ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - July 23, 2025

Tonight we have several breaking stories as we. come on the air, the first involving President Trump, the Wall Street Journal tonight, reporting that. Attorney General Pambondi told President Trump that. his name appears multiple times in the Jeffrey Epstein. files. Also breaking tonight there's been an. officer ambush that details just coming in and in. New York City the suspect will police say placed. improvised explosive devices around the city, one. the first night, the Wall Street Journal, now reporting.

attorney general Pam Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche, told. President Trump back in May that his name appears in the. Jeffrey Epstein files multiple times. The attorney general reportedly recommending to the. president at the time not to release any more files and that. the president deferred to the A.G. How the Justice Department is now responding tonight. Also the dramatic seat in court, raw emotion from family members. and what they told the killer in the Idaho College murders, face to face from him in the courtroom today, one of the.

survivors speaking out. And with the father of one of his victims said to Brian. Cogorger, standing just feet away. Also tonight the dangerous life threatening heat, nearly 140 million Americans under dangerous. heat alerts at this hour from Texas all the way. up to the Northeast. Tonight in Chicago, it feels like 103 even. hotter tomorrow since an added Detroit two. and New York City will soon feel like 105. Ginger Z is standing by tonight. The disturbing video showing the police office were accused of. punching a black driver in the face during a traffic stop.

Tonight the sheriff in that community now calling. the incident ugly and Lindsay Davis tonight. interviewing the driver in New York City the alarming. discovery a suspect accused of allegedly leaving at. least five homemade bombs on rooftops across the. city and authorities say throwing one IED right out. of the subway tracks. Tonight the heart-breaking discovery authorities. finding the body of that missing student last scene. leaving the bar her parents had pleaded for the public's. help and what authorities are now saying.

Tonight with the alarming images. in the water off the east coast of Florida. You will see this man attacked by a shark. And America's strong tonight, every night here, we get story ideas from so many of you at home in hometowns. across this country. Well, tonight, the idea came from my own hometown. We'll dive into and we promise you'll be cheering. along with that whole community tonight. (upbeat music). - From ABC News, World Headquarters, and New York,

this is World News Tonight with David New York. - Good evening and we begin tonight here. with breaking news involving President Trump. and the Jeffrey Epstein files. Tonight the Wall Street Journal is now reporting. that Attorney General Pam Bondy and her deputy Todd Blanche. told President Trump back in May that his name appears in the. Epstein files multiple times. Last week, when pressed by ABC's Catherine Foulders, the president denied that the Attorney General told him. his name was in the files. The Attorney General reportedly recommending to the president.

at the time to not release any more files, and the president reportedly deferred to. the Justice Department. And tonight, the Republican-led House Oversight Committee. has now subpoenaed Jeffrey Epstein's former companion, Elaine Maxwell, who of course is serving a. 20-year prison sentence. ABC's Chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce, Lady Gooseoff tonight. Tonight, the Wall Street Journal reporting that attorney. general Pam Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche informed President. Trump in May that his name appears multiple times in.

the Epstein files. They reportedly told Trump they did not plan to release the. files, saying they contained child pornography and personal. information about the victims. According to the journal, the president said he would. defer to their decision. Last week, when pressed by ABC's. Catherine Falders, Trump denied Bondi told him his. name was in the files. "What did she tell you about the review and specifically did. she tell you at all that your name appeared in the file?". She's given us just a very quick briefing and in terms of the.

credibility of the different things that they've seen. The next day, I asked him. "Is your name in these files, Mr. President? Is that why they aren't being fully released?". The journal reports Trump was told there. were other high-profile names in the documents, noting being in the files is not evidence of wrongdoing. Tonight, the Attorney General saying nothing in the files. warranted further investigation or prosecution. Adding as part of our routine briefing, we made the president aware of the findings.

