bit of information related to this -- you know, you know, all of these files.
We need to move ahead with this. There are so many questions now. And to me, it appears that there's a cover up going on with maxwell in terms of the leniency that she's getting, in terms of the move that was done to Bryan, Texas. You know, the charging documents for her sentencing specifically said she's not to go to a minimum security facility, and that's where she is right now.
She's walking around there in a dorm style place, enjoying herself. This is so wrong.
BURNETT: You know, Gretchen, you know, we live in a world where there's just such a rush to conspiracies and cover up. And yet, in this case, you know, as I said to Congressman Garcia, sometimes when something smells, it smells for a reason. It makes absolutely no sense that Ghislaine Maxwell just got moved to this facility. And an absolute basis, never mind relative to the fact that she just met with the number two at the DOJ for two long days.
CARLSON: Yeah, that's very concerning to me as well, because I think when Congress is in recess right now, maybe were waiting for another shoe to drop with regard to what President Trump might do with this, but I've said this before, and I'll say it again, there will be an insurrection if he pardons Ghislaine Maxwell. And it won't just be coming from the left, it'll be coming from the middle of America, the independents. It will be coming from Republicans, and it will be coming from MAGA.
So, I do not advise President Trump to be considering that. And by the way, with regard to subpoenaing Maxwell as well, I don't know what were going to get from that, to be quite honest. I'm not sure that's paying tribute to the victims because she has lied under oath twice. She's been convicted of perjury. She knows the only person who can save her at this point is President Trump. So, I'm not sure we can believe anything that she says. We should be
celebrating the survivors in this situation. They are the reason that we are talking about this story.
BURNETT: Yes. And, Barry, you have noted that when we talk about Ghislaine Maxwell, she actually knew Trump before she knew Jeffrey Epstein and that she also knows a great deal about how close Trump and Epstein were. Of course, over many years. And there was a friendship, Barry, that included a party years ago that still stands out to you.
LEVINE: Yeah. As we revisit this, looking back on the -- you know, intensity of that relationship that took place, there was a 1992 party in which Donald Trump and had 28 young women at a party at Mar-a-Lago, his only guest at that particular party was a man named Jeffrey Epstein.
And what's most interesting to me, as I revisit the reporting that I did on this story, is that the Florida businessman who put this party together for at the time, for the calendar girls competition that took place at Trump casinos, specifically told Donald Trump, this is in 1992. Jeffrey Epstein had only been in palm beach for two years. He got his mansion there in 1990.
This man told Donald Trump, I'm going to ban Jeffrey Epstein from events like this. I don't like him going after younger girls. And he was very concerned about the party on this particular night. And Donald Trump's response. And this is according -- it's been reiterated in an interview to "The New York Times". The man said that Trump told him, don't worry, my name is on this and it's not going to lead to any scandal.
So you have to wonder here, Donald Trump knew about Jeffrey Epstein's behavior with younger girls all the way back to 1992. That is astonishing.
BURNETT: All right. Well, I appreciate both of you very much being with us. And of course, I will note, as always, that Trump has denied having knowledge of what Epstein was doing and hasn't been accused of wrongdoing himself. And of course, what we want in all cases is to see these files. Thank you both so very much.
And next, breaking news from our White House team on the real reason that Trump fired the official who is in charge of the monthly jobs numbers.
And the South Korean college student, daughter of a popular priest detained by ICE. What in the world for?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:39:00]
BURNETT: Breaking news, CNN reporting the real reason behind Trump's sudden and unexpected firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner. She was a Biden appointee. All right. Trump had been fuming about the jobs report, our Jeff
Zeleny has been reporting. But one aide's argument for firing her resonated most with Trump, according to sources. And that is the fact that she was put into the role by his predecessor. Now, by the way, she worked for BLS for a quarter century, right? So, you know, let's just -- it's not as if were picking plucking a person out of nowhere, a person with a lot of experience.
Trump continues to claim, with absolutely no evidence, that jobs report was quote rigged, adding those big adjustments were made to cover up and level out the fake political numbers that were concocted in order to make a great Republican success look less stellar. I tried to hit the all caps with a bit more emphasis.
