U.S. President Donald Trump's tie is blown by the wind as he walks to board Air Force One for his trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, as he departs Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., on the day he announced that Israeli and Lebanese leaders had agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
President Donald Trump's casual dismissal of Jeffrey Epstein's survivors as "victims, or whatever" drew immediate fury on social media Thursday, with critics blasting him for being not just callous, but for outright lying.
Trump made the comment outside the White House when asked about public hearings for Epstein survivors, claiming the women had refused to go under oath. That claim was immediately challenged.
"First, he's lying — no one refused to go under oath," wrote progressive political commentator Aaron Parnas on X. "The survivors said it's not their responsibility to testify in front of Congress when they've already spoken to the FBI. Second, 'victims or whatever' is one of the most derogatory things the President could say."
Political commentator Polly Sigh went further, pointing out that at least one of Epstein's survivors had accused Trump himself of rape.
"He's also lying about them refusing to go under oath," she wrote. "They spoke with the FBI — including the woman who accused Trump of raping her when she was a child."
MeidasTouch summed up the reaction bluntly: "Trump is now lying about the Epstein survivors, or as he calls them, 'the victims or whatever.'"
One commenter drew a sharp contrast with Trump's recent self-portrayal. "He may have depicted himself as Jesus," wrote NHL analyst Mike Rifkin on X, "but he is the devil." He called Trump's dismissal a "disgusting thing to say."
Political commentary account Spiro’s Ghost simply added, "Despicable, deranged, insane lying. What the [expletive]."
Trump has denied all allegations of misconduct connected to Epstein and has previously said he was "not a fan" of the disgraced financier.