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Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee obtained emails in which convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein alleged President Trump knew of his conduct.

Epstein wrote in the 2010s that Trump “spent hours at my house” with one of his victims.

The disgraced financier also wrote about Trump: “of course he knew about the girls.”

The new emails are sure to spark increased scrutiny of Trump’s relationship with Epstein.

The White House responded to the release by defending Trump's handling of Epstein and accusing Democrats of "selectively" releasing emails that reference the president, arguing they "create a fake narrative." 

🔎 Read the new emails where Epstein mentions Trump

🔎 More on the White House response

Keep in mind: Trump has fiercely denied any knowledge of the sexual abuse carried out by Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

The president has said he and Epstein once ran in the same social circles, but the two had a falling out. Trump claimed in July that Epstein “stole” workers from his Mar-a-Lago club and was subsequently banned.

💬 Follow today’s live blog

Democrats released the emails hours before a new lawmaker is set to be sworn in today, delivering a key vote for a petition forcing the release of files on Epstein.

Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) will be sworn in this afternoon, shortly before the chamber votes on a measure to reopen the government.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had declined to swear in Grijalva for seven weeks (!) after she won her seat in September, arguing Democrats must first reopen the government.

Democrats claimed Johnson was in part trying to avoid a messy vote on the Epstein files, which the Speaker denies.

Where and when?: Grijalva will be sworn in around 4 p.m. on the House floor. 💻 Watch it live

There could be fireworks: Grijalva told CNN late Tuesday that she plans to confront Johnson at her swearing-in ceremony.

What to know about the discharge petition: 218 signatures are needed from House lawmakers to force a vote to release the Epstein files. Grijalva is that 218th vote.

All 213 Democrats have signed it, plus four Republicans: Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.) and Nancy Mace (S.C.).

The House is back in session today for the first time in nearly two months to vote to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

It can’t come any sooner. Nearly 900 flights have been canceled today, and that number is expected to rise.

In fact, one Republican lawmaker told The Hill he was riding his motorcycle back to Washington, in freezing weather, to avoid any flight delays. Read more on how the shutdown’s end could impact air travel

Timing: The House is expected to pass the bill to reopen the government this evening (right now it’s expected around 7:15 p.m., but that could get pushed back), sending it to Trump’s desk. The House Rules Committee worked overnight to advance the bill, sending it to the House floor.

Are there any hiccups expected?: The Senate bill to reopen the government is widely expected to pass in the House, but there are several lawmakers to keep an eye on. House Republicans have a razor-thin margin, after all. 📝 Here’s a list of the lawmakers to watch today

Republicans are already claiming victory. Despite receiving the blame in the polls, Democrats were the first to blink. Progressives are furious that eight moderate Senate Democrats folded and struck a deal with Republicans to reopen the government without an extension to health care subsidies.

Republicans have promised a mid-December vote on expiring ObamaCare subsidies, but they haven’t promised to pass it. And Speaker Johnson hasn’t promised a matching vote. That means that health care premiums are expected to skyrocket for millions of Americans.

Something to watch: When health care premiums rise for millions of Americans in January, Democrats will seek to pin those on the GOP, arguing they tried to keep prices down. To that end, House Democratic leaders will offer a three-year extension on the subsidies. It’s widely expected to fail but will force GOP lawmakers to formally vote to end the health care subsidy.

Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President Kennedy and former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, is running for Congress.

Schlossberg is running for retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler’s (D) seat to represent New York’s 12th District, which includes Midtown Manhattan and the Upper West and East sides.

📹 Watch the announcement video he posted on Instagram

If you’re not familiar with him: Schlossberg is 32 years old. He went to Yale University and Harvard Law School. He has a big social media following and is known for being charismatic, snarky and occasionally offensive.

His rollout included a splashy New York Times profile by Maureen Dowd, where he admitted, “I’m not for everybody.” Read it: ‘Jack Schlossberg, Social Media Provocateur, Gives Politics a Try’

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— Pope Leo XIV shared his list of his favorite movies. It includes “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Sound of Music.” 📹 Watch the Variety video

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