← Here's the Scoop
Here's the Scoop
Israel conducts strikes in Qatar; Trump says Epstein “birthday book” is a “dead issue”
00:18:37
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You can't count on much these days.
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No way, Jim.
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This is incredible, but you can always count on Sundays with the NFL on CBS and Paramount. Here we go.
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And he's in for a touchdown.
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Visit paramountplus.com NFL to get started today and count on Sundays with the NFL on CBS and Paramount. Oh.
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Welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. Coming up on the show today, follow up from the release of the Epstein birthday book, Trump launching Operation Midway blitz in Chicago, and an 80s classic returning to the big screen. We start, though, with breaking news out of the Middle East. Israel has carried out a strike in Doha, the capital of Qatar, hitting what officials say was Hamas's residential headquarters there. That is according to both Israeli and US Officials who spoke with NBC News. Striking inside Qatar marks a major escalation, raising fears the conflict could spill even wider across the region. And it is especially significant because Qatar is not just a US Ally, it has also been one of the main brokers trying to mediate between Israel and Hamas in Gaza today. Israel is also moving forward with their military operation in Gaza City. They ordered all residents to leave the plan here to drive all Palestinian residents from that area as fears are mounting for the further instability inside that region. I want to bring in NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Richard Engel. Hi, Richard. Welcome back for the second day in a row.
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Hey, it's good to be with you as always, a lot to talk about today.
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I want to start, if we can, with this strike inside Qatar, which is, I mean, really a strike of this magnitude in the way in which they carry it out is unprecedented, isn't it?
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It's unprecedented because it's in Qatar. Israel has carried out strikes in other countries against Hamas leaders. It it in Iran. And Israel has carried out assassination attempts and assassinations in the United Arab Emirates, in Jordan, going back a few years now. But those were more up close and personal. They had agents on the ground spraying poison or in one case, you know, posing as a sportsman and going into a hotel room and killing the person they were going after. So more cloak and dagger kind of operations. This was an airstrike in the middle of the day on a friendly country that is in the midst of trying to broker peace negotiations to stop the fighting in Gaza. At the request of the United States, the US has been pushing for these negotiations. So it's unprecedented in that context.
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Do we have Any sense if the people that were killed in this attack or targeted in this attack were a part of the delegation that were negotiating any type of ceasefire at this stage.
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I really can't say anything definitively about who was killed or who wasn't killed. I know who are the top Hamas leaders, and I know who are the top Hamas leaders who tend to be in that building and who may have been in the meeting. But there have been conflicting reports. Several sources are now coming out and saying that the top Hamas leaders survived, that it killed the son of one Hamas leader and an aide to another, but that the core leadership of Hamas in this office in Doha, in these apartments, a residential compound, that they survived. But I don't know if that's true or not. It's also important to understand why Hamas has an office in Doha. You know, a lot of people might be listening and thinking, well, why the hell would Qatar allow Hamas to have an office there to begin with? It's the political wing, and according to many Qatari officials that I've been speaking to for years, it was at the US Request that Hamas be allowed to have a political office in Doha so that you could facilitate conversations with Hamas and diplomacy. You need to have some place to carry out negotiations even with your enemy. And the people who were among the first to react to this were the hostage families here in Israel who were very distressed that this attack took place because they were hopeful that through the Qatari mediation, through this, this diplomatic office of Hamas, that their loved ones could get out. But according to the Prime Minister Netanyahu, when this attack happened yesterday, a line had been crossed and it pushed the launch button.
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We know, Richard, that Israel's already said they carried out this strike in Qatar unilaterally and that they told the United States before they carried out this strike. Whether or not the United States condoned it, I think, is the question. What do you think actually happened here?
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So the way it's been described to two U.S. officials, and this is according to reporting NBC is getting out of the Pentagon, is that Israel carried it out unilaterally. And that's what Israel says, but that they gave the US A heads up. I don't know how much ahead of time, but it was described as not much of a heads up. And Qatar apparently does believe this. And that's a way for Israel to say, we did this, we own this, but gave the heads up to the US because the US Would have noticed these incoming jets anyway.
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Right.
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And if you're a bunch of jets are flying in to a capital, there's a strong possibility the US could have shot them down. So you would have had to alert some people. Otherwise you can get into a firefight with your friends.
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But Qatar's going a step further in saying that Israel sought to actually undermine the US And Qatar's negotiations with Hamas. These ongoing ceasefire negotiations and with the United States was looking for a response from Hamas so they could pause this war.
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So there we're already seeing sort of Qatar's emerging position on this, that they're saying we were in the midst of these negotiations. President Trump has been insisting on these negotiations, and Qatar is saying Israel just slapped you in the face. That we were in the midst of talking. President Trump, you asked for these negotiations. We were trying to do it. And then you bombed the negotiators. There are people here saying that this was a disingenuous negotiating process and that the intention, intention all along was to strike.
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Why would at this point, Qatar continue to act as a mediator, considering this has now happened? And or why would Hamas now agree to any type of ceasefire deal and the return of all the hostages, considering this most recent targeting?
