Clinton and Trump Testimony in Epstein Case Raises Recent Questions
Updated February 28, 2026 — 11:39am
Former President Bill Clinton’s closed-door testimony regarding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein has sparked renewed scrutiny and raised “new questions” about Donald Trump’s past relationship with the disgraced sex offender, according to Democrats. The unprecedented deposition of a former president followed that of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, escalating calls for the current president to also testify.
Clinton’s Testimony and Republican Reactions
Bill Clinton spent hours on Friday answering questions under oath at a hearing in New York state, marking the first time a former or sitting president has been compelled to testify before Congress. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee praised Clinton for being “candid” in his responses, even answering questions against his attorney’s advice. Committee Chairman James Comer stated that Clinton appeared to partly exonerate Trump, claiming Clinton told the committee that Trump “has never said anything to me to make me think that he was involved” with Epstein.
Democratic Counterarguments and Discrepancies
Democrats immediately challenged Comer’s interpretation of Clinton’s testimony, arguing it was an incomplete summary. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, asserted that the former president brought up additional information questioning some of Trump’s previous statements about Epstein. Congressman Maxwell Frost revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Clinton recounted a conversation with Trump where Trump attributed his falling out with Epstein to a “land dispute,” directly contradicting Trump’s earlier claim that he ended the relationship because Epstein was “stealing” young female staff from his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Trump’s Previous Explanations and Giuffre’s Death
Trump had previously stated his split with Epstein stemmed from the financier attempting to recruit Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser, from Mar-a-Lago. Giuffre died by suicide in Australia last year.
Clinton’s Statement and Previous Associations
Bill Clinton published a copy of his opening statement, reiterating his claim that he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. He stated, “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” and maintained that his lack of awareness persisted even with hindsight. He emphasized that he ceased associating with Epstein once the 2008 guilty plea came to light.
The Epstein Files and Ongoing Scrutiny
Both Bill and Hillary Clinton have not been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. They were subpoenaed by the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee due to Bill Clinton’s friendship with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, and his numerous trips on Epstein’s private plane. Bill Clinton also appeared frequently in the millions of pages of Epstein files released by the Justice Department, including photos of him in a jacuzzi with a redacted individual and with Ghislaine Maxwell in a pool with another redacted woman. Clinton reportedly told lawmakers he did not know the identity of the woman in the jacuzzi and did not engage in sexual activity with her, according to CNN sources.
Calls for Trump’s Testimony and Lutnick’s Involvement
Democrats argue that the Clintons’ testimony sets a precedent requiring Trump to answer questions about his relationship with Epstein under oath. Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari called it a “historic day for transparency.” The discussion also extended to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a neighbor of Epstein’s, who acknowledged recent meetings with Epstein years after claiming to have severed contact. Trump described Lutnick as “a very innocent guy,” prompting further criticism from Democrats, who questioned how Trump could assess his innocence without knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
Further Investigation into Epstein’s Finances and Potential Intelligence Ties
Some Republicans on the committee expressed interest in investigating how Epstein amassed his fortune and whether he operated as an intelligence asset or a honeypot operation to compromise powerful individuals. Comer stated the committee intends to determine the origins of Epstein’s wealth.