Judge denies request to unseal transcripts from grand jury that indicted Ghislaine Maxwell

Judge denies request to unseal transcripts from grand jury that indicted Ghislaine Maxwell

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Transcripts of the secret grand jury testimony that led to the sex trafficking indictment of Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell won’t be released, a judge decided Monday.

Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said in a written ruling that the government had suggested that the materials could be released publicly “casually or promiscuously,” which would risk “unraveling the foundations of secrecy upon which the grand jury is premised” and eroding confidence by persons called to testify before future grand juries,

“And it is no answer to argue that releasing the grand jury materials, because they are redundant of the evidence at Maxwell’s trial, would be innocuous. The same could be said for almost any grand jury testimony, by summary witnesses or others, given in support of charges that later proceeded to trial,” he added.

Federal prosecutors had asked to unseal the documents, in an effort to calm a whirlpool of suspicions about what the government knows about Epstein, a well-connected financier who died behind bars while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell, his socialite ex-girlfriend, was later convicted of helping him prey on underage girls.

It’s unclear how much the transcripts would have revealed since the Justice Department has acknowledged that they contained no testimony from witnesses who were not members of law enforcement.

Maxwell recently was interviewed by the Justice Department and was moved from a prison in Florida to a prison camp in Texas. Her attorney says she testified truthfully.

Prosecutors have said much of what was discussed behind the grand jury’s closed doors ultimately became public at Maxwell’s 2021 trial in 2021, in victims’ civil lawsuits or in public statements from victims and witnesses. The only grand jury witnesses were law enforcement officers.

The decision about the grand jury transcripts doesn’t affect thousands of other pages that the government possesses but has declined to release. The Justice Department has said much of the material was court-sealed to protect victims and little of it would have come out if Epstein had gone to trial.

Another federal judge still is weighing whether to release the transcripts from the grand jury testimony that led to Epstein’s indictment.

A federal judge in Florida declined to release grand jury documents from an investigation there in 2005 and 2007.

Some Epstein victims supported releasing the grand jury transcripts with some redactions. Other accusers said the debate over the material was causing them anguish.

Maxwell, who’s appealing her conviction, opposed unsealing the documents. Her lawyers said she hasn’t seen them but believed they were full of questionable statements that her defense had no opportunity to challenge.

The Epstein saga has again become a national flashpoint six years after authorities said the financier killed himself. The 66-year-old was facing federal sex trafficking charges involving dozens of teenage girls and young women, some as young as 14.

Epstein already had served jail time and registered as a sex offender after pleading guilty to Florida prostitution offenses in a 2008 deal that let him avoid federal charges at the time.

President Donald Trump later raised questions about Epstein’s death, and Trump allies stoked conspiracy theories that dark secrets were covered up to protect powerful people. Some of those allies got powerful positions in Trump’s Justice Department and promised to pull back the curtain on the Epstein investigation — but then announced this summer that nothing more would be released and that a long-rumored Epstein “client list” doesn’t exist.

The about-face only amplified the clamor for transparency. After trying unsuccessfully to change the subject and denigrating his own supporters for not moving on, the president told Attorney General Pam Bondi to ask courts to unseal the grand jury transcripts.

Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed the Justice Department for files in the case. The committee also issued subpoenas to conduct sworn questioning of former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and eight former top law enforcement officials.

Bill Clinton, a Democrat, was one of Epstein’s many famous former friends. So was Trump, a Republican. Both men have said they knew nothing of Epstein’s crimes until he was charged, and Epstein’s accusers have not alleged any wrongdoing by Trump or Clinton.

Deconstructed Burger Bowls

Deconstructed Burger Bowls

This recipe is a great way to mix up your dinner menu with a healthy spin on a favorite classic. These burger bowls are great for prepping in advance and super easy to customize.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef or turkey
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 head of lettuce, chopped roughly
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • a few pickles
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 tsp cooking oil
  • 1-2 russets potatoes, diced
  • condiments of your choice

Instructions

1. Cook the meat
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook meat thoroughly until it is browned. About halfway trough cooking, mix spices in a separate bowl and incorporate about 1/2 of the spice mixture into the meat.