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Well, the incentive is Israeli troops are bearing down on Gaza City right now. I'm sure there are many people in the United States and elsewhere who believe that Israel is going to do this operation anyway. Right. So if people think that negotiations can really happen and stop an escalation and potentially get the hostages out alive, then you push forward with the talks. If you believe that the talks are just a ruse and that maybe they were even a trap, that they were used to somehow, you know, get all these people together so that they could be attacked or that it was used as a cover, then you draw a different calculation. So all of this is being discussed right now, and I just spoke with a senior Qatari official, and obviously the mediation efforts today aren't going on, but he said that they're figuring out what to do. They're still looking at it, to seeing if Qatar wants to stay in this role or not. And I think there are a lot of people in Qatar who were shocked by what happened. They did not think that there would be an Israeli airstrike in downtown Doha in the midst of talk of reaching a ceasefire agreement. They didn't see it coming.
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Richard Engel, thank you.
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Thank you.
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All right, we are going to take a quick break. Coming up, the birthday book.
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This week only on Meet the Press, as President Trump tests the legal limits of his power from trade to immigration. Kristen Welker sits down with Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, Governor Wes Moore and Senator Cory Booker. Plus, Steve Kornacki breaks down a new poll this week only on MEET THE press. Listen to the full episode now wherever you get your podcasts.
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This Supreme Court term isn't business as usual. It's a full blown battle over democracy. Justices are shattering precedent, grabbing power and even turning on their own. It's messy, it's high stakes and it's already reshaping how this country works. And our podcast, Strict Scrutiny breaks it all down legally, clearly, and with just the right amount of side eye. New episodes drop every Monday. Subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.
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And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. Drip, drip, drip. The House Oversight Committee releasing another trove of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein yesterday, including the so called birthday book. That is the collection of messages compiled for Epstein's 50th birthday and it included a lewd drawing allegedly done by President Trump. The family of one of Epstein's victims commended oversight for the release, saying it helped bring transparency to the case. Trump, meanwhile, is denying having anything to do with the note or with the book. For more on this, I want to bring in my colleague Garrett Hake, who actually spoke to the president this morning. Garrett is our senior White House correspondent and he's joining me now. Hi, Garrett.
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Hey, Yasmin.
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So let's talk about this because if we kind of paint the picture for our listeners right, it is the silhouette of what seems to be a woman within this birthday book in which the president allegedly wrote this note for Jeffrey Epstein on his 50th birthday. And it is odd. It's kind of this back and forth between Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump. Part of it says this. Donald says, we have certain things in common, Jeffrey. And Jeffrey says, yes, we do, come to think of it. And Donald says, enigmas never age. Have you noticed that? And Jeffrey says, as a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you. And Donald says, a pal is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret. So this came out yesterday as part of this birthday book, along with a lot of other notable figures who were included in this birthday book. But you called the president this morning to ask him about this. What do you say?
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It was a short conversation, Yasmin, befitting the fact that the president desperately wants this story to be behind him. He called it a dead issue. That's not really in keeping with the fact that he still has $10 billion with a B of litigation pending against the Wall Street Journal, who first reported the existence of this letter. But it does sort of track politically. You know, this is someone who, during the campaign talked about releasing all the Epstein files, now calls the whole matter a Democratic hoax. He wants to keep Republicans on side and try to move on from this story as much as possible. That much was clear.
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So, Garrett, a big part of his denial has been the President, along with his staff, saying, that is not his signature. But if you think back through the timeline of their relationship, they actually were friends at this point, even though they had a falling out later on.
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Yeah, I mean, look, there are two parts to this. Obviously. Yes, the President and Jeffrey Epstein had some degree of friendship or relationship for decades. And the President has really tried everything he can to not acknowledge that fact, despite the fact that he had Epstein appear together on tape, that Epstein, I believe, was a guest at his wedding. But acknowledging that puts the President in a different, a more difficult position, and he's chosen to not do so. I think, you know, we'll see kind of as time goes on here, perhaps to his detriment. I mean, you kind of wonder what life is like on Earth, too, where the President said, yes, you know, I was friends with him. I did write this letter, but then I found out he's a scumbag, and I don't have anything to do with him anymore. Whether this would even still be a story now that this book could come out, that's not the route they've chosen to go. They've chosen to go this route of suggesting this letter is some level of forgery, that it's either not really President Trump who wrote it, or not really President Trump who signed it. They have launched thousands of amateur handwriting analysts onto the Internet to compare all of the signatures we've seen from Donald Trump going back decades, of which there are a multitude, given his habit of writing and signing letters with the Sharpie, something that we're all very familiar with. And so now, essentially, their defense boils down to somebody forged this letter with a signature that looks a lot like some of Donald Trump's signatures from that time period, but perhaps not like all of them. Take it or leave it.
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Another name that surfaced is former President Bill Clinton, who allegedly wrote a note for the book saying Epstein had, quote, childlike curiosity and a drive to make a difference. Clinton, by the way, has not responded to a request for comment, but he has previously denied any knowledge of the terrible crimes that Epstein pled guilty to. Is there any indication, Garrett, that Trump's team is kind of trying to point to the direction of Bill Clinton to get the attention away from.
