President Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, in what critics refer to as disingenuous statements, called the Epstein files a “classic Washington hoax” while also dismissing victims with one controversial remark. She also bashed Democrats on the House Oversight Comm ittee, accusing them of leaking redacted information to CNN in a video from last year that is now going viral again. “If you look at how this Epstein story sort of evolved over the past week, it’s a classic Washington hoax,” Leavitt gaslighted during the November podcast interview with Miranda Devine. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and US Vice President JD Vance arrive at a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 1, 2025. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) Resurfaced Video “You have Democrats on the Oversight Committee leaking redacted information to their favorite reporter at CNN, who then pops the story with that redacted information and does not reveal that the unredacted version is available,” the Trump sycophant continued, adding, “and the unredacted version proves that the so-called victim in this email is a woman who is unfortunately deceased, but prior to her death, said on numerous occasions that President Trump never did anything wrong.” Leavitt conveniently did not mention how many other victims have accused the president of having knowledge of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking of young girls to some of the world’s most powerful men. In fact, at least one underage girl, 13 years old at the time of the incident, has accused Trump, who was best buddies with Epstein for several decades, of molesting her. Leavitt also claimed “it’s a purposeful leap to try to manufacture this news cycle to drag the president, and we’ve seen this play out so many times. It’s a classic playbook of the Democrats using their friends and the fake news to spin up a narrative about the president.” Karoline Leavitt calls the Epstein files a "classic Washington hoax" pic.twitter.com/qGrg97Yawa— FactPost (@factpostnews) July 15, 2026 Social Media Reacts Social media exploded, criticizing Leavitt for bashing everyone except the perpetrators and seemingly defending the chaotic way the administration released part of the files after it was forced to do so by an act of Congress. “Miss Piggy here is accusing these women who were raped as children of generating a hoax for Democrat political gain,” an X user alleged in a post showing a photo of Leavitt side-by-side with some of Epstein’s former victims “She has no brain [o]f her own. She spews what he tells her too. Disgusting,” this poster stated. Others piled on. “@PressSec has become extra stupid, insulting and tone deaf. Her kids really are going to hate her when they’re old enough to understand the kind of person she is” and “Such a disgusting traitor to women.” X user Helena Glass wondered, “why would you lie and protect pedophile and rapists? How do you resolve those lies and still call yourself Christian? Who is your god?” This X user demanded, “Say it to the victims in person you lousy excuse for a Christian.” This X user slyly suggested, “Wasn’t a ‘hoax’ until someone’s name appeared in it…” JD Vance Exposes Administration Trump and his Vice President JD Vance spent years on the campaign trail leading up to the 2024 presidential election stoking conspiracy theories about Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 in what authorities called a death by suicide. The pair promised to release an Epstein client list and all the files the Department of Justice collected over a years-long investigation. Once back in office, Trump and his former Attorney General Pam Bondi first tried to say the DOJ and FBI had closed the case. When that didn’t work, they stonewalled until Congress passed the Epstein Transparency Act in late November with a mandate to release all government files by December 19. That didn’t happen. Instead, they began chaotically releasing millions of documents and illegally revealing victims’ names while they redacted the names of accused rapists. They are still withholding millions of documents, and opponents say some of those files are part of the files where Trump’s name is mentioned thousands of times. As the Leavitt video resurfaced, Vance admitted on Wednesday during an almost three-hour interview with podcast host Joe Rogan that the Trump administration “screwed up” the communications around the files’ release. He said Trump officials should have released the records much sooner. “We absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files,” Vance acknowledged. “But do I think the reason we screwed up the comms is because we were trying to hide something? No.” Rogan also asked about the “tremendous amount of resistance to those files being released.” Vance Blames Bondi Vance blamed Bondi for overstating the information the administration had, referring to that infamous Epstein “client list” that was “sitting on her desk” ready for release after she was first confirmed in February of 2025. He said the documents were already public. Rogan then asked about what he called the “performative display” surrounding the stonewalling of the files. “I don’t know what the purpose of it was, but I know that the effect of it was to make people mistrust the entire effort,” Vance noted, before claiming there was nothing “ malicious going on.” “I think she overstated what we have and didn’t have, and I think that she got roasted for it, publicly by a lot of people, including me. … I’m one of the OG Epstein conspiracy theorists. I’ve probably gone down every single rabbit hole,” he claimed. Trump fired Bondi in April after combative congressional hearings over how she mishandled the release of the Epstein files and why the DOJ was still withholding millions of documents. Vance also defended Trump, saying he has never seen credible evidence linking the president to wrongdoing with minors. He also acknowledged that millions of documents remain sealed despite the administration’s claims to have released the files. The vice president said he thinks there’s more to the story but admitted he has no proof and isn’t hiding evidence. In a new development Wednesday, July 15, a group of House lawmakers introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, which would give state attorneys general, the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators, and members of Congress the ability to sue the DOJ for illegally continuing to withhold some three million Epstein-related documents. ‘Disgusting’: Karoline Leavitt Dragged Online for Dismissing Victims, Then JD Vance Drops Epstein Bombshell Confession That Completely Throws Her Under the Bus ...read more read less