Trump and Epstein were friendly for more than a. decade, socializing in New York and Palm Beach. Epstein was asked about their relationship in a 2010. deposition in a civil suit. Have you ever had a personal relationship with Donald Trump? Have you socialized with him? Yes sir. Yes? Yes sir. Have you ever socialized with Donald Trump in the presence.

of females under the age of 18? Though I'd like to answer that question, at least today, I'm going to have to assert by 5th, 6th and 14th. Amendment right and serve. When Epstein was arrested in 2019, Trump said they'd. had a falling out and hadn't spoken in 15 years. During the campaign, some of the president's top. supporters, including his current FBI director, Cash Patel, and Patel's deputy, Dan Bongino, spread.

ominous conspiracy theories about the Epstein case. Vice President JD Vance called for the release of Epstein's. so-called "client list.". Seriously, we need to release the Epstein list. That is an important thing. In February, Bondi said that client list. was in her possession. "It's sitting on my desk right now to review. That's been a directive by President Trump.". But over the July 4th weekend, the Justice Department. and the FBI said the list "doesn't exist" and that. they wouldn't be releasing any more information.

about Jeffrey Epstein. Under pressure, the president later instructed Bondi to ask. courts in Florida and New York to release grand jury. testimony in the Epstein case. Today, a Florida judge denied that request, saying the DOJ. didn't provide enough of a justification for releasing. that sensitive testimony, adding the court's hands are tied. Tonight on Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats on a. House Oversight Committee voting to subpoena the justice. department to release the full Epstein files.

Hours earlier, the full committee issuing a subpoena. to Epstein's former companion, Galeine Maxwell, who's serving. a 20-year prison sentence for child trafficking. And David Maxwell is also planning to meet with the. deputy attorney general soon. Asked tonight about that congressional subpoena, her attorney saying that upcoming meeting with. the justice department will quote help inform. how she proceeds. And again, it's important. to note Maxwell is serving a 20 year sentence and is. looking for a way to get out.

David Mary Bruce leading us off at the White House tonight. Mary, thank you. We're going to turn to the meantime to. the dramatic and heartbreaking scene in court today. The sentencing of Brian Coburger. in the Idaho College Birders case. Raw emotion from family members face to face with the. confessed murderer. What one father said to him just feed. away in that courtroom. And then what happened when the judge gave Brian. Cobrager an opportunity to speak. Cana Whippwerth was in the courtroom in Idaho. On this final judgment day, can Victor Killer Brian Cobrager. forced to face the families of his victims and a survivor.

of his vicious attack killing four college students near. the University of Idaho. Kaley Gensolvus, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Zana Cronodal. Kaley's father moving the podium to look directly. at the man he says stabbed his daughter 34 times. We are here to finish what you started. Today you've lost control.

Today we are here to prove to the world. that you pick the wrong families. -Coburger showing no reaction as he listened to. the gut-wrenching testimony from victims. -Do you want to just take your time, all right? -Dylan Mortensen, one of two roommates. who survived the rampage speaking for the first time. Overcome with emotion as she described her trauma. -I couldn't be alone. [ Sighs ]. I had to sleep in my mom's bed because I was too. terrified to close my eyes. to verify that if I blinked someone might be there.

I made escape plans everywhere I went. If something happens, how do I get out? It was Dylan who saw a masked man later identified. as co-worker walk right past her that night. He is a hollow vessel, something less than human. A body without empathy, without remorse. He chose destruction. He chose evil. He feels nothing. He tried to take everything from me.

My friends, my safety, my identity, my future. He took their lives, but I will. continue trying to be like them to make them proud. To avoid the death penalty, Coburger pleaded. guilty to stabbing the four students to death. in that off-campus house. The murders sending shockwaves across a college. town and the country. And today, the victim's parents remembered the young lives. full of so much promise. "Maddie was my only child that I never had.

She was the only great thing I ever really did and the only. thing I really ever proud of.". Zanna's mother saying she's ready to forgive. This forgiveness has released me from any and all evil you have. inflicted on me and my family. But most family members lashed out at Coburger. in anguish and anger. You're going to go to hell.