And this is something that now people around him are tagging on to his top economic adviser following suit.
[19:40:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN HASSETT, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL DIRECTOR: They could be politically -- politically manipulated because they're so untransparent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: They really couldn't be. But that's not the point here. The point is what Hassett is saying. He didn't stop there. Here's how he is now describing the revised jobs numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSETT: There have been a bunch of patterns that could make people wonder, and I think the most important thing for people to know is that it's the president's highest priority, that the data be trusted and that people get to the bottom of why these revisions are so unreliable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, you know, saying and implying there's all this political manipulation because the numbers were revised downwards, worst.
Well, the Cost Coalition pointed out that Hassett had a very different thing to say back in February of 2025. At that time, Biden is president. Theres a big downward revision for the jobs' numbers, so it must have been rigged, right, and political. I mean, that would be consistent.
Well, here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSETT: It was the biggest downward revision. You know, the benchmark goes through last March, the biggest downward revision since 2009. The Biden economy, the Biden jobs market, was way worse than markets thought. And that's sort of consistent with the rest of our views that their policies were unwise. And there's a lot of cleaning up to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: All right. So, he took those revisions as accurate and proof of how terrible Biden's economy was. So downward revisions apparently, are only political and manipulated when it comes to Trump.
And by the way, when it comes to Trump's jobs reports, when they're good, when they're good. Here's Hassett.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSETT: Well, we got a report today that showed that incomes are soaring and why the jobs numbers have been so good. While inflation is going down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, when the jobs numbers are really good for Trump, no doubting, no nothing. Theres nothing political about them at all, right?
All right. Well, OUTFRONT now, Bill Kristol. He is editor at large of "The Bulwark", and Lulu Garcia-Navarro, "New York Times" podcast host.
So, I appreciate both of you very much.
So, Bill, the reporting here, Jeff Zeleny and team, it all came down to the fact that Erika McEntarfer, who was the BLS commissioner, is, is -- was appointed by Biden.
BILL KRISTOL, EDITOR AT LARGE, THE BULWARK: Well, that's maybe what Trump's telling people, but she was appointed by Biden and she wasn't fired in the first six months until there was a number that Trump didn't like and that didn't fit with the reality. Trump is trying to create and sell, and then suddenly she's fired. And then Kevin Hassett, I really glad you focused on him, Erin. I'd say I knew him when he was the chief economist at AEI. Respectable center right conservative think tank.
You know, when he was nominated in 2017 to be chairman of the Council of Economic advisers, he was supported by a whole bunch of well-known Democratic economists, liberal economists, because, you know, he's respectable guy, a serious guy. They didn't agree with him, but he'd be professional.
This is what has happened to the Republican Party and to the conservative establishment. And I'm going to -- Hassett himself, the dishonesty of what he said, the sliminess of, well, raises questions, really, 50 economists and statisticians in the in the Commerce Department are suddenly in the Labor Department are suddenly monkeying with statistics?
I mean, it's so implausible, it's so irresponsible. But this is what has happened, not just to the Republicans in Congress. Weve seen that a lot, but to the kind of conservative intellectual establishment.
BURNETT: Right, right. And that is what causes instability, right? Perhaps, you know, fear, distrust of the American system.
Lulu, you have spent a lot of time outside the United States covering other countries. And over the weekend you had a post. It really resonated with me. I hope everyone will go to X and read the whole thing.
But in part what you wrote, Lulu was once economic data becomes unreliable or politicized, things really break down. In Argentina, they ended up with runaway inflation, a banking crisis and a political crisis. It's not a left or right issue.
And, Lulu, you saw this all happen firsthand. When government leaders start injecting doubt in just basic official economic statistics. Do you see that happening here?
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I mean, I think it's absolutely a concern. I think this is deeply shocking. If you think about what the Labor Department does. It issues the job report, the consumer price index, job openings and labor turnover. It also looks at import and export prices.
I mean, people and companies use this very important information to make decisions about the economy across the economy. And instead what we're seeing now is this partisanship injected into what had always been the gold standard. The United States and the United States dollar is the global reserve currency. People look at what happens in the United States, and it affects economies across the world, not just what happens here.
