Murkowski’s awkward pause on GOP’s Epstein tactic stuns CNN's Kaitlan Collins

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins flagged what she called a "notable pause" from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who was asked about the GOP's new strategy to talk to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking co-conspirator rather than his victims.

Collins aired her exclusive interview with Murkowski on Wednesday night, in which the two discussed the latest in the Epstein saga that has embroiled President Donald Trump in controversy. When asked whether the Trump administration has let the saga spin out of control, Murkowski lamented it has "occupied all of the airspace here in Washington, D.C."

"You just saw the House go out because they didn't want to deal with that. The president is trying to move to other news, but that doesn't seem to be holding. Everybody is occupied by this," she said, noting lawmakers have "serious work" they still need to do in the Senate, including appropriations.

"Just deal with the Epstein thing once and for all," she pleaded. "I think if they had done it earlier on and moved on to other things, maybe we wouldn't be in this place where everyone is now thinking about, you know, what's the next big conspiracy behind all this?"

Murkowski urged Republicans to rip off the bandage when it comes to the Epstein files.

"Just be done with it. Be done with it. If, in fact, there's no 'there' there for the president, get it out there. Just get it out there and be done," she said.

She gave the same answer when asked her response to bombshell Wall Street Journal reporting that Trump was told in May his name makes multiple appearances in the Justice Department's Epstein files.

"If there's really nothing there, again, just put it out," she said, calling the scandal a "political distraction."

Collins then turned to Murkowski's book in which she talked about hearing stories of sexual assault from women in her state.

"It's one of the most probably gripping parts of the book," said Collins. "You obviously write about your vote when it came to Justice Brett Kavanaugh. But, you know, what the White House is doing now is they're sending the Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, to go meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, who is obviously convicted of child sex trafficking some women — some girls, I should say — as young as 14 years old. Do you think that they would be better served by talking to the victims rather than the woman who was helping Jeffrey Epstein sex traffic these young girls?"

Murkowski replied that if the Trump administraiton is "really trying" to "convey how awful these crimes are," then they should talk to victims.

"You do not have it be presented in what some would say or suggest is a one-sided way," she said.

Collins pressed the senator.

"Do you find her credible?"

Murkowski took a deep breath and paused for about four seconds before answering.

"I don't know that I find her credible," she said.

Collins called it a "notable pause there from the senator."

Watch the clip below or at this link.