By April D. Ryan, BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Editor and Chief White House Correspondent
“We want answers,” and “don’t care whose names are in the files, ” said Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), a member of the House Oversight Committee. Her comments came after a meeting with Jeffrey Epstein survivors and House Oversight and Reform Committee members Tuesday on the Hill.
In recent months, there has been strong bipartisan concern over President Trump’s affiliation with Epstein, including Trump loyalist Marjorie Tayler Greene (R-GA), who has led a loud outcry for answers.
Democrats led the push for this meeting in the House Oversight Committee, which has also released 32,000 Epstein files.
Epstein, the multi-millionaire and former close friend of Trump, was accused of pedophilia and sexually abusing and trafficking women. He was found dead in his prison cell in 2019.
Meanwhile, on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue in the Oval Office, President Trump discussed his health concerns with the press during a Q&A session. The president had not been seen publicly for three days.
Concerns arose after the president’s recent disclosure of venous insufficiency.
In typical fashion, Trump downplayed the seriousness of his condition and his absence last week from public view.
The issue of violence in the nation’s cities was also a topic, particularly in Chicago and Baltimore, two cities that Trump has called “hell holes,” adding with intention, “We are going to Chicago!”
There have been nine people killed in Chicago since Friday. However, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he will not contact or work with the president on this issue and is refusing any National Guard presence.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a Mayor’s Order on Tuesday managing the District’s response to the Safe and Beautiful Task Force, established by the President, as well as the Presidential declaration of emergency. According to a statement released by the Mayor’s Office, “During and after the Presidential emergency, the Safe and Beautiful Emergency Operations Center (SBEOC) will manage the District’s response, coordinate centralized communications, and ensure coordination with federal law enforcement to the maximum extent allowable by law within the District.”
Importantly, the Order requests that “federal partners adhere to established policing practices that maintain community confidence in law enforcement officers, such as not wearing masks, clearly identifying their agency, and providing identification during arrests and encounters with the public.
While the Mayor’s Order does not establish an end date and includes the language “on a continuing basis,” the President’s Order establishing a crime emergency in the District of Columbia is set to expire on September 10. Bowser’s order authorizes continued collaboration beyond the deadline but is not universally endorsed by local elected officials.
Washington, D.C., Councilmember Zachary Parker posted to X: “This moment shows the limits of individual leadership and the strength of collective power. The truth remains: most Washingtonians want decisions guided by our community values, not federal overreach. We keep us safe.”
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