2. Cook the potatoes
Dice potatoes and cook over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes in a skillet.

3. Prep the veggies
Dice onion and tomato and roughly chop lettuce. Do the same for other toppings of your choice that require preparation.

4. Assemble bowls
Create your burger bowl, adding meat, potatoes and veggies to your preference, as well as condiments.

5. Serve it hot
Enjoy right away and store leftovers in separate containers in the fridge for easy repeat meals.

August 11th 2025

August 11th 2025

Thought of the Day

August 11th 2024
Photo by Getty Images

When you can think of yesterday without regret and of tomorrow without fear, then you are on the road to success.

Walden: N.C. economy still strong despite national slowdown

Walden: N.C. economy still strong despite national slowdown

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — While the national economy shows signs of slowing, North Carolina remains in good shape, according to N.C. State University Economist Emeritus Dr. Mike Walden.

Walden, the guest on this week’s Carolina Newsmakers, said tracking the effectiveness of tariffs is challenging and most economists did not expect the U.S. to be in its current position. He noted that President Donald Trump’s administration has taken a new approach to trade policy.

Trump on Thursday imposed higher import taxes on more than 60 countries and the European Union, with rates of 10% or higher. Products from the EU, Japan and South Korea are taxed at 15%, while imports from Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangladesh face 20% tariffs. Walden said the trade policies in place for the last 80 years no longer work in today’s global economy.

Walden acknowledged that tariffs are causing some economic pains and that Trump anticipates a period of adjustment as companies adapt to the new taxes. Businesses that import goods from other countries incur the tariffs directly, Walden said, leaving them to either absorb the cost, raise prices or accept lower returns.

So far, many companies are absorbing the added expense, but Walden said that will not continue indefinitely.

Despite the potential for short-term disruption, Walden said the tariffs are unlikely to push the U.S. into a recession in the immediate future. The White House believes the policy will provide clarity and spur new investment, helping restore the nation’s position as a manufacturing power.

Mike Walden is the guest on this week’s edition of Carolina Newsmakers, airing Sunday at 7 a.m. on WPTF and this weekend on many NCN stations.

Salvia: A colorful, hardy favorite for Carolina gardens

Salvia: A colorful, hardy favorite for Carolina gardens

By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener

Everyone should have some type of salvia in their landscape. Sage advice, I must say, if you like puns that is! Salvia also is known for its medicinal qualities for oral health, digestion problems and cognitive issues. I for one have never considered eating salvia. Sage is, of course, considered a culinary herb, so I suppose I have eaten some over the years.

There are over a thousand salvia species and just as many cultivars and hybrids. Just like several plants I have in my yard, salvia is part of the mint family. Most salvia flowers don’t have fragrance, however their foliage does. Salvia is also a pollinator favorite. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds just love the taste of salvia. It thrives in full sun, but can also take partial shade. I think six to eight hours of sun works best. Some of the lighter colored varieties that might need a little afternoon shade in the summer.

Like just about every plant we enjoy here in North Carolina, salvia needs a well-drained soil. When planting, use some type of organic matter.

We often have drought conditions in North Carolina somewhere in the state each year. Salvia is a flower that adapts to these conditions once established. You should water salvia on a regular basis till established and during dry times.

Normally one would plant salvia after the average last frost in your area. In Raleigh that average date is April 15th. Break up the soil and dig the whole twice as wide as the rootball and about as deep. Add organic matter. Before placing the rootball in the hole, loosen the roots a bit and then plant with the top of the rootball level with the top of the soil surface. Fill in the soil mixed with organic matter and tamp down. It is always good to add 2 or 3 inches of mulch to the surface around the plant to protect the root system and preserve moisture.

I wouldn’t worry too much about fertilizing salvia if you’ve done your proper prep work, and normally I worry about everything. If you are overwhelmed with the urge to fertilize any plant, use a balanced, slow-release type.

Be cognizant of spent blooms in flowering plants. Salvia varieties will need some deadheading to encourage more blooms. Blooms give you more pleasure and then plants are more cost effective.

Summer pests might include aphids and spider mites. You may also experience some fungal disease problems especially with our summer humidity. The folks at NC State tell me salvia doesn’t seem to be a deer’s favorite food. However, Anne Clapp used to point out that when deer are hungry, they are likely to eat most any plant.