The Gonzalva family who wanted the death penalty today. openly mocking the former PhD criminology student. your pathetic. You aren't special or deep, not mysterious or exceptional. - Kaley's sister hammered co-worker one last time. with the questions he's never answered. - Where is the murder weapon? The clothes you wore that night? What were Kaley's last words? - And she tried getting under his skin. - If you were really smart, do you think you'd.

be here right now? If you hadn't attacked them in their sleep, in the middle of the night, like a pedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your ass. Thank you. Thank you. [APPLAUSE]. Prosecutors been asking for four life sentences. without parole, showing that final photo taken just 12 hours. before the murders. Crying, heard in the courtroom. Hi, Mr. Coburger. You have an opportunity to make a statement if you wish to.

I take it. You are declining. I respectfully decline. Cobber declined to speak or reveal a motive before the. judge gave him life behind bars with these blistering parting. words. A faceless coward reached the tranquility of. six beautiful young people. and senselessly slaughtered them. Four of them, the person that slithered through that sliding. glass door at 1-1-2-2 King Road, now stands before the world.

and this court unmasked. No parent should ever have to bury their child. In my view, the time has now come to end Mr. Colbergers. 15 minutes of fame. outside the cornhouse that can solve this family ready. to move forward. I made eye contact with them and he was enraged. He was just enraged. So, you know, mission accomplished. You know, we can move on now. We said what we needed to say. And David, while they want to move forward here, after almost three years and everything. these families have been through,

they still don't have basic questions answered. Like what was the motive? David. - Cana Whitworth tonight. Cana, thank you. We turn now to the extreme heat, nearly 140 million. Americans on alert right now from Dallas to Chicago. to New York City, life-threatening. heat in Chicago. It feels like 103. Tomorrow, even warmer, New York City could soon feel. like 105. Let's get right to chief meteorologist, Ginger's Ishi's tracking it all. She's live in Chicago as city she knows well. Hi Ginger. - Yes, hey there, David. So yes, I know it well and it rarely gets this hot.

So we felt like 103 at peak today. It will be even hotter tomorrow. Heat advisories go all over the map, but you can see tomorrow's extreme heat warning, right down the Mississippi River from Paduca, to Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The feels like there could be as high as 115, but we'll slide this east because an excessive heat watch. is now up for Philadelphia and look at the number for New. York City on Friday itself, 104, 105 for Baltimore. We are gonna break this heat up a bit. It's gonna come with a cold front. Here it'll break up on Friday, but that cold front.

making damaging wind and even tornado. warnings from Nebraska up to Wisconsin, David. - Ginger Zee with us again tonight. Ginger, thanks as always. In the meantime, next tonight, the disturbing video. showing a police officer accused of punching. a black driver in the face during. a traffic stop. Tonight, the sheriff in that community. now calling this incident ugly. Lindsey Davis tonight interviewing the driver. And here's our Chief Justice Corp. at Pierre Thomas, a warning now. It is disturbing. - Tonight, the Jacksonville Sheriff acknowledging. that this video showing his deputy smashing a car.

window and punching the driver in the face is ugly. "Show me your hands.". You have another incident raising questions. about excessive force and race and policing. 22-year-old William McNeill Jr. today appearing with his. parents and attorneys discussed what happened on February 19th. during a routine traffic stop. Police claiming that he didn't have his headlights. on in inclement weather. That he wasn't wearing a seatbelt. Allegations that McNeill disputes. There's no rain.

It doesn't matter. You're snowing hard to have headlights on. Can you call your supervisor? Hi. Can you call your supervisor? All right, go for it. That's the vehicle now. That's the vehicle. McNeil, who remains calm despite the powerful punch and does. not fight back, is pulled out of his car as the officer. delivers another punch. Officers demanding he show his hands. Court records show that McNeil pleaded guilty to resisting. arrest without violence and driving with a.

suspended license. Police claimed that he reached for a knife on. the floor of his car. body camera footage released by the police does not show. McNeil reaching for a knife. McNeil speaking with our Lindsey Davis just moments ago in. an interview airing on pride. What went through your mind at that moment when. the deputy broke your window and and punches you. in the face as you sit in the car? I was surprised that I was scared. I grew up being told that. officers protect us, but that wasn't a case.

