Newly released emails suggesting Donald Trump knew about the conduct of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein dominate Thursday’s newspapers. “I knew about the girls,” headlines The Guardian, directly quoting one of the messages released by Democrats on the House oversight committee. The email is one of three published exchanges containing allegations that the US president was aware of Epstein’s activities. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing regarding Epstein.
Trump “spent hours” at Epstein’s home with a woman later identified as a sex trafficking victim, according to the Financial Times’ front page, which focuses on another allegation revealed in the newly released emails. The newspaper quotes a senior Democrat as saying the latest messages raise “glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding” about the nature of Trump and Epstein’s relationship.
The Daily Mirror echoes its headline “Trump ‘spent hours with Giuffre,'” naming Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre as one of the women referenced in the new emails. The White House came to the US president’s defense and accused Democrats of “selectively leaking emails to liberal media to create a false narrative to smear President Trump.”
The Independent features the infamous photo of Trump and his wife Melania with Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell taken at Mar-a-Lago in 2000. The newspaper also cites one of the “explosive messages” in which Epstein writes to Maxwell: “I want you to realize that the dog that hasn’t barked is Trump.”
Moving on to news closer to home, the Daily Telegraph’s lead story covers continuing murmurs of a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer. “Street goes to war with No 10” is the newspaper headline after Sir Keir’s key allies accused the Health Secretary of plotting against the Prime Minister. Streeting denied the allegations and called Downing Street “toxic” and “juvenile,” the paper reports.
“I am and have always been faithful,” is how Metro reports the response of the Secretary of Health. The newspaper details Streeting’s “fury” at the implication that he is leading a “traitor-style plot to banish Starmer” and mocks a photo of him in the Round Table room of the aforementioned TV show.
In another twist to the Labor leadership “civil war”, the Times says Cabinet ministers are demanding the sacking of the Prime Minister’s chief of staff over allegations he had prior knowledge of briefings that accused Streeting of a leadership coup. Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir’s most senior adviser, has categorically denied criticizing the Health Secretary in the media.
“Number 10 in crisis” is the view of the i Paper, which describes ministers directing their anger at McSweeney. The paper describes “Cabinet desperation” over attacks on the Health Secretary and Downing Street’s “paranoia over Labour’s plots”.
The Daily Mail publishes a warning to potential “Labor conspirators” from the Prime Minister’s allies. Those close to Sir Keir say any plan to overthrow him could trigger a general election, the paper reports. “Finally a ray of hope!” declares a sardonic Mail subheadline.
The Daily Express highlights the Conservatives’ view of the Labor Party’s infighting. The paper headlines Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s comments as accusing the prime minister of “being in office, but not in power.”
The Daily Star focuses its attention on music and the news that singer Dua Lipa and bands Coldplay and Radiohead are backing a cap on ticket prices to bring music back to fans. The newspaper praises the move as “bold.”
Finally, the Sun teases an “exclusive Ramsay wedding” as it reports that Olympian Adam Peaty was given a police escort at Manchester Airport after receiving threats at his stag party ahead of his wedding to Holly Ramsay. The couple will get married on Christmas.