There are perennial and annual varieties of salvia. While most of these lovely plants we enjoy are not native to North Carolina, there are a few that are: Lyreleaf Sage, Azure Blue Sage and Nettleleaf Sage are among the varieties native to the “Tar Heel State”. However, salvia standards used by most of us in North Carolina include Salvia splendens, Salvia France’s, and Salvia leucantha. I love the Azure Blue and Scarlet Sage which are extraordinary red salvia and “Wolfpack” fans will dig the most. Many salvia varieties are native to places like the Mediterranean and Mexico.

We have spoken often on the “Weekend Gardener” about year round color in the landscape. Salvia will lend brilliant color to your yard from late April to the last frost of the year. And your favorite pollinators will thank you.

Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is on the defensive in Virginia’s race for governor

Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is on the defensive in Virginia’s race for governor

By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America

HOPEWELL, Va. (AP) — Against an olive drab backdrop in a barbecue joint filled with the aroma of pulled pork and the sweat of a Virginia summer, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears told voters she was running her campaign for governor like a military-style operation.

The lieutenant governor, a former Marine, said she would protect Virginia just as she did America. The way the Earle-Sears tells it, not all attacks come from soldiers.

Earlier that day, she was asked on national television why Republican President Donald Trump had not endorsed her and whether she stood by her description of him as liability back in 2022, before his return to the Oval Office about two years later. She challenged the question as backward-looking and called the interview by CNN’s Manu Raju a trap. The interview quickly unraveled into a squabble.

“They ambushed me to talk about things that are so in the past, when we’ve got to move forward,” she told a crowd gathered at Saucy’s Sit-Down Bar.B.Q, a mainstay in Hopewell.

Her words in both settings, while cast in military terms, reflected a campaign on the defensive.

Underfunded and lacking unity

Earle-Sears, who faces Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman, in November, is taking her “Operation Defend & Deliver” campaign across the state. The off-year election all but guarantees that Virginia will have its first female governor in a race that offers an early sense of voter sentiment before the 2026 midterms.

An Earle-Sears victory also would make her the first Black woman to serve as a governor, according to the Center for American Women in Politics. But that feels like a distant prospect at the moment.

The nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project says Spanberger has raised more than $27 million so far, with more than $15 million on hand. Nearly every Democrat in Virginia politics has pledged to support her. When Democrats Ghazala Hashmi and Jay Jones won their respective primary races for lieutenant governor and attorney general, the three nominees went on a bus tour across Virginia.

Earle-Sears’ ticket lacks that kind of unity, though that is not entirely of her doing.

Once the Republican statewide nominees had solidified before the June primaries, GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin asked John Reid, the candidate for lieutenant governor, to leave the ticket after opposition research linked him to a social media account with sexually explicit photos. Reid denied the allegations and refused to step down, but a rally for the statewide ticket was canceled.

After that, the three top Republican candidates did not campaign together for months.

Earle-Sears’ campaign, meanwhile, has had its own challenges.

This summer, a pastor with little political experience stepped down from managing her campaign, and her team has failed to gain traction with big money donors. Attorney General Jason Miyares, seeking a second term, has raised nearly as much money, with roughly $2 million short of the lieutenant governor. He has more in the bank — nearly $7 million compared with almost $5 million for Earle-Sears.

One of her biggest donors, a political action committee tied to the Republican Governors Association, gave $500,000 to her campaign in June. But by this time in August 2021, the association had donated more than $2 million to Youngkin’s campaign.

Responding to written questions about the donations, a spokesperson for the association said: “Winsome Earle-Sears is the only candidate in this race who will keep Virginia on the right track forged by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Under their leadership, parents’ rights have been protected, Virginia’s economy is growing, and communities are safe.”

Youngkin, who is term-limited, has offered more than $21,000 in support to Earle-Sears through his political action committee between March and June.

When asked in June whether he would give more, his PAC said the governor was “working to elect the entire GOP ticket and is urging all Virginians to support the commonsense team this November to keep Virginia winning.”

Tepid support from Trump

Republicans went into this election facing tough sledding in swing-state Virginia. Ever since Democrat Jimmy Carter won the White House in 1976, Virginia has backed a governor from the opposite party of a first-term president in the following year. Whatever the outcome in Virginia, 2025 is a special case, given the gap between Trump’s terms.

