US House Speaker Mike Johnson has caused a stir by claiming that Donald Trump was an FBI informant working to bring down Jeffrey Epstein, only to later backtrack from the assertion. Johnson made the remark to reporters at the US Capitol on Thursday, stating that Trump “was an FBI informant to try and take this stuff down.” The comment reportedly confused even officials within the Trump administration.
By Sunday, Johnson’s office issued a statement walking back the explosive claim, explaining that the speaker was merely reiterating what a victims’ attorney had said. The statement highlighted that Trump had expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago and was the only one willing to help prosecutors expose Epstein as a child predator more than a decade ago. Brad Edwards, a lawyer for several Epstein victims, had told reporters that Trump assisted him in investigating Epstein but did not specify whether Trump cooperated with law enforcement.
Johnson’s comments come amid bipartisan efforts in Congress to compel the US Justice Department to release more information about Epstein. Representatives Thomas Massie, a Republican, and Ro Khanna, a Democrat, are leading a push for a vote on legislation requiring the release of all Epstein-related files. The House oversight committee has also issued subpoenas seeking further details.
At a Capitol Hill press conference on Wednesday, several Epstein victims urged lawmakers to support the legislation, which Johnson opposes. The Trump administration has pledged to investigate Epstein’s crimes, but lawyers for victims say they have heard nothing from the Justice Department. Trump, now running for president again, previously promised to release a full list of Epstein’s clients but later called the matter a “Democrat Epstein Hoax.”
