House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed on Thursday to go after members of President Donald Trump’s administration — essentially weaponizing the government against political opponents — while at the same time complaining that Trump was doing exactly that. Speaking to left-wing MSNBC host Chris Hayes, Jeffries complained about the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last year upholding a key aspect of the Constitution’s provision granting presidents wide immunity from legal actions taken while in office. But he then threatened to move against Trump administration officials if Democrats take power again.
“There are so many corrupt sycophants within the Trump administration, including but not limited to, within the Department of Justice. Now these people don’t have immunity, and the reality is, the statute of limitations is five years. And there will be accountability with the next administration if not before, when Democrats take back control of the House of Representatives.”
Jeffries’ threat comes amid a couple of high-profile indictments by the Justice Department of noted anti-Trump figures.
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Last month, fired FBI Director James Comey was charged with lying to Congress and obstructing justice. And on Thursday, New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted on allegations of mortgage fraud.
Meanwhile, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff is also under investigation by the DOJ for similar allegations of mortgage fraud.
Also, a Democrat whistleblower’s allegations, backed by newly declassified FBI interview reports, are now threatening to upend Schiff’s political career.
If the whistleblower’s account is accurate and prosecutors pursue the case, Schiff could face not only career-ending political consequences but also staggering financial penalties and lengthy prison terms.
A longtime intelligence officer who served on the House Intelligence Committee under Democratic leadership for more than a decade repeatedly warned the FBI starting in 2017 that then-Rep. Schiff had authorized the leaking of classified information related to the Trump-Russia investigation, according to FBI memos obtained by Just the News.
The documents, which were recently turned over to Congress by current FBI Director Kash Patel, allege that the leaks were part of an effort to discredit then-President Donald Trump
amid the now-disproven “Russiagate” controversy.
FBI 302 interview reports obtained by Just the News this week indicate that the intelligence staffer — a registered Democrat who described himself as a friend to both then-Rep. Adam Schiff and former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes — viewed the alleged classified leaks as “unethical,” “illegal,” and “treasonous.”
According to the reports, the staffer said he was told not to be concerned because Schiff believed he would be protected from prosecution under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause, which shields members of Congress for actions taken in the course of legislative duties.
In a 2023 interview with FBI agents from the bureau’s St. Louis field office, the whistleblower — whose name was redacted in the documents — stated that he personally attended a meeting where Schiff authorized the release of classified information, according to the reports.
“When working in this capacity, [redacted staffer’s name] was called to an all-staff meeting by SCHIFF,” the interview report said. “In this meeting, SCHIFF stated the group would leak classified information which was derogatory to President of the United States DONALD J. TRUMP. SCHIFF stated the information would be used to indict President TRUMP.”
The whistleblower told investigators that he “stated this would be illegal and, upon hearing his concerns, unnamed members of the meeting reassured that they would not be caught leaking classified information,” the 2023 interview report said.
The staff member made similar claims to agents in the FBI’s Washington field office as early as 2017, shortly after Trump began his first term.
“For years, certain officials used their positions to selectively leak classified information to shape political narratives,” FBI Director Kash Patel told the outlet.
Billionaire tech magnate Larry Ellison and his son, David Ellison, are at the center of a political and corporate drama that could redefine American media—and the fate of CNN.
According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, the Ellisons have privately assured President Donald Trump that if their company, Paramount Global, succeeds in its $108 billion hostile takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), they will impose sweeping reforms at CNN, the network Trump has long branded “fake news.”
The competing bid comes just days after Netflix reached a $72 billion agreement to acquire Warner’s film and HBO assets. Crucially, the Netflix proposal does not include CNN, which would be spun off into a separate company under its deal structure.
By contrast, Paramount’s offer explicitly includes CNN—and the Ellisons have made clear they intend to remake it from the ground up.
The Wall Street Journal reported that during private meetings in Washington, David Ellison told senior Trump officials that under Paramount ownership, CNN would undergo a “fundamental cultural and editorial overhaul.” His father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, discussed firing prominent CNN anchors such as Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar, two figures Trump has publicly criticized.
“The president wants new ownership of CNN and changes to CNN programming,” one White House official said. “He thinks the current leadership is openly hostile and believes a sale is long overdue.”
Both Ellisons have worked to cultivate Trump’s confidence as the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division—which reports to the president—will ultimately decide whether either deal is approved. The father-son duo were seen with Trump in the presidential box at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, just 48 hours before Paramount’s counteroffer was announced.
According to The Guardian, Larry Ellison personally phoned the president after the Netflix-Warner announcement to argue that a Netflix acquisition “would hand Silicon Valley near-total control over streaming media” and stifle competition.
David Ellison has publicly described his vision for CNN and CBS News under a single, merged news division. In a CNBC interview, he said Paramount’s goal is to “build a scaled news service that is in the trust business, in the truth business, that speaks to the 70 percent of Americans in the middle.”
The Ellison plan would place the combined CNN–CBS News operation under the direction of Bari Weiss, the former New York Times columnist who recently took over as CBS News editor-in-chief and has rebranded the network as “anti-woke.” Her first major move was hiring Matt Gutman, formerly of ABC News, as CBS’s chief correspondent across CBS Mornings, CBS Evening News, and 48 Hours.
Recently, Gutman drew sharp criticism for remarks made while covering the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. During a live broadcast, he described text messages released between the alleged killer and his romantic partner as “very touching” and
“intimate,” casting them in a sympathetic light despite the gravity of the crime.
Within 24 hours, Gutman issued an apology on social media, stating he “deeply regretted” that his words could be construed as insensitive, and asserting that he unequivocally condemns the assassination and the pain caused to Kirk’s family and supporters.
The Ellisons’ proposed acquisition would realign CNN with this alleged “post-woke” CBS ethos—one aimed squarely at restoring what David Ellison calls “viewer trust.”
Despite the outburst, aides say Trump remains open to the Paramount bid—particularly given that it includes CNN, unlike the Netflix plan. The president has privately told advisers he wants “real reform” at CNN and believes a Paramount acquisition could finally bring accountability to what he views as a hostile outlet.
At a White House roundtable Monday, Trump said, “I know the companies very well. I know what they’re doing. But I have to see what percentage of market they have. None of them are particularly great friends of mine. I want to do what’s right.”
The proposed megadeals have already triggered rare bipartisan alarm. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called both mergers “anti-monopoly nightmares,” while Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) warned that such consolidation “would shrink consumer choice and silence independent voices.”
A Wall Street Journal political newsletter summed up the moment succinctly: “Both Netflix and Paramount are acting like the fate of any multibillion-dollar deal runs through the Oval Office—because it does.”