And so when you are saying, which is what essentially Donald Trump said, you can't trust this, don't believe it. What do you think that does? It sends people to this place where who knows what's going to happen?
[19:45:00]
Can we trust the next person that comes in? And that is going to have huge ripple effects. So the concern here, and we've seen it over and over in Venezuela, in Greece, in Argentina is that it injects this instability into the system because people can see the reality. People have the experience. They know when there's no jobs, they know when the prices are going up. They can see what happens.
BURNETT: And so, Bill, this comes as Attorney General Bondi is ordering prosecutors to start a grand jury investigation into Obama era officials. And this is about the issue of Russia's interference in the 2016 election, which, by the way, is it's a fact and it's a bipartisan Congress agreed to such. But they're now opening the door to criminal charges against a lot of people who are in top jobs. DNI chief James Clapper, CIA director John Brennan, FBI Director James Comey.
Where is this headed? KRISTOL: Well, they said they were going to look into this and indict
these people. They said it was a big conspiracy against Trump. And you know what? This -- I've got to say, Trump and his minions are doing what they said they would do. And we all -- people sort of assumed, even I, a little bit, they can't possibly go ahead with all of this.
But, you know, just it fits in with what Lulu was just saying, too. It's not just that they're saying you can't quite trust the data. They're saying it was rigged.
Think about that for a minute. The president of the United States is saying there was a conspiracy in the Labor Department. And suddenly, in the sixth month of his term, to adjust data downward so he would look bad.
I mean, we're 18 months from an election, 33.5 years from the presidential election. Why this month, they would suddenly launch this conspiracy? Ridiculous.
But again, they are cultivating the view, they're promulgating the view that the entire federal government is a kind of conspiracy. And that's very dangerous.
BURNETT: Well, right. And also, as you know, as the cost coalition pointed out, with Hassett, completely different when the shoe was on the other foot. And you just have to hope people hear that and hear that dissonance. Thank you both so very much.
And next, she's a South Korean college student at Purdue University, also the daughter of a popular episcopal priest. So why did ICE arrest her?
And just days after Trump says he sent two U.S. nuclear subs toward Russia. The man who started all of this is speaking out again, upping the ante. Even darker warnings against America.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Breaking news, a Purdue University student from South Korea who is the daughter of an episcopal priest here in New York, taken into custody by ICE.
Yeonsoo Go, who is 20 years old, moved to the U.S. in 2021 with her mother, the Reverend Kyrie Kim. Now she was here on a very specific visa, a religious workers dependent visa, which is known as an R-2, but Go's family says she was greeted by ICE agents within minutes of walking out of a routine hearing last week.
So, hearing -- goes to the hearing. Everything by the book. But then taken into custody. And like many other ICE detainees, was quickly then sent away to a facility in Louisiana.
Well, OUTFRONT now, Mary Rothwell Davis, attorney for the episcopal diocese of New York.
And, Mmary, I appreciate your time. I mean, this story is -- really makes your head spin to try to understand what possibly could have happened here. Yeonsoo is going in for routine hearing. She's doing everything as she thinks she should, walks out and is taken into custody by ICE?
MARY ROTHWELL DAVIS, ATTORNEY FOR THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NEW YORK: Yes, it was very confusing for her, for her mother and for those of us at the episcopal diocese of New York who have been supporting her. The hearing was really unremarkable. The judge gave her an adjourned date in August, which seemed aimed at helping her get back to Purdue University for the fall semester.
She was there to convert her visa to a student visa, and she left the courtroom with her mother, thinking that she'd accomplished what she came for, and was immediately seized by ICE agents waiting in the hallway outside the courtroom.
They handcuffed her. They tore her from her mother, and they took her to a detention room. In another part of 26 Federal Plaza. She remained there for 48 hours.
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: Forty-eight hours and then -- then they sent her to Louisiana.
