Donald Trump caught reporters off guard on Thursday when he said he supports congressional hearings for Jeffrey Epstein survivors, but quickly followed it up with a claim that the victims themselves had refused to testify under oath.
The president made the remarks outside the White House during a brief media availability before departing for Las Vegas, where he was headed for a roundtable on his “no tax on tips” policy.
According to PBS NewsHour, PBS News reporter Liz Landers asked Trump whether he backed first lady Melania Trump‘s recent call for Congress to hold dedicated hearings for Epstein’s survivors. “I’m OK with it,” he said. “I think we’ve had a lot of public hearings. I’m OK with it, but I understand that the women didn’t want to go under oath.”
He then added: “That’s what I heard, that the women, the victims or whatever, they refused to go under oath, which was a little surprising.”
Trump’s ‘victims or whatever’ comment draws backlash
The phrase “victims or whatever” immediately drew criticism online, with many pointing to it as a dismissive reference to the women Epstein abused. Mediaite noted that Trump appeared to be responding directly to Melania Trump’s White House address from the previous week, in which the first lady denied ever being close with Epstein or his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” Melania Trump had said, also urging Congress to give victims a hearing “with the power of sworn testimony.” Trump on Thursday seemed to credit that address for the question he was being asked, saying: “Melania felt strongly about it because she was accused of that, I met her through Epstein, but it turned out to be totally false. It was a false story.”
A group of 15 Epstein survivors pushed back on Melania Trump’s statement shortly after it was delivered, calling it “a deflection of responsibility.” Their joint statement read: “Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports, and giving testimony. Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility, not justice.”
At least one survivor says she’s willing to testify
Trump’s claim that the women refused to testify under oath was complicated. Alicia Arden, who alleges Epstein assaulted her in a hotel room, said she is eager to go before Congress. “I’m willing to testify before Congress about what Jeffrey Epstein did to me and how I was attacked in the room,” Arden told NPR, while noting that other survivors who don’t feel ready should not feel pressured.
Meanwhile, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has already committed to holding such hearings. “I’ve always planned on having hearings with the victims,” Comer said in a Fox News appearance last Friday. He said the hearings would follow the conclusion of ongoing depositions from high-profile figures connected to Epstein. The committee has scheduled interviews with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and others in the coming months.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has also voiced support for victims speaking out. At the Semafor World Economy summit on Wednesday, Blanche said “of course” he would back public congressional hearings. “If there’s any victim that wants to come forward and talk about what they know, that’s what the FBI does,” he added.
Trump’s ties to Epstein have faced intense scrutiny for years, though he has consistently and firmly denied any wrongdoing. A federal court recently dismissed Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over its reporting on the subject. Separately, King Charles is also facing mounting pressure to meet with Epstein victims in the US, adding an international dimension to the ongoing fallout from Epstein’s crimes.
