Trump Defends Saudi Prince, Epstein Bill Passes, Trump Low Approval Rating
Up First from NPR
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4.5 • 52.8K Ratings
🗓️ 19 November 2025
⏱️ 13 minutes
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Summary
Congress overwhelmingly passes a bill compelling the Justice Department to release its Epstein files, setting up a 30-day countdown that could spark new political fights over redactions.
And a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows Trump at his lowest approval rating of his second term, with voters demanding that he focus on lowering prices as Democrats gain a significant edge heading into 2026.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | President Trump defended the crown prince of Saudi Arabia when asked about the murder of journalist Jamel Khashoggi. |
| 0:08.6 | Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happened, but he knew nothing about it. |
| 0:13.1 | That moment overshadowed a day of billion-dollar agreements. |
| 0:16.2 | I'm Leila Faudil with A. Martinez, and this is up first from NPR News. |
| 0:22.2 | Congress passed a bill to force the release of the Epstein files. |
| 0:26.4 | Trump says he will sign it, but one survivor criticized his earlier efforts to bury the documents. |
| 0:32.2 | It is not about you, President Trump. |
| 0:34.8 | I voted for you, but your behavior on this issue has been a national embarrassment. |
| 0:40.6 | So what comes next and how much will the Justice Department redact? |
| 0:44.2 | And a new NPR Maris poll shows major political warning signs for the president. |
| 0:48.6 | We'll hear about what the public wants him to focus on. |
| 0:51.3 | Stay with us. We've got all the news you need to start your day. |
| 1:04.9 | Sitting beside Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office yesterday, President Trump dismissed a question about the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. |
| 1:10.6 | You don't have to embarrass our guests by asking a question like that. |
| 1:13.1 | U.S. intelligence found that the Saudi Crown Prince approved the operation that led to Khashoggi's dismemberment and killing. |
| 1:22.3 | He denies any personal involvement. |
| 1:24.9 | The exchange highlights attention with Saudi Arabia an important ally in the |
| 1:29.0 | Middle East that stretches beyond the current administration. Here to discuss the visit is NPR |
| 1:34.1 | White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben. Danielle, that was quite the exchange. |
| 1:39.5 | It really was. And to explain it, it started during an Oval Office meeting when a journalist asked the |
| 1:44.8 | Crown Prince about Khashoggi and also about 9-11. The journalist noted that there are families of |
| 1:50.0 | 9-11 victims who were angry that the Prince was visiting, as some believe the Saudi government |
... |
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