White House denies claim Trump insulted Epstein victims behind closed doors amid pressure to release files
WASHINGTON, DC: The White House is rejecting a report that President Donald Trump privately disparaged Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, accusing Rolling Stone of publishing a “desperate attempt” to damage the president as pressure mounts to release the so-called “Epstein files.”
Sources told the outlet that Trump has accused victims and their families of trying to tarnish his reputation and even suggested they are colluding with Democrats. The report comes as Trump’s administration faces bipartisan pressure to make sealed documents from the Epstein investigation public.
White House pushes back on report Trump disparaged Epstein victims
According to reporters Asawin Suebsaeng and Nikki McCann Ramirez, multiple sources “in and out of the Trump administration” confirmed that Trump has been “getting really, really annoyed in recent weeks” with Epstein’s victims.
The sources said Trump told confidants the women pressing him to release records are “just trying to make him look bad—or imply he did something wrong.” At times, he allegedly went further, accusing them of acting as Democratic operatives.
“None of this is true,” a White House official told The Daily Beast. “Just another desperate attempt by the failing Rolling Stone.”
Suebsaeng defended his reporting Thursday, August 14 night on MSNBC’s 'All In With Chris Hayes', telling guest host Antonia Hylton that Trump’s uncharacteristic silence on Epstein’s accusers prompted further investigation.
“One of the things that got us onto reporting this out is that public-facing, Trump is often very garrulous in how he insults his enemies, big and small, who come after him or who he feels like they’re coming after him, especially when he’s sitting as leader of the free world,”
Suebsaeng said. “But for some reason, he was conspicuously silent about these families and these individual accusers.”
He added, “When it comes to the character and politicking of Donald Trump, sadly par for the course.”
Epstein survivor Annie Farmer also condemned Trump’s alleged comments, calling them “offensive.”
Trump targets GOP lawmaker over Epstein records push
The dispute over Trump’s reported remarks coincides with friction inside his own party. Rep Thomas Massie (R-Ky) has partnered with Rep Ro Khanna (D-Calif) in a bipartisan push to force a House vote on releasing Epstein investigation documents.
Trump responded with a thinly veiled threat Thursday night, posting screenshots on Truth Social of a polling report showing Massie’s vulnerability to a primary challenger following his break with Trump.
Epstein controversy continues to haunt Trump
Trump’s long-time friendship with Epstein has fueled scrutiny as new calls to unseal court records grow louder. While the president has publicly dismissed the issue, critics say the administration appears focused on deflecting rather than addressing demands for transparency.
“This is about giving survivors and the public access to information,” Khanna said earlier this week, reiterating his pledge to bring the matter to a vote.
The Nobel Prize controversy involving Trump and Hillary Clinton last week has now given way to renewed focus on Epstein, with victims and lawmakers urging the administration to act rather than attack.
