This piece is part of MI x DW, a collaboration that brings Daily Wire readers exclusive commentary and research from the Manhattan Institute’s world-class team of scholars.
***
This summer marks 30 years since President Bill Clinton signed the landmark 1996 welfare reform into law. His successors in today’s Democratic Party will commemorate the event by repudiating everything that welfare reform symbolized. The party increasingly belongs to hardline socialists who promise universal benefits, unconditional cash, and higher taxes on “the rich” to pay for it all.
The leftward drift is measurable. New Manhattan Institute <a href="https://manhattan.institute/article/american-attitudes-on-welfare-waste-crime-and-the-political-environment">polling</a> finds that 49% of left-leaning voters identify more closely with democratic socialists than traditional liberals. That includes 67% of those under age 35.
But momentum inside the Democratic coalition should not be mistaken for momentum with the American public. Manhattan Institute’s polling shows that Clintonian politics — championing work, public order, and mainstream values — remains a winning formula for the Left, the Right, or whoever decides to seize the opportunity.
Clinton, one of just two Democrats elected president between 1968 and 2008, won by demonstrating that a Democrat could say no to his political movement’s most radical faction. His public rebuke of one extremist even gave rise to the term “<a href="https://politicaldictionary.com/words/sister-souljah-moment">Sister Souljah moment</a>” to describe precisely that kind of political break. His promise to “end welfare as we know it,” another break, culminated in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act — signed just months before he became the first Democrat since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second full presidential term.
Thirty years later, Democrats may have moved on from Clinton’s formula, but the American public largely hasn’t. Nearly three-quarters of voters (74%) support requiring welfare recipients to show that they are seeking work, including majorities of Democrats and more than six in ten somewhat left-leaning voters. Voters prefer assistance targeted to those genuinely unable to provide for themselves over universal benefits by 67% to 24%, and by 65% to 21% they say that the safety net should guarantee a decent minimum standard of living rather than reduce income inequality. Fully 80%, spanning every demographic and political subgroup, would rather provide benefits in the form of food, housing, and health care than as unrestricted cash transfers.
The socialist alternative has no mass constituency. Voters oppose universal basic income by 50% to 32%. Just 10% would raise taxes to fund more generous benefits. And when told that Nordic-style universal welfare systems require higher taxes on middle- and working-class households, only 13% would accept that trade-off for families like their own.
That doesn’t mean that Americans have turned against the safety net. A plurality believes welfare helps people get back on their feet rather than fostering dependency, while 48% say government has an obligation to guarantee every American a basic standard of living.
Still, there are signs that the Republican agenda on welfare is more popular than left-wing critics assert. Voters back the Republican-championed 2025 expansion of SNAP work requirements by 57% to 32%. Seventy-three percent say that waste, fraud, and abuse — a major focus of GOP officeholders in recent months — should be a congressional priority, including 57% of Democrats.
Taken together, the findings describe a coherent philosophy of welfare. Americans favor meaningful support for those who need it, conditioned on work where possible, coupled with an evenhanded approach to combatting fraud and abuse. That is, in fact, the bargain Clinton brokered a generation ago.
But it’s not obvious which party owns that deal today. Asked whom they trust to manage welfare programs responsibly, voters split, with 39% saying Democrats and 36% saying Republicans. Forty-six percent of independents trust neither party.
The DSA rejects the public consensus on welfare. Republicans have tapped into it, but not reliably. The right model for the GOP looks like Argentine President Javier Milei’s campaign against bureaucratic bloat. When enforcement appears motivated by grievance, Republicans will squander an issue that should be theirs. That leaves a wide opening for Democrats willing to run on welfare pragmatism.
Crime and public order offer Democrats a similar opportunity. Voters support the death penalty for egregious crimes by 58% to 28%, with independents favoring it by more than two to one. Roughly four in five reject abolishing police departments, prisons, or U.S. borders, including majorities of even very left-leaning voters.
Clinton understood this terrain as well, pairing welfare reform with an unapologetic commitment to public order. Many Democrats understand that they need to ditch the “defund” movement, and leaning into law and order could help them win back the moderate center as Clinton did.
Some Democrats will argue that the party is winning even without moving to the middle, pointing to its lead on the generic congressional ballot and President Trump’s 44% approval rating. But that advantage depends primarily on opposition to Trump rather than enthusiasm for the Democratic agenda, with one in 10 voters still undecided and one-quarter of independents on the fence. Anti-Trumpism may help with short-term gains, but it has not delivered a consistent governing majority.
Democrats have spent much of the past decade letting their most radical fringe define the party, while allowing Republicans to define everyone else. The 30th anniversary of welfare reform offers an excellent opportunity to change course. Moderate Democrats need to acquire Clinton’s confidence and flair for disappointing the loudest voices inside the party in order to appeal to the quieter majority outside it. Our polling suggests that this majority still exists on welfare, work, and crime — if Democrats are willing to trust it.
***
This is republished with permission from the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal. The original can be found <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/article/welfare-work-manhattan-institute-poll-bill-clinton">here</a>.
<a href="https://manhattan.institute/person/jesse-arm">Jesse Arm</a> is the vice president of external affairs at the Manhattan Institute. <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/person/sean-speer">Sean Speer</a> is a Technical Writer at the Manhattan Institute.

US-CLINTON ON ENTITLEMENTS

Can Democrats Have A Sister Souljah Sequel?

Bill Clinton

MI x DW

SNAP

Social Welfare

Welfare

Welfare reform

Bill Clinton caused a minor commotion when he dropped by the pre-draft conference for the Dallas Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones stopped the meeting to get up and go greet the former president, which led to many comments online about the 90s vibes given off by the whole interaction.
&#8220;President Clinton is coming through the door,&#8221; Jones can be heard saying in a clip of the conference that’s circulating online. 
&#8220;Uh,&#8221; the Dallas Morning News reporter said as Jones told him he could still ask a question. The camera then focused on Clinton entering the press room. Jones didn’t fully answer the reporter before making his way over to Clinton, stumbling on his way to greet the former president. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cowboys?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cowboys</a> just stopped their pre-draft press conference because former President Bill Clinton showed up.
What the heck 😂😂😂 <a href="https://t.co/RLpLrK0ayh">pic.twitter.com/RLpLrK0ayh</a>
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/2046999343484354763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Look at this right here,” Jones says with a laugh. “Come in this house. Yes sir, Mr. President.”
“This guy was recently named the second most American to have started with very little and have accomplished a lot. Look at him, it’s important. There’s a great story about him,” the Cowboys owner added.
&#8220;He&#8217;s been a wonderful, not only President, but friend over the years, and I&#8217;m really happy to have you here today,&#8221; Jones said. He also told Clinton it was “unquestionably” the largest press conference in the NFL.
&#8220;Thank you, I&#8217;m glad to see you,&#8221; Clinton said. &#8220;Have a good draft day.&#8221;
The Cowboys visited Clinton at the White House after their three Super Bowl wins in the 1990s. The last time Dallas took home the Lombardi Trophy was in 1996.
Jones recalled one of the visits, saying Clinton recited the entire roster of the Arkansas Razorbacks at the time. Clinton replied by saying it’s now “a different world.” Jones mentioned how difficult it would be to take the field in today&#8217;s college games, prompting Clinton to joke that he&#8217;d be the &#8220;late Jerry Jones&#8221; if he did.
Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones <a href="https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/cowboys-make-final-decision-of-george-pickens-franchise-tag">confirmed</a> on Wednesday that the team will not pursue a long-term contract extension with wide receiver George Pickens, but that he’ll play the upcoming season under the franchise tag.