Trump stopped short of an outright endorsement when asked last weekend about supporting Earle-Sears.

“I mean, I would,” he said. “I think probably she’s got a tough race. … She shouldn’t have, because the candidate she’s running against is not very good, but I think she’s got a tough race. But I would.”

Many state Republicans are more forceful about standing behind their nominee.

At the Hopewell gathering, Republican Dels. Mike Cherry and Scott Wyatt, who are seeking reelection, urged voters to back the lieutenant governor. In a prayer, Cherry asked God to “imbue her with strength and stamina for the days that are to come in the final, waning days of this election.” Wyatt encouraged voters to help Earle-Sears continue the successes of Youngkin’s administration.

Then Earle-Sears walked onto the stage, smiling and cracking jokes. She described a political climate where Democrats and the media were hitting her with everything they’ve got. She predicted that she would show them come November.

“How many of you have seen or read about the polls, which say I am 10 points down?” she said. “Don’t believe it.”

Not that she doesn’t need more money to make that happen.

“Are we going to pass the offering bucket?” Earle-Sears said to a chuckling crowd. “OK, see, you’re laughing again, and I’m not laughing because that’s what it’s going to take for us to win.”

Jen Pawol breaks MLB’s gender barrier as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game

Jen Pawol breaks MLB’s gender barrier as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Jen Pawol felt love and support from fans, family, peers and players as she made history as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the major leagues.

“It was amazing when we took the field,” Pawol said. “It seemed like quite a few people were clapping and calling my name. That was pretty intense and emotional.”

Pawol’s much-anticipated debut came as the first base umpire for Saturday’s first game of a split doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. It was a smooth debut.

“She did a good job,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “You can tell she knows what she does.”

Pawol said she had a group of about 30 friends and family members, including her father, at the game and she immediately identified a major difference of working in a major league stadium. Those familiar faces were not so easy to find at Truist Park.

“When I looked up they weren’t in the lower tier like in the minor leagues,” Pawol said. “When I looked up it took me a while. Whoa, they’re up there! I’ll never forget that. That was just awesome.

“The dream actually came true today. I’m still living in it. I’m so grateful to my family and Major League Baseball for creating such an incredible work environment. … I’m just so thankful.”

Pawol’s first real test came in the third inning of Atlanta’s 7-1 win when she called Braves catcher Sean Murphy safe on a close play. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough did not challenge the call.

Pawol also showed she will make animated calls. When Miami’s Xavier Edwards grounded into a double play in the third inning, Pawol pumped her fist and lifted her leg when she called Edwards out.

Pawol couldn’t help but notice her debut was being watched closely. Fans responded with a warm ovation when the video board focused on the umpire between innings, forcing her to take a quick glance at her image.

Pawol worked third base in the second game of the doubleheader. She will be in the spotlight when she calls pitches behind the plate in Sunday’s final game of the series. As a rover, she’ll then be waiting for her next assignment.

While she waits, the umpire cap she wore in her first game will be on the way to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“This is one of the proudest moments in all my career,” crew chief Chris Guccione said. “I’ve been blessed with working playoffs, I’ve worked two World Series, All-Star games, and this is right up there. It gives me chills even thinking about it. And the magnitude, it just hit me just now the magnitude of this thing and how hard she’s worked.

“This is just a great role model for girls and women out there and I’m just so proud of her. This is a special moment. I’m so proud of her.”

There was much anticipation for her historic debut on Saturday. A crowd of photographers gathered while waiting for the umpires to walk onto the field from their entry ramp near the Marlins dugout.

McCullough and Braves bench coach Walt Weiss greeted Pawol when lineups were exchanged at home plate before the game. Pawol then jogged down the first base line. She shook hands with Marlins first base coach Tyler Smarslok before taking her position on the right field line for the first pitch.

Pawol said Thursday she was “overcome with emotion” when notified she would make her Major League Baseball debut this weekend.

Pawol, 48, has been working in the minor leagues since she was assigned to the Gulf Coast League in 2016. She was assigned the Triple-A championship game in 2023 and worked spring training games in 2024 and again this year.

“Anytime anybody grinds their way through the minor leagues, I don’t care who it is, that’s a tough thing,” Snitker said. “I’m happy for anybody who grinds it out.”

