United States: Politics

Bill and Hillary Clinton gave depositions to a House committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein. Both said they had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes and, in Hillary Clinton's case, no recollection of ever meeting him. The Justice Department is reviewing whether any Epstein-related records about Trump were improperly withheld. The release of Epstein files has also led to resignations, including Harvard professor Larry Summers and a top aide to the UK prime minister. Democrats have called for Trump to also testify under oath in the investigation. The fallout from the Epstein files continues to affect figures in politics, academia, and royalty in the United States and abroad.

Marco Rubio, a key figure in the Trump administration, spoke at the Munich Security Conference. He told European leaders that the United States and Europe 'belong together' but that the old world order is gone and Europe must change its policies. European leaders, including the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas, pushed back against parts of Rubio's message. Kallas specifically rejected his suggestion that Europe is facing a 'civilizational erasure.' After the conference, Rubio traveled to Slovakia and Hungary to meet with pro-Trump leaders there. The speech and subsequent trip highlighted the ongoing tensions in the transatlantic relationship under the Trump administration, with Rubio delivering a message of conditional unity and European leaders expressing both relief at the softer tone and concern over the underlying demands.

Trump convened the inaugural meeting of a new international group called the Board of Peace in Washington. At the meeting, Trump announced that participating countries had pledged billions of dollars for reconstruction in Gaza and had committed thousands of troops for a stabilization force. Some U.S. allies, including the Vatican, Poland, and Italy, declined to participate in the Board of Peace. The Vatican called for United Nations leadership instead. The plan for Gaza reconstruction is reportedly linked to a push for Hamas to disarm, a condition Israeli leader Netanyahu said Israel and the U.S. agree on. Trump said the Board of Peace would oversee the United Nations to ensure it 'runs properly.' The group is also reportedly exploring the use of a U.S.-pegged digital currency, or stablecoin, for Gaza, which has raised sovereignty concerns.

Trump gave the longest State of the Union speech in history, lasting 108 minutes. He described a 'golden age of America' and a 'turnaround for the ages,' focusing on domestic policy and claiming the nation was 'winning so much.' Democrats protested the address. Some lawmakers left, and one, Al Green, was removed for holding a protest sign. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger gave the official Democratic response, saying 'We did not hear the truth' and criticized Trump on issues like the cost of living. The speech also featured a moment with the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team, which drew mixed reactions. The House of Representatives later moved to censure a Democratic lawmaker for disrupting the address for a second year. Voter reactions and analysis of the speech focused on its potential impact on the upcoming midterm elections.

Trump has repeatedly called for Republicans to 'nationalize' U.S. elections, arguing states are agents of the federal government in the voting process. He has also demanded strict voter ID requirements and proof of citizenship for voters, calling American elections 'rigged' and a 'laughingstock'. In Congress, House Republicans passed a strict voter ID bill, amplifying Trump's claims of fraud. Senate Republicans are pushing for a vote on voter ID legislation, though some acknowledge they may not have the votes to overcome Democratic opposition. Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have criticized these efforts as 'Jim Crow-era' laws. Separately, Trump visited Texas as several Republican candidates in a Senate primary sought his endorsement, which he said he had 'pretty much' decided but had not announced. Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed Democrat Jasmine Crockett in the Texas Democratic Senate primary.