Jones and Clinton

Former President Crashes Dallas Cowboys Pre-Draft Conference In Peak 90s Moment

Dallas Cowboys

Football

The Department of Justice has released a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1436006/dl">report</a> documenting how the Biden administration weaponized the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act against pro-life Americans. More than 95% of its 882 pages are actual documentary evidence: emails and texts, memos, you name it. But even that does not tell the whole sordid story.
President Bill Clinton signed the FACE Act into law in May 1994. Attorney General Janet Reno told a Senate committee that it was needed to combat a nationwide campaign by pro-life activists to shut down abortion clinics through “blockades, sabotage … stalking … arson, bombings, and finally …murder.” One senator at that hearing accused pro-lifers of “terrorism.”xxxxx
Rahm Emanuel, Clinton’s political director in 1993, would later famously counsel not to let a crisis go to waste. The abortion zealots used the controversy over some activities to create a weapon they would aggressively use to target and suppress the entire pro-life movement. <a href="https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2025-03/LM373_0.pdf">Here’s how they did it</a>.
The first version of the FACE Act, introduced by then-Rep. Charles Schumer (D-NY) in February 1993, focused specifically on what the bill’s title said, protecting access to abortion clinics. It prohibited physical obstruction of facilities with the intent of preventing individuals from obtaining “reproductive health services.” It allowed civil suits only by private plaintiffs who had been concretely affected by such obstruction and did not permit punitive damages.
The House Judiciary Committee, without holding any hearing, began the process of radicalizing the Schumer bill. Physically obstructing a building became intimidating or interfering with any person or class of persons who were obtaining or providing reproductive health services. The bill neither defined intimidation nor interference nor limited where, how, or when it may have occurred. It allowed civil suits not only by anyone “aggrieved” by this undefined activity, but by any attorney general (federal or state) who believed that a “group of persons” had been so aggrieved. Oh, and the House Judiciary Committee added punitive damages to the plaintiffs’ arsenal.
Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) introduced the FACE Act in the Senate in March 1993, merging into this radicalizing traffic. His version even had language that would specifically exclude pro-life pregnancy centers from the act’s coverage. As if allowing both private and public plaintiffs to sue over being “aggrieved” was not vague enough, the Kennedy bill would allow suits whenever the attorney general believed that a person or group “is being, has been, or may be” aggrieved by pro-life activities. Before you ask, no, the bill put no time limit on a past grievance nor did it provide any way of determining whether or how a group “may be” aggrieved.
The FACE Act that Clinton signed into law bore no resemblance to the bill Schumer had first introduced, but, then, that was the plan all along. Put something – anything – in the legislative hopper that could be morphed and twisted into a weapon that is so vague, and carries such draconian potential penalties, that it can be used to target and suppress ordinary pro-life expression and activities.
The new DOJ report documents that abortion radicals got exactly what they wanted, detailing several ways in which the Biden administration weaponized the FACE Act. These include biased enforcement, collaboration with pro-abortion groups to track and monitor pro-life activity, blatant anti-religious bias by prosecutors, treating peaceful pro-life activists much more harshly than violent pro-abortion activists, and even helping funnel money to pro-abortion groups.
Weaponizing the FACE Act happened by design, not by chance. And to top it all off, Congress did not have authority to enact it in 1993 and certainly lacks any authority to maintain it now. Reno testified back then that the FACE Act was “crucial to ensuring that women have an unobstructed opportunity to choose whether or not to have an abortion.” The so-called “right to abortion,” in fact, is by far the most frequently cited basis for Congress’s authority to enact the FACE Act. 
In 2022, however, the Supreme Court told us what we really knew all along, that the Constitution does not, and never did, confer any right to abortion. Congress has no authority to enforce a right that does not exist or to fashion weapons to suppress rights that do.
The FACE Act was an abuse of power when it was enacted, and the Justice Department has now documented the fruit of that poisonous tree. Congress should repeal this unconstitutional fraud.
* * *
Tom Jipping is a senior legal fellow at the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law at Advancing American Freedom Foundation.
Jonah Wendt is the communications director at Advancing American Freedom Foundation.

Doctor used an Ultrasound  3d sonogram  monitor for  the fetus 22 weeks young adult patient pregnant

The History Behind This Abortion Law Reveals Who It Was Built To Target

Abortion

Chuck Schumer

Congress

Democrats

DW Opinion

FACE Act

Heritage Foundation

Protest

Ted Kennedy

Former President Bill Clinton visibly froze when he was asked to explain why the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein might have said that he &#8220;likes them young.&#8221;
Clinton, deposed by several members of Congress in the ongoing Epstein probe, appeared to freeze the moment the question was asked about Epstein before his attorney jumped in quickly to rephrase the question for him before he answered.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Asked about Jeffrey Epstein allegedly saying that Bill Clinton “likes them young,” Clinton denies having any interest in “young” girls.
Q: Is an intern young?
Clinton: Yes. <a href="https://t.co/0aEym00yjP">pic.twitter.com/0aEym00yjP</a>
— Decensored News (@decensorednews) <a href="https://twitter.com/decensorednews/status/2028627983649407040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Did you know one of the witnesses who testified in the Epstein cases said that you, quote, &#8216;like them young.&#8217; Why would Epstein say that about you?&#8221; Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) posed the question.
Clinton stared straight ahead, but his attorney pounced immediately: &#8220;Are you asking his opinion? Are you asking him to think about why Mr. Epstein would say something about him?&#8221;
&#8220;Correct. Why would Epstein say that about the president?&#8221; Mace pressed.
The attorney jumped into motion again, quickly reframing the question before Clinton could begin to answer, saying, &#8220;So she&#8217;s asking you to try to be in Mr. Epstein&#8217;s mind and guess at what Mr. Epstein would have thought about —&#8221;
&#8220;First of all —&#8221; Clinton began, but was cut off as Mace interrupted.
&#8220;&#8216;Clinton likes them young,&#8217; referring to girls,&#8221; she repeated.
After a long pause, Clinton tried again.
&#8220;First of all,&#8221; he said, and then paused again before adding, &#8220;That&#8217;s not true.&#8221;
&#8220;What&#8217;s not true?&#8221; Mace asked.
&#8220;That I have any interest in underage girls,&#8221; Clinton said.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t say underage, Mr. President,&#8221; Mace interjected. &#8220;I said young.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s still not true,&#8221; Clinton said, his voice rising slightly as he pushed back from the table.
Mace&#8217;s follow-up question, clearly referencing his former intern Monica Lewinsky, also appeared to take the former president off guard: &#8220;Is an intern young?&#8221;
&#8220;Yes,&#8221; Clinton conceded, but quickly added, &#8220;At my age, anybody younger than I am is young.&#8221;
Lewinsky was just 22 and working as an intern in the White House when Clinton, then 49, began an extramarital affair with her. The affair lasted 18 months and when their relationship became a public scandal in 1998, Clinton initially denied everything.
The former president, throughout the deposition, insisted that he had never witnessed Epstein doing anything that would have led him to believe that the late convicted pedophile had ever been involved in trafficking underage girls.

Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky

WATCH: Clinton Denies He ‘Likes Them Young’ — Then Comes The Lewinsky Question

Epstein Files

Jeffrey Epstein

Media

Politics

Sex Trafficking

Former President Bill Clinton offered an unprompted defense of President Donald Trump during his Jeffrey Epstein deposition before the House Oversight Committee last week.
Clinton seemed to say more than what his lawyers would have preferred multiple times throughout the deposition. At one point, he went beyond his initial answer to a Trump-related question from ranking Democrat Robert Garcia of California after Garcia had yielded his time.
When Garcia asked Clinton if he thinks Trump should also face questions from the Oversight Committee about his ties to Epstein, Clinton replied, &#8220;That&#8217;s for you to decide, but he did know him well.&#8221; Clinton then said that he and Trump &#8220;had a brief discussion&#8221; about Epstein.
Garcia ended his line of questioning after Clinton&#8217;s answer, but the former president then offered a longer response on President Trump.
&#8220;I hate this because I don&#8217;t want to inject anything,&#8221; Clinton said as one of his lawyers appeared unsure of what the former president was going to say next. &#8220;But I do not want to leave the impression — but since there was no follow-up question, the president never — this is 20-something years ago — never said anything to me to make me think he was involved with anything with regard to Epstein either.&#8221;
&#8220;He just didn&#8217;t,&#8221; Clinton added. &#8220;He just said, &#8216;We were friends, and then we had a falling out over a land deal or a property deal.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
WATCH: President Clinton calls out Democrats for selective questions &amp; says twice that President Trump is clear of wrongdoing.
&#8220;Since there was no follow-up question &#8230; he never said anything to me to make me think he was involved in anything improper with regard to Epstein.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ZVUy04kpZn">pic.twitter.com/ZVUy04kpZn</a>
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/2028587753235993049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Clinton said he and Trump spoke about Epstein while they were playing a round on Trump&#8217;s golf course in 2002 or 2003. The former president testified he didn&#8217;t recall whether Trump brought up Epstein during their conversation, adding, &#8220;I would be shocked if I did.&#8221;
&#8220;He somehow knew I had flown in Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s aircraft and he said, &#8216;We had some great times over the years, but we fell out all because of a real estate deal,'&#8221; Clinton added.
Last Friday, during a brief recess in Clinton&#8217;s deposition, House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) told reporters that Clinton had discussed President Trump and said Trump &#8220;has never said anything to me to make it seem like he was involved.&#8221; Shortly after Comer spoke to reporters, ranking member Garcia said that the chairman&#8217;s description wasn&#8217;t completely accurate.
&#8220;President Clinton did bring up some additional information about some discussions with President Trump. I think the way Chairman Comer described it, I don&#8217;t think is a complete accurate description of what actually was said,&#8221; Garcia told reporters.
Later in the deposition, Clinton reiterated that he has &#8220;no information that [Trump] did anything wrong.&#8221;
&#8220;I just want it all out there,&#8221; the former president added. &#8220;I want everybody to get it all out there and let everybody see where we are.&#8221;
Trump said on Friday that he didn&#8217;t believe Bill Clinton should have been deposed over his relationship with Epstein.
“I don’t like seeing him deposed,” Trump said, adding, “I like him.”
Democrats have repeatedly said they will push to subpoena Trump over his ties to Epstein after Republicans &#8220;set a new precedent&#8221; by deposing former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

President Donald Trump Attends Inaugural Luncheon

Clinton Interrupts His Own Exit To Volunteer A Defense Of Trump

Bill Clinton Offers Voluntary Defense Of Trump During Epstein Deposition

Donald Trump

Former President Bill Clinton walked back remarks he made under oath that appeared to suggest Illinois Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker accompanied him on one of the flights he took aboard convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane. 
Clinton mentioned Pritzker when asked who typically accompanied him on flights he took on Epstein’s plane, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgJrYKAl6T0">according</a> to a video released Monday by the House Oversight Committee. After the clip circulated on social media, Clinton’s spokesman asserted that the former president did not mean to say that Pritzker flew on Epstein’s plane. 
“President Clinton was simply giving an example of the many people he traveled with to see the Clinton Foundation’s work. Governor Pritzker joined a Clinton Foundation trip in 2008,” said Clinton spokesman Angel Urena. “Not on Epstein’s plane. Not with Epstein. Not with Maxwell.”
During his deposition, Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) asked who Clinton “normally” brought with him on those flights. Clinton said he “brought people who work with me, especially people who would have to follow up on the fundraising, or people who were involved” in his work. 
“I had the Secret Service with me. And then on occasion, I had people who had volunteered to help us and wanted to see what we’re doing,” Clinton added. “For example, I think it was on one of these trips, I think that I had my first trip for the man who’s now the governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker and his wife, they gave me, they helped me get started.”
A clip circulating on social media, shared by RNC Research, highlighted the exchange.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bill Clinton says he brought JB Pritzker on pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s plane: “I think that I had my first trip for the man who’s now the Governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker and his wife.” <a href="https://t.co/p6GtSbpgGX">pic.twitter.com/p6GtSbpgGX</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2028647022119551010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Pritzker campaign spokesman Alex Gough told The Daily Wire that the governor traveled with Clinton twice, but said the travel was not on Epstein’s plane. 
“Governor Pritzker was asked to travel with President Clinton on two trips, once in 2008 and once in 2013. Neither utilized Jeffrey Epstein’s aircraft, nor was he accompanied by that man or Ghislaine Maxwell,” he said. “We understand that the GOP is desperate to deflect from the heinous accusations against President Trump in the Epstein Files, but this is a particularly weak effort to assign blame where there is none.”
Gough did not provide a comment on whether Pritzker had ever had any other interactions with Epstein. 
The governor’s cousin, Thomas Pritzker, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terrible-judgement-epstein-fallout-forces-top-hotel-exec-to-leave-hes-jb-pritzkers-cousin">announced</a> last month that he was stepping down from his executive position at the Hyatt hotel corporation over his ties to Epstein and Maxwell. 
“Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret. I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner,” Thomas Pritzker said in a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260216864815/en/Tom-Pritzker-Retires-as-Executive-Chairman-of-Hyatt-After-22-Years-of-Service-and-Will-Not-Stand-for-Reelection-to-Board-of-Directors">news release</a>. “I condemn the actions and the harm caused by Epstein and Maxwell and I feel deep sorrow for the pain they inflicted on their victims.”