DAVIS: Yes. In fact, there was a large rally happening at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday in support of Soo and another parishioner from Saint Bartholomew's in White Plains, Katie, who was also seized that day. And unknown to the people of the rally, Katie and Soo were on a bus leaving 26 Federal Plaza that passed by the rally, so they saw themselves being supported, but also felt themselves being torn away from their community and they ended up in Richwood facility in Louisiana, outside of New Orleans.
BURNETT: Okay, so she goes in fearing she comes out, she's put in handcuffs, taken away from her mother, put into a detention room, you say for 48 hours, gets on a bus. That's a long -- that's a long way to Louisiana. I mean, all of this.
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: Yeah, yeah. Okay. Bus to an airport. Either way, I'm saying resources were put into this. Time was put into this effort, was put into this, which I just think speaks for itself. So, all of this effort goes in by the federal government is going after Yeonsoo. I know there is a major development on this tonight even after all of that time and money has been spent.
What is happening now?
DAVIS: That's right. Erin, we are so gratified to know that as of this evening, Soo actually was returned to 26 Federal Plaza and she has been released into her own recognizance.
And her mother is on her way to Federal Plaza to meet her. She may already be there, and we are overjoyed. We're -- we've worked very hard for our voices to be heard and to lift her up and to convey the message that Soo does not deserve to be in detention. And it's been heard.
BURNETT: All right. Well, I appreciate your time, Mary. I will say the Homeland Security Department told us that Soo was overstaying a student visa. I know that she disputes that. We're going to keep following this story to understand what happened. Regardless, it is a stunning use of resources.
And thank you so very much for your time. I appreciate it.
Next, Russian state TV ramping up rhetoric tonight showcasing nuclear weapons days after Trump said he directed two American nuclear subs toward Russia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:56:56]
BURNETT: Breaking news, expect further steps. Those are the exact words of the former Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev, with a new ominous warning to NATO countries, including the U.S. tonight, coming days after Medvedev was the one who provoked President Trump into moving two nuclear submarines closer to Russia.
And tonight, our Fred Pleitgen is OUTFRONT in Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Russian and Chinese warships side by side in a major show of force, military drills and anti-submarine warfare, just days after President Trump says he repositioned U.S. nuclear subs following threats from Russia's former president.
TRUMP: And a threat was made, and we didn't think it was appropriate. So I have to be very careful. So I do that on the basis of safety for our people.
PLEITGEN: With the once cozy relations between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin recently taking a nosedive, Trump threatening massive sanctions by the end of this week. There's no ceasefire in Ukraine, Moscow eager to end the nuclear saber rattling.
"We're extremely cautious with any statements regarding nuclear issues," the Kremlin spokesman says. "As you know, Russia maintains a responsible position."
But Kremlin controlled TV, not so much, frequently touting Russia's massive nuclear arsenal like this well-known host last year.
DMITRY KISELEV, RUSSIAN TV PRESENTER: So the main question is, will Russia use it? And there is a clear answer. It will use it. The conflict with the West over Ukraine is growing so much that for Russia it is already a matter of life and death. PLEITGEN: And Putin himself put Russian nuclear forces on alert just
days after launching what he calls the special military operation in Ukraine in 2022, in response to Western criticism.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: Top officials of leading NATO countries are indulging in aggressive statements directed at our country. Therefore, I order the minister of defense and chief of the general staff to put Russia's army deterrence forces on high combat alert.
PLEITGEN: On Moscow streets, folks telling us president Trump's nuclear moves and sanctions threats don't scare them.
Trump said he wanted better relationship with Russia, a trade deal, lifting of sanctions, flights between the U.S. and Russia, and now he is sending nuclear submarines because of the escalation between the U.S. and Russia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, I think he says one thing and does something else, and he predicts the future developments based on something completely different.
PLEIGEN: Trump said that if no ceasefire is reached in Ukraine, he will impose stronger sanctions on Russia. Are you worried?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I am not worried about this. I live in my country and I know it will protect itself and those who it promises to care for.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your sanctions are useless! Everything is still fine. on Ukraine to.
PLEITGEN: But even as the Kremlin touts its gains on the battlefield in Ukraine, Moscow claims it's keen to engage in diplomacy with the Trump administration.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: Thanks to Fred, and thanks to all of you for being with us.
"AC360" starts now.
