Jeffrey Epstein’s chilling final message before his death revealed
Convicted sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein’s last message which he sent to a journalist could be prophetic, as a former Trump adviser called for the disgraced financier’s files to be released.
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Convicted sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein’s last known message was that he was “still hanging around” — hours before he was found hanged in his Manhattan cell.
“I believe that I got the last message from him before he died,” journalist Michael Wolff revealed on an episode of “The Daily Beast Podcast” airing this week, the New York Post reports.
“And this came through one of his lawyers on a Friday evening. He died on Saturday morning.
“His message to me hours before this happened was — and it was just in response to me asking how he was — and he said, ‘Still hanging around,’” the Donald Trump biographer said.
The chilling revelation comes as the Department of Justice confirmed this week that there was no evidence that the notorious pedophile was murdered in his lockup — despite years of conspiracy theorists claiming otherwise.
Epstein, 66, was found dead at the Metropolitan Detention Center on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial for a slew of sex-trafficking charges.
Wolff said Epstein had asked him to write his biography in 2014, but that he refused. They remained in touch, however.
Asked his own theory on how Epstein died, Wolff suggested it will remain a mystery.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“He could not, as described, have killed himself,” he said — while also conceding, “As the circumstances presented, he could not have been murdered.”
Meanwhile, MAGA firebrand and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has called for a special prosecutor to investigate the Epstein files, after President Trump’s attorney-general denied the late pedophile had a list of high-profile clients.
Bannon, President Trump’s former chief strategist, said it would be easy to release court documents in the case — and said a special prosecutor could uncover who else was involved in Epstein’s crimes.
“The attorney general, I believe, needs to go to the court and ask for a complete unsealing of all the files — and answer Tom Fitton’s Judicial Watch lawsuit and release all of the documents,” Bannon told the Telegraph.
Bannon also spent much of his “War Room” TV show calling for the release of the files, which had previously been promised by the Trump administration.
It comes after Attorney-General Pam Bondi’s Justice Department said over the weekend that there was nothing more to say on the case, and that the files wouldn’t be opened for fear of identifying victims.
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‘LOST MINUTE’ IN EPSTEIN SURVEILLANCE VIDEO ANGERS MAGA
A mysterious ‘lost minute’ in 11 hours of CCTV from inside the prison where Jeffrey Epstein was locked up has sent conspiracy theorists into overdrive and forced Donald Trump to shoot down questions about the probe.
Mr Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) base is up in arms after his administration effectively shut down conspiracy theories related to the notorious sex offender that have become an obsession for the US president’s diehard supporters.
His Department of Justice and the FBI said in a memo made public Sunday there is no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a “client list” or was blackmailing powerful figures.
They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail releasing 11 hours of CCTV from inside the prison, confirming his death by suicide, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe.
It marked the first time President Trump’s officials had publicly scotched the stories – pushed by numerous right-wing figures, notably including the FBI’s top two officials, before Mr Trump hired them.
But theories are abound after a missing minute was found in the footage and the no-client list claim ran against what Trump officials had previously said.
During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday Attorney-General Pam Bondi said that the CCTV’s missing minute at 11.59pm was due to the prison’s outdated system.
The missing minute happens at 11.59pm – with the time switching from 11.58pm to midnight.
“There was a minute that was off the counter, and what we learned from the Bureau of Prisons is every night they redo that video … every night should have the same minute missing,” she told reporters.
No client list existing also contradicts what Bondi had previously said in an interview on Fox News in February – that the client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review.”
Asked about those comments on Tuesday, Bondi said: “I did an interview on Fox, and it’s been getting a lot of attention because I said I was asked a question about the client list, and my response was, it’s sitting on my desk to be reviewed.
“Meaning the file, along with the JFK, MLK files as well. That’s what I meant by that.”
The backlash was swift and brutal from his MAGA movement – who have long held as an article of faith that “Deep State” elites were protecting Epstein’s most powerful associates in the Democratic Party and Hollywood.]
“Next the DOJ will say ‘Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed,’” furious pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Alex Jones tweeted. “This is over the top sickening.”
Mr Trump – who has denied visiting the US Virgin Islands home where prosecutors say Epstein sex trafficked underage girls – said ahead of his election he would have “no problem” releasing files related to the case.
The president appeared exasperated when he was asked by a reporter about Epstein at the cabinet meeting.
“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? … Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable,” Mr Trump said.