Clinton Global Initiative America Meetings Begin In Chicago

Bill Clinton Walks Back Remarks Suggesting JB Pritzker Flew On Epstein’s Plane

House Oversight Committee

Illinois

JB Pritzker

Former President Bill Clinton faced multiple questions surrounding a Jeffrey Epstein-related photo that showed him soaking in a hot tub with an unknown woman.
During his four-and-a-half-hour deposition before the House Oversight Committee last week, Clinton was handed the hot tub photo. The woman&#8217;s face was redacted in the Justice Department&#8217;s Epstein files dump.
The former president, who took dozens of trips with Epstein in the early 2000s, said that the photo was taken in Brunei, a small country in Southeast Asia. Clinton testified that he does not remember who the woman in the photo is.
&#8220;I had forgotten that there was anybody in the hot tub,&#8221; Clinton told lawmakers, adding, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know who that is.&#8221;
Asked if he engaged in any sexual activity with the woman in the photo, Clinton responded, &#8220;No.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1018045" style="width: 779px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1018045" class="wp-image-1018045 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/G8kCH3HXQAEQOZ--769x576.jpeg" alt="" width="769" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/G8kCH3HXQAEQOZ--769x576.jpeg 769w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/G8kCH3HXQAEQOZ--300x225.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/G8kCH3HXQAEQOZ--768x575.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/G8kCH3HXQAEQOZ-.jpeg 880w" sizes=" (max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px" />Image via Justice Department</div>
Clinton said the hot tub was in the same area as a large pool where other people were swimming when the photo was taken. Asked if anyone in the pool area was a minor, Clinton said, &#8220;No.&#8221; He also said that he believes a Secret Service agent was &#8220;at the other end of the pool.&#8221; Another photo released by the Justice Department shows Clinton swimming in the pool with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and a woman whose face was redacted.
Clinton said the pool area was not public and was on a hotel floor next to multiple suites where the former president and his team were staying on invitation from the sultan of Brunei. Clinton testified that he swam in the pool and enjoyed the hot tub for a brief time late at night before going to bed.
&#8220;I swam around, I sat in the hot tub for five minutes or whatever it was, and I got up and went to bed,&#8221; he said.
<div id="attachment_1018041" style="width: 787px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1018041" class="wp-image-1018041 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/ClintonMaxwellPool-777x576.jpeg" alt="" width="777" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/ClintonMaxwellPool-777x576.jpeg 777w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/ClintonMaxwellPool-300x222.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/ClintonMaxwellPool-768x569.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/ClintonMaxwellPool.jpeg 946w" sizes=" (max-width: 777px) 100vw, 777px" />Image via Justice Department</div>
Clinton joined Epstein on the financier&#8217;s infamous airplane at least 26 times. Many of the trips were part of Clinton&#8217;s global AIDS initiative, according to the former president.
Clinton testified that he took his final flight on Epstein&#8217;s &#8220;Lolita Express&#8221; in 2003, five years before Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a child for prostitution. Asked why he stopped traveling with the well-connected financier, Clinton said that after his AIDS initiative &#8220;picked up steam,&#8221; he began receiving offers from other people he &#8220;knew better&#8221; and &#8220;really cared about the work&#8221; who wanted to help with transportation.
&#8220;I thought Mr. Epstein was an interesting man, but I didn&#8217;t think he was really interested in what I was doing,&#8221; he added. Clinton said he had an agreement with Epstein. The late financier would provide the private jet for transportation. On those trips, Clinton said he would chat with Epstein about politics and economics.
&#8220;He never asked me anything untoward,&#8221; Clinton said of Epstein. &#8220;It&#8217;s just I thought I had done what I promised, what I promised to do, and he had done what he promised to do. And I&#8217;ve always, over the years, with donors, tried not to overstay my welcome.&#8221;
Clinton said he first learned of Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes in 2008 when he pleaded guilty.
&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing that I saw when I was around him that made me realize he was trafficking women,&#8221; the former president added.
Watch Clinton&#8217;s full deposition:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="The Deposition of President Bill Clinton on the Epstein Probe" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rgJrYKAl6T0?start=15085&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Epstein/Clinton

WATCH: Bill Clinton Asked Point Blank If He Had Sex With Woman In Epstein Hot Tub Photo

Bill Clinton Grilled About Epstein Photo Showing Him Soaking In Hot Tub With Unknown Woman