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From himself right now, not from within the White House. I think there's probably some of that from sort of the greater MAGA universe that's interested in this story online. But acknowledging that the letter, or suggesting that the letter from Bill Clinton is real, I think would only create more pressure to say, well, how is it in this book that that's a real thing? But the letter from Donald Trump is. Requires the listener to accept an even deeper level of conspiracy to clear the president. If you acknowledge that the Clinton letter.
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Is real, Garrett, we know the association exists at this point. Right. We know President Trump was at parties with Jeffrey Epstein. He has faced repeated scrutiny over his moral ambiguity and his sexual exploits, and he has won. Right. He was reelected as President of the United States. Why not just release everything so the noise goes away if there is no real there there?
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Yeah, I mean, it's a great question, and I think it's a question better presented to the White House because I think that's true. I mean, I don't think you can argue that the American voters kind of didn't, to some degree know what they were getting with Donald Trump in terms of sort of the way he talks and thinks about women. I mean, going back to the Access Hollywood tape, I mean, there's so many elements of that that, you know, of the different things that Trump has said and done in the interviewing years that have been disputed. But the general pattern, I think, has largely been pretty clear, and voters have said, yes, we understand that, and want him to be President of the United States. He won the popular vote in 2024. But I don't know. Any answer I could give would be pure speculation, except to say that it is very clear that the White House has not and has shown no interest in taking that route. And that, by the way, is also consistent with Donald Trump that sort of, once he decides he's going to fight on something, there is no backing down and certainly no apology. And that's been true across. You know, you picked the issue set.
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Garrett Hake, thank you.
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Always a pleasure.
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Let's get to some headlines. We're keeping an eye on the fallout from that massive immigration raid at Hyundai's new plant in Georgia. And the diplomatic tensions are still spilling over. South Korea pushed hard and says they managed to secure the release of more than 300 of their citizens that were detained by ICE. The South Korean government even arranged a charter flight to get them back to the country. Meanwhile, construction of the Hyundai LG battery plant is stalled, throwing the project's timeline into question and putting a fresh spotlight on how the US Handles visas for skilled foreign workers. Our NBC News Foreign Correspondent Janice McIfrere is reporting on the reaction inside the country.
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There is fury here in South Korea, the images of these workers in handcuffs and chains being lined up like criminals. I'm in Seoul and it's all over the news channels and newspapers, this sense of shock, even betrayal. South Korean companies have invested in the US Economy. So for people here, the way the raid happened in Georgia has recast what's been a deep and long running alliance into something they don't recognize anymore. So in that sense, there's quite a lot at stake.
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President Trump told reporters that the raid hadn't dinged relations and that ICE was doing the right thing. I think though, it is safe to say we're going to be talking with Janice a lot in the coming days about the continued repercussions here. Meanwhile, back home in Chicago, the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Midway Blitz yesterday and is planning to move on to the rest of Illinois next. It is targeting undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city received no notice of the operation. The DHS announcement didn't mention using the National Guard, which President Donald Trump has publicly talked about. According to Zillow, the US housing market just hit a jaw dropping milestone. $55 trillion in total value. That is $20 trillion more than back in 2020. Basically the market found a money printer and smashed the on button. But before you go listing your house on Zillow and pricing it like a Manhattan penthouse, growth has slowed way down over the past year, just 1.6%. And the gains are not keeping up either. The Northeast, think New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania are all cashing in. While parts of the country that saw a pandemic boom like Florida, California and Texas are losing steam. Blame it on soaring insurance premiums, rising property taxes and shifting demand. So yes, the housing market is still worth a record fortune. Just do not expect the rocket ship to keep flying. Straight up real life succession is finally over. After the Murdoch family settled, who will take over the media empire that includes includes the Wall Street Journal and Fox News Corps? Here's a hint.
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It doesn't even make any sense. I'm the youngest boy.
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It turns out sometimes it does pay to be the eldest boy. Lachlan Murdoch, the oldest son of Rupert Murdoch, is going to take over the family business. So Here is the deal. Prudence, Elizabeth and James Murdoch are cashing out, each walking away with about $1.1 billion. Not too bad, leaving Lachlan firmly in charge. On top of that, you got a brand new $3.3 billion family trust to set up for Laughlin, Grace and Chloe Murdoch. Those are the two kids from Rupert's third marriage. Reuters says the agreement was finalized Monday, finally closing the book on the family power struggle. Translation the succession theme music can fade out now. Break out the neon and the aqua net. St. Elmo's Fire is storming back into theaters this October for its 40th anniversary. The brat Pack classic starring Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez and crew is getting the full 4K restoration treatment. It is a one week chance to relive all the friendship, the heartbreak, the feathered hair and saxophone heavy soundtrack that your 80s loving heart desires. If you've been waiting to feel like a man in motion again, consider this your invitation. All right, that's gonna do it for us at here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. We'll be back here tomorrow with whatever the day may bring.
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