Asked if she is prepared for a confrontation with a manager upset about a call, including some known to kick dirt onto umpires, Pawol said it wouldn’t be the first time.

“More than dozens of times,” she said. “It doesn’t go very well for him. The night is usually over for him. It’s just part of the game.”

Pawol, who is from New Jersey, had only a few days to prepare for Saturday’s doubleheader. She said she was told of her long-awaited promotion during a Wednesday conference call with director of umpire development Rich Rieker and vice president of umpire operations Matt McKendry.

Pawol was a three-time all-conference softball selection pick at Hofstra. She worked as an NCAA softball umpire from 2010-16.

Pawol’s rise to make MLB history came 28 years after the NBA gender barrier for game officials was broken and 10 years after the NFL hired its first full-time female official. The men’s soccer World Cup first hired a female referee three years ago. The NHL has not had any women as on-ice officials.

CDC shooter believed COVID vaccine made him suicidal, his father tells police

CDC shooter believed COVID vaccine made him suicidal, his father tells police

By JEFF AMY and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia man who opened fire on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters, shooting dozens of rounds into the sprawling complex and killing a police officer, had blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Saturday.

The 30-year-old shooter also tried to get into the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta but was stopped by guards before driving to a pharmacy across the street and opening fire late Friday afternoon, the official said. He was armed with five guns, including at least one long gun, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.

Bullet holes are visible at the door of a CVS pharmacy near where police say a man was shooting at the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Friday. (AP video: Jeff Amy)

DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was mortally wounded while responding.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whose skepticism of vaccines has been a cornerstone of his career, voiced support for CDC employees Saturday. But some laid-off CDC employees said Kennedy shares responsibility for the violence and should resign.

CDC shooter identified

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation named Patrick Joseph White as the shooter, but authorities haven’t said whether he was killed by police or killed himself.

The suspect’s father contacted police and identified his son as the possible shooter, the law enforcement official told AP. The father said his son had been upset over the death of the son’s dog, and he had also become fixated on the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the official. The family lives in Kennesaw, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of CDC headquarters.

A voicemail left at a phone number listed publicly for White’s family wasn’t returned Saturday.

Employees at the CDC are shaken

The shooting left gaping bullet holes in windows across the CDC campus, where thousands work on critical disease research. Employees huddled under lockdown for hours while investigators gathered evidence. Staff was encouraged to work from home Monday or take leave.

At least four CDC buildings were hit, Director Susan Monarez said on X.

Sam Atkins, who lives in Stone Mountain, said outside the CVS pharmacy on Saturday that gun violence feels like “a fact of life” now. “This is an everyday thing that happens here in Georgia.”

Kennedy reaches out to staff

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at CDC’s Atlanta campus that took the life of officer David Rose,” Kennedy said Saturday. “We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others.”

Some rejected the expressions of solidarity Kennedy made in a “Dear colleagues” email, and called for his resignation.

“Kennedy is directly responsible for the villainization of CDC’s workforce through his continuous lies about science and vaccine safety, which have fueled a climate of hostility and mistrust,” said Fired But Fighting, a group of laid-off employees opposing changes to the CDC by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Under Kennedy, CDC has laid off nearly 2,000 employees. Trump proposes cutting the agency’s budget in half next year, moving some CDC functions into a new Administration for a Healthy America. Kennedy has a history as a leader in the anti-vaccine movement, but he reached new prominence by spreading distrust of COVID-19 vaccines. For example, he called it “criminal medical malpractice” to give COVID-19 vaccines to children.

Kennedy parlayed that attention into a presidential bid and endorsement of Trump, leading to Trump naming him secretary. Kennedy continues to undercut the scientific consensus for vaccines, ordering $500 million cut from vaccine development funding on Tuesday.

Opponents say officials’ rhetoric contributed

Fired But Fighting also called for the resignation of Russell Vought, noting a video recorded before Trump appointed him Office of Management and Budget director with orders to dismantle much of the federal government.

“We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected,” Vought said in the video, obtained by ProPublica and the research group Documented. “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work, because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.”

A request for comment from Vought’s agency wasn’t returned.

