Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has confirmed that he had lunch with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on his private island in 2012. The revelation comes as lawmakers from both parties are calling for Lutnick's resignation over the scandal.
Lutnick, who is a Wall Street billionaire and longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, claimed that he met Epstein when they moved into houses next door to each other in New York. However, according to newly released files, Lutnick actually met Epstein on his private island four years after Epstein was sentenced to 13 months in jail for soliciting a minor.
During testimony before the Senate appropriations committee, Lutnick maintained that he had "barely had anything to do" with Epstein and said that their subsequent meetings were brief. However, this contradicts Lutnick's previous claim that he distanced himself from Epstein in 2005.
Lutnick's lunch on Epstein's island was part of a family vacation, where his wife and four children were also present, as well as two other couples with their children. The meeting took place during an hour-long lunch, according to Lutnick.
The controversy surrounding Lutnick's association with Epstein has led to widespread calls for him to resign or be fired. Democrats in the House of Representatives have joined Republicans like Thomas Massie and Robert Garcia in calling for Lutnick's resignation, citing his ties to Trump and his proximity to a convicted sex offender.
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has defended Lutnick, saying that he is "a very important member" of the president's team. However, even Trump himself appears to be distancing himself from Epstein, as evidenced by his full support for Lutnick in the face of mounting criticism.
As the fallout continues, it remains to be seen whether Lutnick will ultimately heed the calls for him to step down or remain in his position under pressure.
Lutnick, who is a Wall Street billionaire and longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, claimed that he met Epstein when they moved into houses next door to each other in New York. However, according to newly released files, Lutnick actually met Epstein on his private island four years after Epstein was sentenced to 13 months in jail for soliciting a minor.
During testimony before the Senate appropriations committee, Lutnick maintained that he had "barely had anything to do" with Epstein and said that their subsequent meetings were brief. However, this contradicts Lutnick's previous claim that he distanced himself from Epstein in 2005.
Lutnick's lunch on Epstein's island was part of a family vacation, where his wife and four children were also present, as well as two other couples with their children. The meeting took place during an hour-long lunch, according to Lutnick.
The controversy surrounding Lutnick's association with Epstein has led to widespread calls for him to resign or be fired. Democrats in the House of Representatives have joined Republicans like Thomas Massie and Robert Garcia in calling for Lutnick's resignation, citing his ties to Trump and his proximity to a convicted sex offender.
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has defended Lutnick, saying that he is "a very important member" of the president's team. However, even Trump himself appears to be distancing himself from Epstein, as evidenced by his full support for Lutnick in the face of mounting criticism.
As the fallout continues, it remains to be seen whether Lutnick will ultimately heed the calls for him to step down or remain in his position under pressure.
The whole thing with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Jeffrey Epstein's private island just feels like a mess, you know? I mean, how does someone so high up in government get associated with someone as toxic as Epstein in the first place? It's like they were trying to keep it under wraps until now.
. And what really gets me is that he's trying to downplay their connection while still denying any wrongdoing.
. I mean, come on, four years after he got out of jail and Lutnick still finds time to grab lunch on Epstein's private island? That's just weird 
.
. The meeting was part of a "family vacation" but I'm not buying it 
. 
, but we all know that's not true. We see the reality now.
, so it's no surprise that the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, is defending him 
.
. The public deserves better than this 
.
and then trying to distance yourself later when people call you out... not cool, dude 
Ugh, this is getting worse and worse by the day... Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just confirmed that he had a super casual lunch with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on his private island back in 2012! Like, what even is the deal with that? 
And now lawmakers from both parties are calling for him to resign over this scandal... it's about time too. 
Anyway, I'm just gonna keep scrolling through my feeds to see how this whole thing continues to unfold... 
. But what really gets my blood boiling is that Lutnick has been playing dumb about it for so long 
. It's like he thought he could get away with it and we'd all just forget about Epstein's shady past 
. Newsflash, Lutnick: we're not buying it anymore! The fact that Trump is standing by him is just icing on the cake 
. I'm all for accountability and transparency in government, so I think Lutnick should resign ASAP 
.
meanwhile, i betlutnick's wife is lovin that private island vacation, fam 
i mean come on Howard Lutnick is supposed to be the commerce sec but he cant even keep track of his own lies 
. I think he should totally resign, for the sake of the country and for his own family 
... I mean, can you imagine what his kids must be going through seeing this all unfold? 
It's just not cool, man. And Trump is like "oh, Lutnick's fine" 
.
. And can we talk about how the White House is trying to downplay this whole thing? Karoline Leavitt's defense of Lutnick just rings hollow, you know?
. This online stuff is so much more convenient for politicians, but it also makes it way easier to spin the truth or just plain ol' lie about it 
.