SECRET SERVICE SUSPENDS SIX AGENTS
The Secret Service has suspended six agents over failures related to last year’s assassination attempt against Donald Trump at a rally in Butler.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said the suspensions will last from 10 to 42 days and the agents will not be paid while on leave, The New York Post reported.
The agents will be placed in roles with lower responsibility upon return, Quinn told CBS News.
“We aren’t going to fire our way out of this,” Quinn told the outlet.
“We’re going to focus on the root cause and fix the deficiencies that put us in that situation.”
Trump was struck in the ear by one of the bullets fired by would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks on July 13, 2024, during a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show grounds, leaving the then presumptive Republican nominee for president bloodied.
Firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed shielding his family from Crooks’ bullets, and two others were left with severe injuries before the 20-year-old gunman — positioned on an unguarded roof with a clear line of sight toward Mr Trump — was taken out by a Secret Service sniper.
A scathing Senate report on the assassination attempt released in September determined that “multiple foreseeable and preventable planning and operational failures by [Secret Service] contributed” to Crooks’ ability to carry out the deadly shooting.
“These included unclear roles and responsibilities, insufficient co-ordination with state and local law enforcement, the lack of effective communications, and inoperable [Counter-Unmanned Aircraft] systems, among many others,” the damning report read.
A second assassination attempt against Trump took place two months later at the president’s Palm Beach, Florida, golf course.
Quinn insisted that the Secret Service is “totally accountable for Butler.”
“Butler was an operational failure and we are focused today on ensuring that it never happens again,” he said.
The official noted that the agency now has a new fleet of drones and mobile command posts that let agents communicate over radio directly with local law enforcement.
‘DISGRACE’: TRUMP SLAPS 50PC TARIFF ON NATION
Donald Trump has sent tariff letters to eight more trade partner nations – but Australia is yet to receive official word of the rate they will be subject to.
Mr Trump said the Philippines will face a 20 per cent tariff rate, Brunei and Moldova a 25 per cent rate, and Algeria, Iraq, Sri Lanka and Libya a 30 per cent rate unless an agreement gets done.
However it was Brazil which copped the highest import tax rate at 50 per cent.
While most other nations received a templated letter, Mr Trump penned an individual missive to Brazil who he condemned not only for their “unfair” trade relationship but the prosecution of the country’s former leader.
“The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace,” Mr Trump wrote in the letter which he posted to Truth Social.
“This Trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt THAT should end IMMEDIATELY!”
The tariffs will come into effect on August 1 – a deadline which Mr Trump has stated will no longer be extended.
AI USED TO IMPERSONATE HIGH RANKING US OFFICIAL
An impostor posing as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent AI-generated voice and text messages to high-level officials and foreign ministers, the latest American official to be targeted by impersonators.
A cable from Rubio’s office said the unidentified culprit was likely seeking to manipulate powerful officials “with the goal of gaining access to information or accounts,” the Washington Post reported.
The impostor contacted at least three foreign ministers, a US state governor, and a member of Congress using both text messaging and the encrypted messaging app Signal, according to the cable dated July 3.
Starting in mid-June, the impostor created a Signal account using the display name “Marco.Rubio@state.gov” to contact the unsuspecting officials, it added.
“The actor left voicemails on Signal for at least two targeted individuals and in one instance, sent a text message inviting the individual to communicate on Signal,” said the cable.
The contents of the messages were unclear.
The cable added that other State Department personnel were impersonated using email.
Responding to an AFP request for comment, the State Department said it was aware of the incident and was “currently investigating the matter.”
“The Department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to improve the department’s cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents,” said a senior State Department official.
The FBI has previously warned that since April, “malicious actors” have impersonated senior US officials to target their contacts, including current and former federal or state government officials.
“The malicious actors have sent text messages and AI-generated voice messages – techniques known as smishing and vishing, respectively – that claim to come from a senior US official in an effort to establish rapport before gaining access to personal accounts,” the FBI said in May.
In May, President Donald Trump said an impersonator breached the phone of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. US senators, governors and business executives received text messages and phone calls from someone claiming to be Wiles, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The breach prompted a White House and FBI investigation, but President Trump played down the threat, saying Wiles “can handle it.”
Senior Trump administration officials have courted criticism for using Signal and other unofficial channels for government work.
– with AFP and The New York Post
Originally published as Jeffrey Epstein’s chilling final message before his death revealed