This shooting was the “physical embodiment of the narrative that has taken over, attacking science, and attacking our federal workers,” said Sarah Boim, a former CDC communications staffer who was fired this year during a wave of terminations.

A distrust of COVID-19 vaccines

A neighbor of White told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that White spoke with her multiple times about his distrust of COVID-19 vaccines.

Nancy Hoalst, who lives on the same street as White’s family, said he seemed like a “good guy” while doing yard work and walking dogs for neighbors, but he would bring up vaccines even in unrelated conversations.

“He was very unsettled, and he very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people.” Hoalst told the Atlanta newspaper. “He emphatically believed that.”

But Hoalst said she never believed White would be violent: “I had no idea he thought he would take it out on the CDC.”

Slain officer leaves wife and 3 kids

Rose, 33, was a former Marine who served in Afghanistan, graduated from the police academy in March and “quickly earned the respect of his colleagues for his dedication, courage and professionalism,” DeKalb County said.

“This evening, there is a wife without a husband. There are three children, one unborn, without a father,” DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said.

Growing security concerns

Senior CDC leadership told some staff Saturday that they would do a full security assessment following the shooting, according to a conference call recording obtained by the AP.

One staffer said people felt like “sitting ducks” Friday. Another asked whether administrators had spoken with Kennedy and if they could speak to “the misinformation, the disinformation” that “caused this issue.”

It is clear CDC leaders fear employees could continue to be targeted. In a Saturday email obtained by the AP, CDC’s security office asked employees to scrape old CDC parking decals off their vehicles. The office said decals haven’t been required for some time.

___

Richer reported from Washington, D.C. Associated Press writer Anthony Izaguirre contributed from Albany, New York.

Trump has said abortion is a state issue. His judicial picks could shape it nationally for decades

Trump has said abortion is a state issue. His judicial picks could shape it nationally for decades

By CHRISTINE FERNANDO Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — One called abortion a “barbaric practice.” Another referred to himself as a “zealot” for the anti-abortion movement. Several have played prominent roles in defending their state’s abortion restrictions in court and in cases that have had national impact, including on access to medication abortion.

As President Donald Trump pushes the Senate to confirm his federal judicial nominees, a review by The Associated Press shows that roughly half of them have revealed anti-abortion views, been associated with anti-abortion groups or defended abortion restrictions.

Trump has offered shifting positions on the issue while indicating he wants to leave questions of abortion access to the states. But his court nominees will have lifetime appointments and be in position to roll back abortion access long after the Republican president leaves the White House.

Bernadette Meyler, a professor of constitutional law at Stanford University, said judicial nominations “are a way of federally shaping the abortion question without going through Congress or making a big, explicit statement.”

“It’s a way to cover up a little bit what is happening in the abortion sphere compared to legislation or executive orders that may be more visible, dramatic and spark more backlash,” she said.

Trump is having an enduring impact on the federal courts

Of the 17 judicial nominees so far in Trump’s second term, at least eight have argued in favor of abortion restrictions or against expanded abortion access. No such records could be found for the other nine, nor did the AP review find evidence that any of Trump’s judicial nominees support increased access to abortion.

“Every nominee of the President represents his promises to the American people and aligns with the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling,” a White House spokesman, Harrison Fields, said in a statement that referenced the 2022 decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade. “The Democrats’ extreme position on abortion was rejected in November in favor of President Trump’s commonsense approach, which allows states to decide, supports the sanctity of human life, and prevents taxpayer funding of abortion.”

Trump’s first term also had an enduring impact on the courts, appointing 234 judges. By the end of that term, more than one-quarter of active federal judges were nominated by Trump, including three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade.

Challenging abortion care, medication, Planned Parenthood

In his second term, all but five of his 17 nominees are from states that went for Trump in 2024 and where Republicans have pushed severe abortion restrictions. Among them, four nominees are from Missouri and five are from Florida.

Here is a look at the nominees who have tried to reduce abortion access or have advocated for restrictions. They did not respond to requests for comment:

— Whitney Hermandorfer, who has been confirmed to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, has built much of her relatively short career as a lawyer around challenging former President Joe Biden’s policies related to abortion and transgender rights. She challenged a federal law requiring employers to provide workers with reasonable accommodations to get abortion care, as well as Title X regulations that required providers who receive funding through the program to give information about abortions to patients if asked.