Ghislaine Maxwell

The Jeffrey Epstein-related deposition of former President Bill Clinton before the House Oversight Committee concluded around six hours after it began on Friday, with Clinton often getting &#8220;candid&#8221; with lawmakers.
The Republican lawmakers who attended the hearing said that Clinton was very cooperative as the former president attempted to answer each question from lawmakers and often spoke more candidly &#8220;than his attorneys were comfortable with.&#8221; House Committee Chairman James Comer, who oversaw the hearing, said the deposition was &#8220;historical.&#8221;
&#8220;I believe that in the history of Congress, the two highest ranking to ever be deposed by Congress would be President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,&#8221; Comer added. &#8220;This is a serious investigation, and we will continue to try to get the truth to the American people and justice for the victims.&#8221;
Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina thanked Clinton for cooperating during the hearing.
&#8220;He did attempt to respond to every single question asked, even when his attorneys told him to shut up, he kept going,&#8221; Mace said.
Neither Clinton nor the Democratic committee members addressed the media outside after the hearing like the Republicans did.
The Oversight Committee said it will release video of both Bill and Hillary Clinton&#8217;s depositions within 24 hours, adding that transcripts of the hearings will be released once the Clintons&#8217; lawyers approve them. Comer promised to subpoena more people who were connected to Epstein to testify before the committee, but he didn&#8217;t reveal who the committee&#8217;s next target would be.
Earlier on Friday, Comer said that Clinton discussed President Donald Trump during his deposition on Jeffrey Epstein on Friday. Comer said that when Democrats asked former President Clinton what he knew about Trump&#8217;s relationship with Epstein, Clinton said that Trump never told him anything that would make it seem like Trump &#8220;was involved&#8221; with Epstein.
&#8220;I know there&#8217;s a lot of obsession about President Trump from the media &#8230; I want to make a statement because [the Democrats] probably won&#8217;t mention this when they come out here,&#8221; Comer said. &#8220;Ranking member [Robert] Garcia asked, &#8216;Should President Trump be called to answer questions from this committee?&#8217; And President Clinton said, &#8216;That&#8217;s for you to decide.&#8217; And [Clinton] went on to say, &#8216;President Trump has never said anything to me to make it seem like he was involved.'&#8221;
Earlier on Friday, President Donald Trump, who was also close to Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s, told reporters that he doesn&#8217;t believe Bill Clinton should have been deposed over his relationship with Epstein.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t like seeing him deposed,&#8221; Trump said, adding, &#8220;I like him.&#8221;
Despite Comer suggesting that Bill Clinton&#8217;s deposition would go &#8220;even longer&#8221; than his wife Hillary Clinton&#8217;s testimony, which lasted over six hours on Thursday, the hearing was finished around the same time as the former first lady&#8217;s. Republicans said that Hillary Clinton answered most of their questions, but they were disappointed that the former secretary of state and first lady told them around a dozen times, &#8220;You&#8217;ll have to ask my husband,&#8221; Comer said.
&#8220;So, we have a lot of questions for her husband tomorrow,&#8221; the House Oversight chairman <a href="https://x.com/GOPoversight/status/2027207016964300899">told</a> reporters on Thursday evening. &#8220;And I&#8217;m confident that deposition will last even longer than this one.&#8221;
Former President Clinton posted his opening statement on social media shortly after his closed-door testimony kicked off. In his statement, which was much shorter than that of his wife&#8217;s, the former president claimed that he &#8220;saw nothing&#8221; and &#8220;did nothing wrong.&#8221; He also said that members of Congress will likely hear him say &#8220;I don&#8217;t recall&#8221; numerous times during the deposition.
&#8220;That might be unsatisfying. But I&#8217;m not going to say something I&#8217;m not sure of,&#8221; Clinton added. &#8220;This was a long time ago, and I am bound by my oath not to speculate, or to guess.&#8221;
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As someone who grew up in a home with domestic abuse, not only would I not have flown on his plane if I had any inkling of what he was doing—I would have turned him in myself and led the call for justice for his crimes, not sweetheart deals. <a href="https://t.co/0rX8cat5Pu">pic.twitter.com/0rX8cat5Pu</a>
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillClinton/status/2027424128559452573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The &#8220;I don’t recall&#8221; line became closely associated with Bill Clinton during prior legal proceedings — most notably his 1998 grand jury testimony during the Monica Lewinsky investigation, where variations of memory-related responses were widely discussed and scrutinized.
Just before 12:30 p.m. ET, Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida gave an update to reporters and said Bill Clinton was &#8220;cooperative and answering questions.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t have reason to believe he&#8217;s hiding the ball on anything. He&#8217;s been pretty transparent,&#8221; Luna added.
Before heading inside to begin Bill Clinton&#8217;s deposition on Friday, Comer called it &#8220;a historical day for the United States Congress.&#8221;
&#8220;We already had a big portfolio of questions for him, but that increased yesterday,&#8221; Comer added.
Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace said on Friday morning that Hillary Clinton did not want to answer questions about the photos that show her husband hanging out with Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, along with  unknown women. Mace also accused Hillary Clinton of responding to some of her “pointed” questions by “screaming.”
“She was unhinged,” Mace added. “And I hope that President Clinton is less unhinged today than his wife was yesterday.”
Mace also called for the Oversight Committee to subpoena Trump&#8217;s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a move that California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said would have the support of Democrats. Lutnick met with Epstein multiple times, including at least one time on Epstein&#8217;s infamous island. The Commerce secretary said that he did not engage in or witness any illegal activity, and Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s crimes.
Asked about a potential Lutnick subpoena, Trump said the Commerce secretary is &#8220;innocent&#8221; and would &#8220;go in and say whatever he has to say.&#8221;
On Thursday evening, Hillary Clinton spoke to reporters outside the performing arts center where her deposition took place in Chappaqua, New York, and blasted Republicans for asking &#8220;very repetitive&#8221; questions after she stated that she never met Epstein. Hillary Clinton also suggested that her husband will focus on the &#8220;chronology&#8221; of his relationship with Epstein and argue that he only spent time with the financier before Epstein was charged and pleaded guilty to soliciting a child for prostitution.
&#8220;I think it is fair to say that the vast majority of people who had contact with [Epstein] before his criminal pleas in &#8217;08 were like most people, they did not know what he was doing,&#8221; Hillary Clinton said. &#8220;And I think that is exactly what my husband will testify to tomorrow.&#8221;
The former president will likely have much more to address during his deposition than his wife, as Bill Clinton traveled numerous times on Epstein&#8217;s private plane. He also appears in multiple instances in the Epstein files recently released by the Justice Department, including in photos that show the former president schmoozing with Epstein and Maxwell, as well as multiple photos that show Bill Clinton in a swimming pool with Maxwell and enjoying a hot tub with a woman whose face was redacted.
The former president was also seen in a picture getting a back massage from Chauntae Davies, one of Epstein’s accusers. Davies has not accused Clinton of acting inappropriately.
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<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1018045 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/G8kCH3HXQAEQOZ--769x576.jpeg" alt="" width="769" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/G8kCH3HXQAEQOZ--769x576.jpeg 769w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/G8kCH3HXQAEQOZ--300x225.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/G8kCH3HXQAEQOZ--768x575.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/G8kCH3HXQAEQOZ-.jpeg 880w" sizes=" (max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px" /></div>
Comer said on Friday before the deposition that House Republicans plan to ask Bill Clinton about the photos as well as his trips on Epstein’s private jet.
House Democrats also made a few comments before heading into the building for former President Clinton’s deposition. Rep. Robert Garcia of California said that Democrats want “serious answers” from Bill Clinton. Garcia then blasted his Republican colleagues, who Hillary Clinton accused of asking irrelevant questions, including inquiries about UFOs, during Thursday’s deposition.
“What we don’t want is a side show and questions about UFOs, or about conspiracy theories from decades ago, which is what unfortunately happened yesterday,” Garcia said. “A series of bizarre questions were asked of Secretary Clinton.”
The Democrats also repeated their demand from Thursday and urged Republicans to subpoena President Donald Trump. Garcia said that Republicans have “set a new precedent” by asking a former president to testify over his relationship with Epstein.
Neither Bill nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes, and the former president and first lady have stated that they never visited Epstein&#8217;s private island. After photos of Bill Clinton were released among the millions of Epstein-related documents and files by the Justice Department, the former president&#8217;s chief of staff, Angel Ureña, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-clinton-responds-to-shocking-photos-in-epstein-file-dump">accused</a> the Trump administration of scapegoating Bill Clinton.
“The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” Ureña said. “This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever. So they can release as many grainy, 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be.”
Documents released by the Justice Department also show that Maxwell had a major role in the founding of the Clinton Global Initiative, a project of the Clinton Foundation to bring world leaders together to discuss future action. While coordinating with Epstein, Maxwell took part in budget discussions when the former president was first attempting to launch the initiative in 2004, just two years before Epstein was indicted, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/us/politics/epstein-clintons-maxwell.html">reported</a>.
Maxwell, a British former socialite, told the Justice Department during an interview last year that Bill Clinton was her friend, &#8220;not Epstein&#8217;s friend.&#8221;
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

