Trump bashed by Epstein survivor after 'dismissive' remarks: 'Wish I were surprised'
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One, February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
February 19, 2026
President Donald Trump was bashed by a survivor of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's crimes on Thursday for making "dismissive" comments about the case during a press conference earlier in the day.
Danielle Bensky joined CNN's Brianna Keilar on "Erin Burnett OutFront" on Thursday to discuss the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, and the president's response. During a press gaggle on Air Force One, Trump said the arrest is "bad for the Royal Family."
"It's really very interesting because nobody used to speak about Epstein when he was alive," Trump said. "But I'm the one who can talk about him because I've been totally exonerated. I did nothing. In fact, the opposite, because he was against me, and was fighting me in the election, which I just found out from the last 3 million pages of documents."
Bensky described Trump's remarks as "dismissive" in her reaction.
"I wish I were surprised, to be honest," she said. "It's what we've seen time and time again from this administration, this glossing over of survivors and this lack of empathy and really thinking these places of power and these positions of power being the only things that matter."