President Donald Trump gave questions about late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein the brush on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump called the continued fixation on Epstein and his possible connections to powerful politicians a “witch hunt.” Trump also told reporters that he was not up to speed on the Department of Justice’s plans to meet with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
“I don’t know anything about it,” he said. “I think it’s something that sounded appropriate to do.”
Trump went on to point reporters toward an alleged conspiracy involving former President Barack Obama. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has spent the last week leveling allegations that Obama was involved in Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold,” Trump said. “What they did to this country in 2016, starting in 2016 but going up all the way going up to 2020 and the election, they tried to rig the election and they got caught, and there should be very severe consequences for that.”
.@POTUS: "The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold … They tried to rig the election and they got caught — and there should be very severe consequences for that." pic.twitter.com/tNLz91Xp6T
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 22, 2025
While Trump deflected on Epstein, House Speaker Mike Johnson did his part to thwart lawmakers making a fuss about the scandal. Facing pressure from members of the House Rules Committee, Johnson announced he’d send legislators home for summer recess early to avoid further votes related to the so-called “Epstein files” held by the Department of Justice.
“We all understand that the America First agenda and the American people are best served by putting an end to the Democrat side shows, and that’s what we’re doing by not allowing the Rules Committee to continue with that nonsense this week,” Johnson said. “We are not going to let them use this as a political battering ram. The Rules Committee became the ground for them to do that.”
Johnson has toed the line in recent weeks, calling for “maximum transparency” around the Epstein case while doing his best to tamp down the uproar over recent actions by the DOJ. He admitted that he wanted more information about the case released to the public, but insisted on a level-headed and methodical approach.
“When the Epstein records are turned over to the public, which we must do as quickly as possible, we have to also be very judicious and careful about protecting the innocent,” he said.