clinton_epstein_montage

Clinton Got ‘Candid’ In Epstein Deposition And It Made His Lawyers Uncomfortable

Hillary Clinton

Former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton was grilled over her and her husband&#8217;s connection to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein for around six hours by members of the House Oversight Committee on Thursday. The hearing was a whirlwind of tough questions, heated debates, and a photo scandal.
Clinton&#8217;s deposition finally wrapped up around 5:30 p.m. ET, and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said that Clinton &#8220;answered most of our questions,&#8221; but he added that there were many answers from Clinton that did not satisfy members of the committee. Comer said that Clinton frequently replied to questions by saying that her husband, former President Bill Clinton, would be a better person to ask.
Comer hinted at &#8220;very interesting&#8221; answers Clinton gave at the end of the deposition and promised that the committee would do its best to release the video of the deposition within the next 24 hours. The transcript of the hearing will also be released after Clinton&#8217;s lawyers review and approve it.
&#8220;We have a lot of questions for her husband tomorrow, and I&#8217;m confident that deposition will last even longer than this one,&#8221; Comer said.
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) added, &#8220;I would just say one of the things I learned today is that if you really have specific questions about the Clinton Global Initiative or the relationship between the Clintons and Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, you have to ask Bill Clinton.&#8221;
Hillary Clinton spoke to reporters after the hearing and accused Republicans of using the deposition as a political stunt. She also said she wishes the Oversight Committee had held the hearing in public. Clinton described many of the questions she faced as &#8220;very repetitive&#8221; and claimed that she was grilled about UFOs and the sex-trafficking conspiracy theory known as &#8220;pizzagate.&#8221;
During the press conference, Clinton also addressed why Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was in attendance at her daughter Chelsea&#8217;s wedding in 2010 after Maxwell had already been named in a civil lawsuit by Epstein victim Virginia Guiffre. Clinton said that Maxwell was at the wedding as a &#8220;plus-one&#8221; of another guest who was invited, but she did not say who the invited guest was.
Bill Clinton is set to testify under oath on Friday.
Democrats sitting in on the Jeffrey Epstein-related deposition of former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton took a brief recess at the two-hour mark on Thursday and blasted Republicans while calling for President Donald Trump to face questions under oath.
Democrats provided an update on the ongoing deposition, with Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the ranking Democratic member on the House Oversight Committee, saying that Clinton was &#8220;completely cooperating with the deposition and the committee.&#8221; He added that Clinton made it clear that she never met Epstein, was never on the pedophile&#8217;s infamous island, and had &#8220;zero knowledge&#8221; his heinous crimes.
During the press conference, the Democratic lawmakers said they will push Republicans to release the full, unedited transcript of the deposition within 24 hours. Clinton previously stated that she wanted the hearing to be public.
Garcia said that the Oversight Committee has &#8220;set a new precedent&#8221; for deposing presidents and former presidents, arguing that President Donald Trump should also answer questions on Epstein under oath.
Arizona Democratic Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari said she was &#8220;extremely appalled&#8221; by Republicans, saying they are &#8220;unserious about this investigation.&#8221;
&#8220;Today, we are sitting through an incredibly unserious clown show of a deposition, where members of Congress and the Republican Party are more concerned about getting their photo op of Secretary Clinton than actually getting to the truth and holding anyone accountable,&#8221; Ansari added.
Garcia ripped Republicans for &#8220;breaking their own committee rules that they established,&#8221; referring to Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) sharing a photo of Clinton from the closed-door hearing. Conservative commentator Benny Johnson posted a photo of Clinton at the hearing, crediting Boebert for sending him the image. A Clinton adviser then told reporters outside the building that they were attempting to &#8220;figure out where the photo came from and why possibly members of Congress are violating House rules,&#8221; POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/02/26/congress/hillary-clinton-deposition-briefly-derailed-00801395">reported</a>.
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🚨BREAKING: The first image of Hillary Clinton testifying under oath about Jeffery Epstein to the Republican Oversight Committee.
This is the first time Hillary has had to answer real questions about Epstein. Clinton does not look happy.
Photo provided by Rep. Lauren Boebert. <a href="https://t.co/mPtUyA4u5i">pic.twitter.com/mPtUyA4u5i</a>
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/2027067846417690630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The photo scandal caused the hearing to briefly go off the record. Boebert responded after the hearing was briefly derailed and said the deposition was again &#8220;proceeding.&#8221;
&#8220;Benny did nothing wrong,&#8221; Boebert <a href="https://x.com/laurenboebert/status/2027082360513040519">wrote</a> on X.
Later, Boebert said she really admired Hillary Clinton’s blue suit, which is why she wanted to capture it. When asked why she shared the photo, Boebert responded, “Why not?”
Clinton, along with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, fought for months to avoid their depositions after the Oversight Committee subpoenaed them last August, arguing that they could share their limited knowledge of Epstein through written statements to the committee. The Clintons&#8217; lawyers engaged in a long back-and-forth battle with Comer, and the couple skipped their scheduled deposition in January, which sparked contempt-of-Congress proceedings.
But after Republicans and some Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/clintons-in-the-hot-seat-as-oversight-committee-recommends-contempt-charges-over-epstein-scandal">voted</a> to recommend contempt charges, the Clintons finally agreed earlier this month to answer questions on Epstein under oath.
&#8220;Finally, they&#8217;re going to have to sit and answer questions under oath to Congress about their knowledge and involvement with the Epstein criminal activity as well as with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was the primary co-conspirator, the one who was responsible more than anyone for luring the girls into Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s world,&#8221; Comer <a href="https://x.com/RepJamesComer/status/2026983080762945543">said</a> Thursday morning.
Comer also hinted at an important question Clinton will face during her deposition.
&#8220;One of the questions that we all have in both parties is: how was Jeffrey Epstein able to surround himself with the most powerful people in the world?&#8221; he said. &#8220;If you saw Hillary Clinton&#8217;s interview a few days ago, she acted like they barely knew Epstein and Maxwell. Well, that&#8217;s funny because Epstein was in the White House 16 times while Bill Clinton was president, and then Bill Clinton flew on his plane 27 times post-presidency, as well as Ghislaine Maxwell had a front-row seat at Chelsea Clinton&#8217;s wedding.&#8221;
Clinton posted her opening statement to the committee on social media at 11:08 a.m. ET. In the statement, Clinton accused the Republican-led Oversight Committee of conducting an investigation defined by &#8220;partisan political theater.&#8221; She also blasted Republicans for focusing on her deposition while no GOP members showed up for the testimony of former Victoria&#8217;s Secret CEO and Epstein business partner Les Wexner last week.
&#8220;This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official, rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors, as well as the public who also want to get to the bottom of this matter,&#8221; Clinton added.
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Here is my opening statement to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today. <a href="https://t.co/NZSF2epcI5">pic.twitter.com/NZSF2epcI5</a>
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) <a href="https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/2027053057100693779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said last week that she doesn&#8217;t &#8220;recall ever meeting&#8221; Epstein, adding that she spoke with Maxwell &#8220;on a few occasions.&#8221; Clinton said the Oversight Committee&#8217;s decision to subpoena her and her husband takes away from what should be the &#8220;focus&#8221; of the Epstein investigation.
&#8220;The Republican member of Congress who is running this hearing, or this investigation, is trying to protect the president,&#8221; Clinton <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CBSNews/videos/hillary-clinton-says-her-family-has-no-links-to-jeffrey-epstein-and-ghislaine-ma/1585833139356305/">said</a>.
President Donald Trump, like former President Clinton, used to be a friend of Epstein&#8217;s and was pictured multiple times with Epstein at events before the financier pleaded guilty to procuring a child for prostitution in 2008. Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes.
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, told reporters that Democrats &#8220;from day one &#8230; have said we want to talk to anyone, any person with information about Jeffrey Epstein, about his crimes, about how he was able to get so much wealth. We will talk to any single person, whether that is a Democrat or Republican.&#8221;
Before he walked into the building for Clinton&#8217;s deposition, Garcia added that it is &#8220;important to note&#8221; that there is &#8220;no evidence&#8221; of the former secretary of state having any interactions with Epstein. He then blasted the Republicans and the Trump administration, accusing the White House of covering up information related to the Epstein investigation.
Trump and his administration have faced criticism over their handling of the Epstein case and the release of the Epstein files. After Congress passed legislation, which was signed by Trump, forcing the release of Epstein-related documents, the Justice Department began releasing a tranche of documents, emails, and photos, which shed more light on Epstein&#8217;s numerous relationships with powerful people.
Included in the DOJ Epstein files dump were multiple pictures of former President Clinton, one of which shows him in a pool with Maxwell and a woman whose face was redacted. Another photo in the files shows the former president in a hot tub with a woman whose face was redacted. The Justice Department has stated that it redacted faces of minors, alleged victims, and some government officials, but the Trump administration was <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/government-says-its-fixing-thousands-of-documents-in-epstein-related-files-that-may-have-had-victim-information">criticized</a> after some photos released to the public showed the faces of potential victims. Other materials that were not properly redacted contained nude photos, names, and addresses. The Justice Department quickly removed thousands of documents following what it called a &#8220;technical or human error.&#8221;
Neither of the Clintons has been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes, but Republicans and some Democrats say they want answers about the former president and first lady&#8217;s relationship with the late convicted sex offender. Former President Clinton was a friend of Epstein’s in the early 2000s, traveling with the financier numerous times on Epstein’s plane, which was used for sex trafficking. The former president was also seen in a picture getting a back massage from Chauntae Davies, one of Epstein’s accusers. Davies has not accused Clinton of acting inappropriately.

