Overview
- Speaking to reporters Thursday outside the White House, the president said he was OK with Congress holding hearings for Epstein survivors and claimed the women refused to go under oath, a claim survivors and advocates disputed.
- Fifteen survivors said Melania Trump’s approach shifts responsibility onto them, while survivor Alicia Arden said she is willing to testify before Congress.
- In a White House statement last week, First Lady Melania Trump denied any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, urged Congress to allow sworn public testimony from survivors, and characterized a 2002 email in the DOJ’s files as casual correspondence.
- House Oversight Chair James Comer and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signaled support for public hearings, with Blanche saying the FBI stands ready to hear from any victim who wants to come forward.
- Recent DOJ disclosures under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, including a 2002 email and a photo, renewed scrutiny and prompted media corrections, including a HarperCollins UK apology for a retracted claim about Epstein introducing the Trumps.