Donald Trump’s unhinged newest and why Peter Mandelson’s Epstein hyperlinks may very well be an issue for him

The Justice Department knew all about Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein – so why did the White House still approve his nomination as Ambassador? Here’s what you need to know

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Donald Trump was asked about Peter Mandelson last night in the Oval Office, and gave a predictable answer.

“I don’t know anything about it,” he said, asked if the former Ambassador’s (maybe) final downfall was something upon which he had a view. “It’s too bad.”

He gave a similar response during his state visit to the UK, when asked if he was disappointed that Mandelson, whom Trump seemed to get on with, would no longer be our man in Washington.

The White House Press Corps, deluged as they are with more news than they know what to do with, should really press him a bit more on this.

Before someone becomes an Ambassador, they not only have to go through vetting on their own side, but on the White House end too. The President has to give his approval for an Ambassador to take on the role. And while it’s unusual for a candidate to be rejected, it’s not unheard of.

There was already talk in the DC gossip grapevine that people had been in Trump’s ear about Mandelson’s links to Europe and his business interests in China being potential dealbreakers. I know this because I wrote about it at the time.

And given the Epstein files were, at that time, literally on the desk of Attorney General Pam Bondi, it seems implausible that the White House were unaware of Mandelson’s long-running friendship with Epstein, and how badly compromised he was at risk of being.

But none of this appears to have mattered to Trump. Perhaps it was an oversight. Perhaps your closest ally having a compromised Ambassador was a bonus to him.

But either way, the fact that not only was he gleefully approved by Trump – but also that the US administration apparently didn’t raise any concerns with the UK about Mandelson’s links with Epstein – is a twist in this twisty tale that would benefit from further exploration.

Meanwhile in Trumpworld

• Trump says he’s “very innocent” and the “most honest person”
• He chews out a reporter for not smiling about Epstein’s victims
• He spoke to Xi, and Xi spoke to Putin
• He doubled down on his plan to seize elections

Here’s everything you need to know.

1. Trump gathers Republicans in the Oval Office, gives them all hats

Donald Trump gathered a selection of House Republicans in the Oval Office last night to sign a budget bill to end the partial government shutdown that’s been bubbling the last few days.

Of course, they were all given merch – new red hats declaring “AMERICA IS BACK”.

2. He doubled down on his plan to seize control of elections

After suggesting in an interview over the weekend that the Republican Party should take over the counting of elections in some states, Trump was asked in the Oval whether he really means that, and whether he knew that would be a pretty serious breach of the US Constitution.

Trump argued the States only act as an “agent” for the federal government on elections – which is not accurate.

“I want to see elections be honest, and if a state can’t run an election, I think the people behind me [Republicans] should do something about it.

“If you think about it, the state is an agent for the federal govt on elections. Look at Detroit, Pennsylvania, Atlanta — horrible corruption on elections.”

There is no evidence that there was any large scale misconduct in elections in any of those places in the 2020 election, which Trump lost.

He added: “These are agents of the federal government to count the votes. If they can’t count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else to take over.”

3. Then Bannon piled in

Steve Bannon, Trump’s former top advisor and also an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, spelled it out for those not paying attention.

“You’re damn right we’re gonna have ICE surround the polls come November,” he said on his War Room podcast.

“We’re not gonna sit here and allow you to steal the country again,” he continued. “And you can whine and cry and throw your toys out of the pram all you want, but we will never again allow an election to be stolen.”

4. Trump loses it over Epstein question

During the Q&A, CNN’s Caitlin Collins asked Trump about the haphazard redactions of the newly released Epstein files, saying survivors had complained entire witness interviews had been blacked out.

“Well I’ve also heard they thought they released too much,” Trump said, interrupting. “And now you’re telling me something else.”

He went on: “I think it’s time for the country to get on to something else, really. Now that nothing came out about me. Other that it was a conspiracy against me, literally, by Epstein and other people. But I think it’s time for the country to get on to something else. Like healthcare or something that people care about.”

Collins asked what he would say to survivors who don’t think they’ve been given justice.

Trump lashed out: “You are so bad. You are the worst reporter. CNN has the worst ratings because of people like you. You know, she’s a young woman and I’ve never seen you smile. I’ve known you for ten years, I’ve never seen a smile on your face.”

“I’m asking about survivors of a sexual abuser,” Collins said.

But Trump barrelled on, saying: “You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth. It’s a very dishonest organisation and they should be ashamed of you.”

At the end of the event, as the media were being ushered out of the Oval Office, Trump could be heard complaining to a Republican congressman about Collins, moaning again that she “never smiles”.

READ MORE: Donald Trump loses it attacking reporter for not smiling while asking about Epstein survivors

5. Clintons to testify on Epstein

Bill and Hillary Clinton reached an agreement with Congress to testify about Epstein.

The agreement came as the House was poised to vote to find the couple in contempt for refusing to appear before the House Oversight Committee.

Hillary will appear for a deposition on 26th February, with Bill appearing the following day.

6. Trump says he’s ‘very innocent’ and ‘the most honest person anywhere in the world’

Trump said he was sad to see the Clintons forced to testify – which was weird enough. But then the President, who definitely doth not protest too much, went on an even weirder tear.

“But then look at me,” he said. “They went after me. They wanted me to go to jail for the rest of my life.”

This is a big thread to pull at for a man whose catchphrase for several years was “LOCK HER UP”, but hang on, there’s more.

“It turned out I was innocent,” he said…adding: “very innocent.”

He then told a story about an unnamed person who definitely exists.

“I had a very smart friend, who knows life. Streetwise guy. He said: ‘You have to be the most honest person anywhere in the world, because there’s never been anybody that has been examined up and down. You know I have hundreds of thousands of pages of documents, millions of pages, with all of that they found nothing wrong.

“‘His tax returns! His tax returns!’ They fought for years and years and then the Supreme Court they ruled I had to give my tax returns. I was surprised, I’m the only one who had to ever do that.”

First of all, every President except Trump has released their tax returns voluntarily. Second of all, the Supreme Court ruled that he had to hand over his tax returns in response as part of a criminal investigation, which should not have been a surprise.

7. Trump pulls quarter of ICE agents out of Minnesota

Trump is pulling hundreds of his ICE anti-migrant agents out of Minnesota – roughly a quarter of the total deployed – following a huge backlash.

Some 700 agents from the reported 3,000 armed heavies involved in what local leaders have branded an “invasion” of the state will be withdrawn, Tom Homan said this morning.

He said the “drawdown” was as a result of an agreement being reached with local county jails to hand “threats to the community” over to ICE rather than releasing them.

This, he suggested, would require less manpower than seeking to detain undocumented people accused of committing crimes on the street.

He did not mention the killings of Renee Good or Alex Pretti during his press conference.

8. Trump talks to Xi, Xi talks to Putin

Trump spoke to China’s President Xi earlier today, to discuss, among other things, Iran. The US is trying to get Xi and other world leaders to isolate Tehran – as he continues to mull over the idea of military action.

Xi also spoke to Vladimir Putin today, as it happens…just days before the last remaining nuclear arms pact – the New START treaty – between the US and Russia is set to expire. From Thursday, for the first time in 50 years, there will be no caps on the two largest nuclear arsenals in the world.

Trump has previously indicated he wants to keep limits on nuclear warheads, but thinks China should be part of the extension.