The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has dismissed newly released emails suggesting Donald Trump was aware of Jeffrey Epstein's conduct, calling the revelations a 'manufactured hoax' by Democrats. The emails, released by Democrats, indicate that Epstein described Trump as 'that dog that hasn’t barked' and suggest Trump spent hours with one of Epstein's victims.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, Leavitt deflected questions about the president's relationship with Epstein, stating: 'These emails prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong.' She added that Trump had kicked Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago after learning he was a paedophile.
When asked why the administration does not release the full Epstein files, Leavitt claimed the Trump administration has been more transparent than any previous administration, citing the release of 'thousands of documents' by the justice department. She accused Democrats of leaking the emails to distract from Republican efforts to reopen the government.
Leavitt's performance drew comparisons to an AI-powered doll for her fluent, unflappable delivery. Critics noted her ability to reframe the narrative, portraying Republicans as champions of transparency despite most opposing the release of Epstein files. The briefing ended with Leavitt taking a question from a rightwing outlet, effectively steering the conversation away from Epstein.
