Fact Check: Is image of Hillary Clinton pulling Jeffrey Epstein's tie as Bill watches real?

WASHINGTON, DC: Former First Lady Hillary Clinton on Thursday, February 26, informed the House lawmakers that she did not know of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes on the first day of depositions.

Following this, an image went viral online claiming to show Hillary, Bill Clinton, and Jeffrey Epstein laughing together. But is there any truth to this viral image? Let us find out below.

Claim: Image shows Bill and Hillary Clinton with Jeffrey Epstein

Following the first day of Hillary Clinton's depositions, an image went viral on the social media platform X showing the former First Lady pulling Jeffrey Epstein's tie as Bill Clinton is seen laughing.

An X user shared the image and wrote in the caption, "I never met Jeffrey Epstein." The post garnered more than 348,000 views, and more than 23,000 internet users liked the viral post. 

In an opening statement, which Hillary Clinton shared on social media following the first day of depositions, she said, "I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein."

Moreover, the former First Lady accused the Republican-led panel of trying to shift the focus away from President Donald Trump's ties to the disgraced financier.

"If this Committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein's trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press gaggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement; it would ask him directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files," she said in a statement.

Interestingly, the Clintons initially refused to testify before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee, but relented when lawmakers moved to hold them in contempt of Congress.

Fact Check: False, viral image is AI-generated

The claim made in the online post is false, as the viral image is fake and was generated using artificial intelligence tools. No credible evidence or authentic photos exist showing Hillary Clinton meeting or posing with Jeffrey Epstein.

Interestingly, this aligns with her recent testimony under oath on Thursday, where she repeatedly stated she never met the disgraced financier, did not know about his crimes, and never visited his properties. 

Moreover, viral manipulated images linking the former First Lady to Epstein have been debunked before, often circulating amid Epstein-related news.

Meanwhile, the Clintons' known connections are mainly through Bill Clinton, who had documented interactions with Epstein, but has denied any wrongdoing and cut ties before Epstein's 2008 conviction.