Inside The Epstein Deposition — Hillary Clinton Reveals What She Was Asked

Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who pled the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, said she would only testify on the convicted pedophile&#8217;s crimes if President Donald Trump grants her clemency, her lawyer said.
Maxwell appeared virtually from prison before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, but she kept quiet, using her constitutional right against self-incrimination. After her deposition, the convicted sex trafficker&#8217;s lawyer, David Markus, said that Maxwell would &#8220;speak fully and honestly&#8221; about her knowledge of her and Epstein&#8217;s crimes if Trump granted her clemency. Markus said that Maxwell would also &#8220;explain why&#8221; both Trump and former President Bill Clinton are &#8220;innocent of any wrongdoing,&#8221; CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-house-oversight-committee-deposition-fifth-amendment/#">reported</a>.
&#8220;If this committee and the American public truly want to hear the unfiltered truth about what happened, there is a straightforward path. Ms. Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump,&#8221; Markus said. &#8220;Only she can provide the complete account. Some may not like what they hear, but the truth matters. For example, both President Trump and President Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing. Ms. Maxwell alone can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation.&#8221;
House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said following the deposition that he was &#8220;disappointed,&#8221; but not surprised by Maxwell&#8217;s refusal to talk.
&#8220;We had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators,&#8221; Comer said. &#8220;We sincerely want to get to the truth for the American people and justice for survivors.&#8221;
Maxwell is currently serving out a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein&#8217;s sex trafficking scheme and has been pushing for a pardon from President Trump, who has shown no indication that he&#8217;s considering what would be one of the most controversial pardons in U.S. history.
Both Trump and Clinton appear numerous times in the photos and documents from Epstein&#8217;s estate that have been released by the Justice Department, but none of the evidence incriminates the presidents in any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s crimes. Trump and Clinton have also not been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein&#8217;s victims.
In a 2019 interview with the Justice Department, then-Palm Beach police chief Michael Reiter said that Trump called him in 2006 as Epstein crimes came to light and said that &#8220;everyone has known he&#8217;s been doing this.&#8221; The interview, which was part of the Justice Department&#8217;s Epstein files dump, was first reported on by the Miami Herald on Monday. Trump also told the police chief in 2006 to &#8220;focus on&#8221; Maxwell, saying, &#8220;She is evil,&#8221; according to Reiter.
Maxwell met with U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for multiple hours-long <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-reveals-whether-she-believes-epstein-committed-suicide">interviews</a> in July and was grilled for information on Epstein and those associated with him. During the interview with Blanche, Maxwell confirmed that high-profile men, such as Trump and Clinton, had close ties with Epstein, but added she never saw either man act inappropriately with a woman of any age. Maxwell had glowing remarks for Trump, telling the Justice Department, &#8220;The president was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.&#8221;
During her deposition on Monday, Maxwell&#8217;s lawyer again said that Maxwell has no reason to believe that Trump or Clinton are guilty of any wrongdoing, according to Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, who was at the closed-door hearing. Democrat Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia said that Maxwell&#8217;s proposition &#8220;is all strategy for her to try to get a pardon from President Trump.&#8221;
The top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, claimed that Maxwell has already been given &#8220;special treatment&#8221; by the White House. Shortly after her meeting with the Justice Department last summer, Maxwell was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-moved-from-florida-prison-to-lower-security-facility">moved</a> from a low-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security prison in Texas. In October, the Supreme Court declined to hear Maxwell&#8217;s appeal to overturn her conviction.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-allowed-to-pardon-ghislaine-maxwell-keeps-option-open-after-doj-meeting">said</a> last July that he had &#8220;not thought about&#8221; pardoning Maxwell. Three months later, Trump <a href="https://www.c-span.org/clip/white-house-event/user-clip-president-trump-will-look-into-possible-ghislaine-maxwell-pardon/5174684">said</a> he would &#8220;take a look at&#8221; Maxwell&#8217;s case and &#8220;speak to the DOJ.&#8221;
&#8220;A lot of people have asked me for a pardon,&#8221; he added.
Later this month, the House Oversight is scheduled to grill former President Clinton and former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton over their ties to Epstein.