The officer who smashed the window and punched. McNeil has been stripped of law enforcement duties, pending an internal review. David. All right, Pierre Thomas. reporting live from Washington Tonight. Thank you. You can see more of Lindsay's interview with the driver. of that car on ABC News Live Prime later tonight. In the meantime, we turn now to the alarming discovery. in New York City, a suspect accused of allegedly leaving. five homemade bombs across Manhattan. Federal authorities say Michael Gann made at least seven. devices stashing some of them on rooftops and so-ho.

He allegedly tossed one of the devices. onto the subway tracks along the Williamsburg Bridge. The FBI tonight saying he had one of the devices on him. when he was arrested. No word on a possible motive. Tonight, there's late word of a police ambush. in Lorraine Ohio outside Cleveland. The images coming in now, authorities say a heavily armed. gunman opening fire on two officers in their. patrol vehicles. A third officer was wounded responding to. their call for help. Authorities say the suspect was laying in way. The gunman was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire. Two officers are in critical condition at this hour.

When we come back tonight, startling images this evening. You'll see the moment a shark attacks here in the east. Also what we've learned tonight, the heartbreaking discovery. after that student when missing. and a driver barreling right into a church, what police are now saying about this moment, right at the break. - Tonight authorities say they have found the body. of a missing grad student in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Elliot Heinz's body was pulled from the Mississippi River. Reported missing Sunday after leaving a bar, police say they are awaiting autopsy results.

Her mother tonight thanking volunteers who helped. And out of control, car crashing into a church. in faithful North Carolina, the car corretting. across the parking lot smashing right through the front door. Police say the car was stolen. The driver and passenger trying to escape police. The driver has been arrested. When we come back here tonight, the alarming video. you'll see at the moment a diver is attacked by a shark. here in the east and America strong tonight, the idea that came in from my hometown. To the index alarming video tonight showing a diver.

bitten on the arm while surrounded by sharks. off Jupiter Beach, Florida, the diver in the. center of the screen there says he was bitten on the arm by. a lemon shark after removing a fishing net stuck on its head. at diver receiving 40 stitches. When we come back here tonight, every night we get so many. ideas from all of you at home for America's Strong. Well tonight, the idea comes. in from my own hometown. Finally tonight here, we go for a swim. 32,000 strokes, 16 miles, nine hours straight.

She's America strong and she's also a little close to home. Every night here, we hear from so many of you at home, hometowns across this country with ideas for America strong. In the last 24 hours, we heard from many of you. in my own hometown. Tonight here, the story of a young swimmer, Rachel DuWitt, and what she's now done to help raise awareness. for America's lakes to keep them pristine. and to preserve them, including the one. closest to her heart, Skinny Atlas Lake, one. of the finger lakes in Central New York.

Rachel learned to swim in the lake. She was on the Skinny Atlas High School Varsity Swim Team. It's even a town tradition jumping into the lake. with your cap and gown on graduation. Rachel then earning degrees in environmental science. and marine biodiversity, now working for the. nonprofit ocean conservancy. Rachel came up with an idea How to raise money for the. Skinny Atlas Lake Association, working to keep the. water clean here, and to bring awareness. to America's lakes, challenging herself to.

swim the entire length of Skinny Atlas Lake 16 miles. For more than a year, training for the longest. swim of her life, her parents right. there with her as she practiced in the morning, her dad Bob following Rachel in the boat, Her mom Terry, part of the team of kayakers guiding her. Just this week Rachel was ready. At sunrise she was off. Along the way so many from the community cheering her on.

Children waving to her. 10 miles in the campers at Lordus Camp. - We're in the camp! - We're in the camp! - We're in the camp! - Cheering six miles to go. And after nine hours and about 32,000 strokes, Rachel did it. And right here tonight-- - Hi David. - Rachel, why she did it. - This like really made me who I am. and made me care about water conservation. I hope that folks find a little bit of inspiration.

from ice swim. Congratulations Rachel 16 miles 9. hours the rest of us are exhausted, but what you've. done to bring attention to America's lakes. Good night.