SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
We're joined now by NPR's Ron Elving. Ron, thank you for being with us.
RON ELVING, BYLINE: It's good to be with you, Scott.
SIMON: How does President Trump spin this outcome of the summit?
ELVING: That's a real challenge. President Trump is used to spinning with positive visuals and catchphrases that telegraph a sense of success. He is also used to having something to sell - something that's in line with or even exceeds people's expectations. But in this case, he left Alaska with nothing to show - at least not for the time being. Last night and today, the visuals are highlighting an obviously pleased Putin. And by contrast, Trump looks quite disappointed. Up until Friday, Trump had been boosting hopes for a ceasefire. He told reporters this week he would not be happy without a ceasefire coming out of this summit. He also warned Russia there would be heavy new sanctions without a ceasefire.
Well, that seems to have gone away. And Trump walked away saying there was no ceasefire and no deal yet, and saying it was up to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and the European heads of state to get a deal done. So scarcely the dramatic breakthrough for which it seemed the stage had been set, and scarcely the big achievement that might crown Trump's recent efforts to secure the Nobel Peace Prize.
SIMON: President Trump earlier this week signed the executive order for the temporary federal takeover of the district's police department. And by Friday, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit against him. Why is the District of Columbia suing the federal government?
ELVING: The underlying issue here is whether Trump will respect the federal law that, half a century ago, gave the district the right to elect its own local leaders, like the rest of the country. Under that law and the Constitution, there are things the president can and cannot do in the federal city, depending in part on the will of Congress. But this week, Trump has assumed emergency powers, saying the city is overrun by criminal gangs, even though crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low.
So at one point, it was announced the police chief was being replaced with a federal drug official. But last night, the latest was that the chief, Pamela Smith, could stay on the job, agreeing to cooperate with federal immigration officials in their deportation campaign, even though D.C. has previously declared itself a sanctuary city and resisted such deportation efforts.
SIMON: Governor Newsom in California moving forward with putting redistricting to a vote in his state. The latest poll from Politico and the Citrin Center Possibility Lab shows that, quote, "by nearly a 2-to-1 margin, voters prefer keeping an independent line-drawing panel to determine the state's House." Now, political calls from both parties are there, trying to influence redistricting.
ELVING: You have to be glad to see a poll like that. It is possible that all this will bring more public awareness and public objection to partisan gerrymandering. It's an abuse that's centuries old, that deprives millions of Americans of the chance to elect officials from the party they prefer. But right now, the Republican remapping strategy is quite aggressive. Trump is pressuring legislators, and not just in Texas but in other states as well. We've heard talk of Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana. And the Democrats are debating how far to go in reaction. Should it be an eye for an eye, or should it be something worse?
In any event, both parties should remember that gerrymandering can go too far. A party can spread its vote in a given state too thin and make some of its so-called safe seats vulnerable. 2026 could be quite a test. And the stakes for Trump are as high as ever as he thinks about what a difference a Democratic House would make in his last two years in office.
SIMON: A federal judge this week rejected the Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's confidante Ghislaine Maxwell. Judge said the transcripts wouldn't provide any new information about Epstein and Maxwell's clients or anything else. So what's next?
ELVING: No. The big question right now is what happens when Congress returns in September. Now, the House is facing a big vote on releasing all the Epstein files. Not transcripts - all the Epstein files. Members are also talking about bringing some of Epstein's victims to Capitol Hill.
Now, you remember the speaker, Mike Johnson, had the House start its August recess quite early this summer, rather than have that vote on those files being released. And that is a vote that Trump obviously does not want to have happen, does not want to risk having, so all stops will be pulled out to prevent it.
As for the earlier transcripts controversy, as distinct from the files, at this point, that just looks like a failed stab at distracting attention - a way to change the subject at a time when Epstein was still everywhere in the media. The White House has been much more successful with other tactics in this regard. Just consider all the other topics we've discussed this morning - pushing for peace deals overseas, taking over the district and maybe taking over other cities as well and, as always, lots of drama around tariffs and potential trade deals.
SIMON: NPR's Ron Elving, thanks so much for being with us today.
ELVING: Thank you, Scott.
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