Trump, Knauss, Epstein, & Maxwell At Mar-A-Lago

Ghislaine Maxwell Will Only Testify On Epstein If Trump Gives Her What She Wants, Lawyer Says

Crime

Trump Administration

U.S.

Former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton on Thursday requested that her and former President Bill Clinton&#8217;s Jeffrey Epstein-related testimonies be public and on camera.
Clinton, who, along with her husband, finally agreed to appear for depositions before the House Oversight Committee later this month, accused House Republicans of playing &#8220;games&#8221; when they issued subpoenas for the Clintons to testify on their relationship with the late convicted sex offender. The House Oversight Committee is investigating the crimes committed by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell as the Justice Department continues to release millions of documents from the case.
&#8220;For six months, we engaged Republicans on the Oversight Committee in good faith. We told them what we know, under oath,&#8221; Clinton <a href="https://x.com/HillaryClinton/status/2019394857312399796">said</a>. &#8220;They ignored all of it. They moved the goalposts and turned accountability into an exercise in distraction.&#8221;
&#8220;So let’s stop the games,&#8221; she added. &#8220;If you want this fight, [Rep. James Comer (R-KY)], let’s have it—in public. You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on. We will be there.&#8221;
Comer <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2019449373860544596">responded</a> to Clinton&#8217;s request and told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson that the testimonies &#8220;will be public&#8221; since the committee will release the transcripts, as well as audio and video. The depositions are scheduled to be recorded, with the recordings and transcripts released later, but Comer suggested that the committee is considering live-streaming the hearings.
&#8220;We hadn&#8217;t planned on it being live, but we&#8217;re seeing the legality of that, and it&#8217;s never been done before,&#8221; Comer said.
Earlier this week, the Clintons agreed to appear for depositions as the House was preparing to vote to hold the Democrats in contempt of Congress. The Clintons did not appear for their scheduled depositions last month, sparking outrage from Republican lawmakers who quickly began contempt proceedings.
Last week, nine Democrats joined with all Republicans on the House Oversight Committee to hold former President Bill Clinton in contempt, and three Democrats voted with Republicans to hold Hillary Clinton in contempt. The full House vote on holding the Democratic couple in contempt was expected to take place on Wednesday, but on Monday, the Clintons changed course and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/clintons-cave-agree-to-testify-in-house-epstein-investigation">agreed</a> to appear for their depositions.
Hillary Clinton is scheduled to appear before the Oversight Committee on February 26, while Bill Clinton is set to testify on February 27. Oversight Committee Chairman Comer <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/chairman-comer-announces-the-clintons-caved-will-appear-for-depositions/">said</a> the Clintons &#8220;completely caved&#8221; after &#8220;it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold them in contempt.&#8221;
&#8220;We look forward to questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors,&#8221; Comer added.
The Clintons have not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes. Bill Clinton was a friend of Epstein&#8217;s in the early 2000s, traveling with the financier numerous times on Epstein&#8217;s plane, which was used for sex trafficking. The former president was also seen in a picture getting a back massage from Chauntae Davies, one of Epstein&#8217;s accusers. None of Epstein&#8217;s victims has accused Bill Clinton of any wrongdoing.
The Clintons have argued that they &#8220;already provided the limited information they possess about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell&#8221; in sworn statements they sent to the Oversight Committee. Comer, however, said that the Clintons need to answer questions under oath.

Hillary Clinton/James Comer

Hillary Clinton Challenges House Oversight Chair To Hold Her Epstein Deposition ‘In Public’

James Comer

Bill and Hillary Clinton have dropped their opposition and agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Clintons’ reversal came as House lawmakers prepared to vote to hold the former president and former Secretary of State in contempt of Congress for ignoring a subpoena, a committee aide told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/02/bill-and-hillary-clinton-will-now-testify-before-congress-00761325">Politico</a>. It was not immediately clear when the Clintons are expected to appear before the committee.
The Clintons were originally scheduled to be deposed by the committee in mid-December. Committee chair James Comer (R-KY) pushed back the deposition date by a month to accommodate the Clintons’ plans to attend a funeral.
The Clintons skipped their scheduled appearance last month. Lawmakers on the committee then voted on a bipartisan basis to forward contempt charges to the House, which was scheduled to take up a vote on the charges this week.
“Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences,” the Clintons <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-seek-to-hold-bill-clinton-in-contempt-after-he-refuses-to-testify-on-epstein">wrote</a> in a letter last month explaining their decision to flout the subpoena. “For us, now is that time.”
The Clintons <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/clintons-in-the-hot-seat-as-oversight-committee-recommends-contempt-charges-over-epstein-scandal">argued</a> in the letter that they had reason to believe the subpoenas to force their testimony were “legally invalid.” They said further that they “tried to give [Comer] the little information [they] have.”
“We’ve done so because Mr. Epstein’s crimes were horrific,” the letter continued. “There is no plausible explanation for what you are doing other than partisan politics.”
Neither Bill nor Hillary has been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. No evidence has been found that Hillary ever traveled with Epstein, much less boarded Epstein’s now-infamous jet, the Lolita Express.
Bill Clinton has admitted to a handful of interactions with Epstein, including four trips on board Epstein&#8217;s jet, a meeting at Epstein’s Harlem office in 2002, and “one brief visit to Epstein’s New York apartment.” Reports and court filings have suggested numerous other encounters took place, however.
The former president took at least 27 flights on Epstein’s plane, according to a review of flight logs by <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2628210/bill-clinton-stonewalls-on-flights-with-child-sex-offender-epstein/">The Washington Examiner</a>.
Epstein visited the Clinton White House multiple times throughout the 1990s and attended “a donors’ reception hosted by Bill and Hillary Clinton” in 1993, according to a 2019 report in <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-visited-clinton-white-house-multiple-times-in-early-90s">The Daily Beast</a>. Epstein attended the reception after making a $10,000 donation to the White House Historical Association.
The House Oversight Committee launched an investigation into Epstein last year to <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/chairman-comer-clintons-must-be-held-accountable-for-refusing-to-comply-with-duly-issued-bipartisan-subpoenas/">develop</a> an understanding of the disgraced financier’s “sex trafficking network, the ways Epstein sought to curry favor and influence to evade scrutiny, and how Congress can strengthen laws to better combat human trafficking,” according to the committee.
Epstein died in 2019 in his jail cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City. Since taking over a year ago, the Trump administration has released millions of pages worth of documents, files, communications, and other evidence in the “Epstein files.”

Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton

Clintons Cave, Agree To Testify In House Epstein Investigation

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