Haley Robson to Attend State of the Union as Ro Khanna’s Guest After Epstein Recruitment Revelations
Rep. Ro Khanna invited haley robson—who says she was 16-years-old when Jeffrey Epstein exploited her and later recruited other underage girls—as his guest to the State of the Union, a move Democrats say will press the issue on the national stage on Tuesday evening.
Haley Robson’s account: recruitment, payment and escape
Robson has told interviewers in a documentary that she met Epstein in 2003 and was pressured to recruit other underage girls. Police documents from 2006 say Epstein pressured her to recruit six other underage girls, and Robson herself described being paid $200 each time she brought a contact to Epstein’s home. "I'm like Heidi Fleiss, " she said, and added, "I probably recruited 24 girls. " Robson said it took her more than two years to escape Epstein’s influence and that she felt "destroyed" by guilt for years afterward.
Khanna’s office and the message on the State of the Union
Khanna, D-Calif., defended the invitation, saying, "Haley Robson was 16 years old when she survived Epstein's abuse. This campaign to malign her and the other survivors on the night of the State of the Union is shameful. Attack me all you want. Do not attack the survivors. " He added, "I am honored to bring [her] as my guest to Trump’s State of the Union. Their courage moved a nation. " Robson herself could not be reached for comment.
Political pressure and public opinion ahead of the address
Top Democrats in Congress arranged victims as guests to needle President Donald Trump during the address on Tuesday evening, aiming to spotlight the Epstein case as lawmakers use the event to amplify political storylines. Findings from January indicate that fifty percent of the public are dissatisfied with the way the government has handled the Epstein case, while an IPSOS poll found that 75% of the public believes the government is still hiding secrets about Epstein’s dealings.
The decision to seat a survivor who has described recruitment activity and payments at the State of the Union sends a direct message about the continuing political salience of the Epstein matter ahead of the address. Khanna framed the invitation as a defense of survivors against what he called a campaign to malign them on the night of the speech.
Robson’s on-camera account—her meeting with Epstein in 2003, the references in 2006 police documents, and her description of recruiting dozens of underage girls—remains part of the public record cited by lawmakers and in media coverage. Lawmakers bringing victims to the chamber will make that record visible to the president and to viewers on Tuesday evening.
What happens next is the State of the Union itself: lawmakers will be in the chamber on Tuesday evening for the president’s address, and Khanna will be seated with his guest as planned.
