New Epstein testimony set to 'backfire on GOP' and 'discomfort Trump's inner circle': CNN

ALSO READ: Retiring GOP lawmaker spills about what he dislikes most about Trump: 'I'm not into that'

New Epstein testimony set to 'backfire on GOP' and 'discomfort Trump's inner circle': CNN
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump makes a campaign stop at manufacturer FALK Production in Walker, Michigan, U.S. September 27, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Testimony given by Hillary Clinton, and a further statement to be given by former president Bill Clinton on his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, may worry Donald Trump's close allies.

The 42nd President of the United States is set to testify later today (February 27), and it may give Trump and his team something more to worry over when it comes to the Epstein files. While Trump has tried to defer the Epstein files issue onto the matter of Clinton's mention in documents, it could backfire, according to CNN political analyst Stephen Collinson.

The analyst suggests the gamble made by the president, to hone in on the Clintons and their relationship with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, could backfire.

He wrote, "The battle by Trump’s allies to draw the Clintons into their investigation was always destined to create bitter political theater, given their enormously high profiles and decades-long histories of fierce duels with Republicans.

"But their arrival before the committee also has the potential to backfire on the GOP. First, their involvement is offering new fuel to the Epstein saga, which the White House has been trying unsuccessfully to quell for months.

"And the testimony of the Clintons is raising uncomfortable parallels that will discomfit Trump and his inner orbit. For instance, if the standard for required testimony is being mentioned in the Epstein files, why are prominent Republicans also mentioned in the files not being hauled before the committee?

"Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s descriptions of his past interactions with Epstein were undercut by files released by the DOJ — but he has not so far received a subpoena to match those sent to the Clintons. There is no allegation of criminal wrongdoing against Lutnick."

Collinson went on to observe the clear double standard set by the committee, and says it could pull Trump further into a formal hearing, rather than away.

The analyst added, "Bill Clinton’s past contact with Epstein will surely interest the committee. But isn’t there a double standard if Trump, who was mentioned in the files numerous times, is not also put under oath?

"And former Secretary Clinton’s appearance — although, in her telling, she had no information about Epstein’s conduct — creates a model of a spouse being asked about her husband’s links to the accused sex trafficker.

"Some observers might wonder whether first lady Melania Trump might have similar insight about the times her husband and Epstein moved in similar orbits before and after their marriage in 2005."

For customer support contact support@rawstory.com. Report typos and corrections to corrections@rawstory.com.

Panic erupts as Trump admin issues rare late-night order: 'Good luck to us all'

Panic erupted early Friday morning after the Trump administration issued a rare order encouraging Americans in Israel to “consider leaving while commercial flights are available,” sparking speculation that an all-out war may be imminent.

“Good luck to us all,” wrote Israeli geopolitical analyst Nitzan David Fuchs in a social media post on X early Friday morning, according to an automatic translation of their original post that was written in Hebrew.

Issued by the State Department early Friday, the directive cited threats from “violent extremists” who, according to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, are “plotting possible attacks in Israel.” The agency urged Americans to “reconsider” traveling to Israel effective immediately, and encouraged those already in the country to consider leaving.

The security alert comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, with President Donald Trump reportedly ready to “pull the trigger” on launching a large-scale attack on the Middle East nation at any moment. The Trump administration has also mobilized a colossal buildup of U.S. military assets in the region not seen since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.

“Suggests a high likelihood that Israel & the US ignite another war with Iran this weekend,” wrote Monica Marks, a scholar and assistant professor at New York University Abu Dhabi, in a social media post on X Friday.

“Not a good sign unless you are rooting for a big regional U.S.-Iran war,” wrote another, journalist and podcast host Rania Khalek, to their more than 326,000 followers on X.

The State Department’s directive also comes amid ongoing negotiations between the United States and Tehran in an effort to get the Middle East nation to reduce its weapons capabilities, negotiations that have reportedly stalled due to Tehran officials refusing to “acknowledge” some of Trump’s “red lines,” according to Vice President JD Vance.


THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING! ALL ADS REMOVED!

'Are you really so stupid?' Dem lawmakers pounce on Trump official busted for Epstein trip

Multiple Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers after a newly unearthed photo released – and later pulled – by the Justice Department appears to show Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, with at least one lawmaker arguing that the photo proves Lutnick had lied under oath.