Hermandorfer defended Tennessee’s abortion ban, one of the strictest in the country, in court and tried to dismiss a lawsuit from doctors seeking clarification on exemptions to the ban. She said abortion deserves special scrutiny because “this is the only medical procedure that terminates a life.”

— Maria Lanahan, a district court nominee in Missouri, helped write the state’s complaint in a lawsuit that had sweeping national implications for access to medication abortion. The case challenged the FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone despite decades of evidence showing the drug is safe and effective.

The lawyer supported Missouri’s effort to strip Planned Parenthood of state Medicaid funding and defended the state’s abortion ban after a group of clergy sued, arguing it violated the state constitution’s protections for religious freedom.

— Jordan Pratt, a nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, called abortion a “barbaric practice” and “one of the most severe invasions of personal rights imaginable” in an amicus brief supporting Florida’s 15-week abortion ban. The state now bans the procedure at six weeks.

In 2025, Pratt struck down a Florida law that created a judicial waiver program for minors seeking to have abortions without parental consent. The lawyer also worked for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal organization that opposes abortion and has sued to reverse the FDA approval of mifepristone.

— John Guard, also nominated to fill for the same district, defended Florida’s then-15-week abortion ban in court as the state’s chief deputy attorney general.

— Joshua Divine, a deputy solicitor general of Missouri who is nominated to be a district judge in the state, is currently representing Missouri in a case challenging the FDA approval of mifepristone. Divine co-authored the lawsuit, which includes misinformation about medication abortion, including that it “starves the baby to death in the womb.”

In his college newspaper, Divine described himself as a “zealot” for the anti-abortion movement, referred to abortion as “the killing of an innocent, genetically unique human being” and argued that life begins at fertilization.

He also stepped into a prominent role in the fight over abortion rights in the state after Missouri voters approved an abortion rights amendment in 2024. That amendment did not immediately override state laws. It left it up to abortion rights groups to ask courts to knock down abortion restrictions they believed were now unconstitutional. During the ensuing legal battles, Divine represented the state in defending a host of abortion restrictions.

— Chad Meredith, Trump’s nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, defended the state’s abortion ban and other restrictions while he was the state’s chief deputy general counsel. That included a law requiring doctors to perform ultrasounds and describe images to abortion patients.

— Bill Mercer, a Republican state lawmaker in Montana who is nominated for a U.S. District Court judgeship in the state, has repeatedly supported anti-abortion bills. Those include ones that sought to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy; require a 24-hour waiting period and mandatory ultrasounds for abortion patients; require parental notification for minors to get an abortion; prohibit the use of state funding for abortions; prohibit certain insurance policies from covering abortions; and restrict what types of medical professionals can dispense medication abortion.

— Jennifer Mascott, a lawyer in the White House Counsel’s Office and a Trump nominee to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, has spoken repeatedly about abortion law in panels and interviews.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Mascott in an interview on “Fox News Live” disagreed with the argument that the decision undermined the court’s legitimacy. She said abortion issues are “more appropriately decided” by the states, elected officials in Congress and people in their local communities.

Anti-abortion groups are optimistic based on Trump’s early nominees

Anti-abortion groups said it is premature to make broad conclusions about whether the nominees would help carry out their policy goals but that they were optimistic based on the names they have seen so far.

“We look forward to four more years of nominees cut from that mold,” said Katie Glenn Daniel, director of legal affairs for the national anti-abortion organization SBA Pro-Life America.

Kristi Hamrick, spokesperson for Students for Life, said she was hopeful the administration will continue nominating those “who will respect the rule of law.”

Abortion rights advocates said Trump is embedding abortion opponents into the judiciary one judge at a time.

Mini Timmaraju, president of the national abortion rights organization Reproductive Freedom for All, said the courts, until now, have largely been an effective option for advocates to challenge state abortion bans and restrictions.

“This just feeds into this larger strategy where Trump has gotten away with distancing himself from abortion — saying he’s going to leave it to the states while simultaneously appointing anti-abortion extremists at all levels of government,” she said.

___

Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.

August 10th 2025

August 10th 2025

Thought of the Day

August 10th 2024

“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” – Abraham Lincoln

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