US House Speaker Mike Johnson has pushed back against Donald Trump’s repeated attempts to downplay the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, calling it “not a hoax” in a CBS News interview released on Thursday.
The Republican leader’s remarks add further friction within the GOP, as Trump continues to dismiss the ongoing scrutiny of his late associate, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.” Despite Trump’s calls for his party to move on from the issue, support for further investigation is growing among lawmakers — including Republicans.
“It’s not a hoax. Of course not,” Johnson said in the interview. “We want full transparency. We want everybody who is involved in any way with the Epstein evils — let’s call it what it was — to be brought to justice as quickly as possible.”
Johnson’s comments come amid intensifying political pressure and renewed calls for the release of Epstein-related documents. The House Oversight Committee’s Republican-controlled subcommittee on Wednesday approved a subpoena for all Department of Justice files related to Epstein. In a rare bipartisan vote, three Republicans joined five Democrats in backing the move — signalling that momentum to pursue the case is gaining strength despite Trump’s resistance.
Earlier this week, Johnson announced that lawmakers would be sent home a day early for the five-week summer recess to avoid a floor battle over the release of additional Epstein files.
Epstein, a disgraced financier with high-profile connections, was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges when he died by suicide in a New York City jail in 2019. But questions over his associations and the extent of his crimes continue to cast a long shadow over US politics.
The situation grew even more politically sensitive on Wednesday when The Wall Street Journal reported that US Attorney General Pam Bondi had informed Trump back in May that his name appeared in Justice Department investigative records related to Epstein.
As the GOP wrestles with how to handle the explosive case, Johnson’s firm stance underscores deepening divisions within the party — and growing public demands for accountability.
Melissa Enoch
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