“Dear Howard Lutnick: So how many times did you go to Epstein’s rape island?” asked Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) in a social media post on X Thursday evening.

“Dear Attorney General Pam Bondi: Why are you covering up this picture of Epstein’s friend Lutnick? And are you really so stupid you think deleting a picture after you’ve posted it on the internet will make it go away?”

Last year, Lutnick gave a detailed account of what he said was his last interaction with Epstein: a dinner at Epstein’s home in 2005 that apparently left the future commerce secretary so disgusted that he cut off all contact with the disgraced financier. The DOJ’s release of files on Epstein last month, however, blew a hole in Lutnick’s version of events.

The files revealed that after 2005, Lutnick had not only visited Epstein’s island, but had done business with the disgraced financier and had maintained communication with him through at least 2018. Lutnick was forced to backtrack on his previous claims earlier this month after being pressed on the matter in a Senate committee hearing, telling lawmakers under oath that he had gone to Epstein’s island only once, and with his wife and children.

The newly unearthed photo, however, appears to show Lutnick in an undated photograph walking alongside Epstein on Epstein’s island, and without his wife or children.

“Under oath, Howard Lutnick testified that he went to Epstein's Island ONCE with his wife, kids, and nannies,” wrote Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) in a social media post on X Thursday evening. “I see none of that here. What TF is happening [Bondi].”

Gomez’s conclusion, that the photograph in question appeared to undercut Lutnick’s claim given under oath and penalty of perjury, was shared by Lieu, who demanded answers from President Donald Trump’s DOJ.

“It would appear Howard Lutnick lied under oath,” Lieu wrote in a separate social media post on X Thursday night.

“Lutnick testified that he visited Epstein with his family and ‘nannies’ (He is so elite he had more than one nanny). This picture shows Lutnick with Epstein and all men on rape island. Why did [the DOJ] delete this picture?”

A DOJ official admitted that the agency had pulled the photograph of who appears to be Lutnick from its public online database of files on Epstein, and said the photograph was pulled as it was “part of a batch of files that were flagged for nudity.” The official said that the photographs are being reviewed and will be uploaded again with “necessary redactions on a rolling basis.”

The existence of the photograph was uncovered after it was discovered on Jmail, a website that hosts its own public database of files on Epstein.

Pentagon stand-off with tech firm reaches key moment as admin considers 'nuclear option'

The Pentagon has found itself at odds with a technology firm refusing to give way to demands from Donald Trump's administration.

Pentagon heads made it clear to Anthropic, the artificial intelligence tech firm, that it would need the company to lower its safeguarding measures should it wish to have its tools used by government officials. The tech team has yet to give in to this demand, with chief executive Dario Amodei saying to do so would undermine the defense of the nation.

Department of Defense head Pete Hegseth urged the company to give in to government demands or find their AI no longer in use at the DoD. Amodei replied, "These threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.

"Should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider."

If the Department of Defense chooses to move to a different supplier, it could be seen as a bold option for the department.

Michael C. Horowitz, a director at the University of Pennsylvania who oversaw AI weapons policy during the Biden administration, says the Pentagon is no longer trusting of Anthropic after the company resisted the DoD's demands.

Horowitz said, "The Pentagon does not trust that Anthropic will be a reliable vendor, and Anthropic worries about misuse of its technology."

Washington Post staffers Ian Duncan, Elizabeth Dwoskin, and Tara Copp suggested the Pentagon could act sooner rather than later should Anthropic fail to meet their demands.

They wrote, "Because Claude is already in use across the Defense Department, exiling Anthropic and switching to a rival could prove costly. Although Defense officials have suggested they could use the Defense Production Act to force the AI company to share its systems, experts are split on whether the law could be applied.

"Doing so would send a chilling message to the AI firms the Pentagon hopes to lean on that they may risk of having their own innovations seized if the government sees something it wants."

Katie Sweeten, a former liaison for the Justice Department to the Pentagon, has said the move would set a worrying standard and could be seen as a point of no return.

She said, "This is a literal nuclear option which I think rightfully companies should be very concerned about."

Copyright © 2026 Raw Story Media, Inc. PO Box 21050, Washington, D.C. 20009 | Masthead | Privacy Policy | Manage Preferences | Debug Logs
For corrections contact corrections@rawstory.com , for support contact support@rawstory.com .

{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}