Bill Clinton Deposition: bill clinton deposition opening at House oversight committee hearing
Former president Bill Clinton delivered an opening statement to lawmakers on the House oversight committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation in which he said he is cooperating out of love of country and a desire for victims to heal. Clinton told the committee, "I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong, " and said he had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing.
Clinton’s opening to lawmakers
Clinton told the House oversight committee that he is cooperating in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation out of "love of country and desire for victims to heal. " He delivered an opening statement in which he said, "I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong. " He added that he had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing and said that no matter how many photos were shown to him, "I know what I saw, and more importantly, what I didn’t see. I know what I did, and more importantly, what I didn’t do. " A reminder in the hearing record states that Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Key lines from the testimony
In his opening extract, Clinton emphasised that his memory of events did not match interpretations of decades-old photos. He reiterated both what he saw and what he did not see, and stressed his lack of knowledge about Epstein’s crimes. The former president framed his cooperation as motivated by national interest and the need for victims to heal.
Trump in Corpus Christi on Friday
On Friday, Donald Trump spoke to supporters in Corpus Christi, Texas, and declined to weigh in on the hotly contested Texas Republican primary for the US Senate, giving shout-outs at his event to both the sitting senator, John Cornyn, and the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton. He thanked both men for attending but would not say which one he wanted to win, telling the crowd, "They’re in a little race together. You know that, right? A little bit of a race. It’s going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people too. Thank you both. "
Harris’s robocall backing Crockett
Earlier on Friday, Trump’s 2024 opponent, the former vice‑president Kamala Harris, took sides in the Democratic primary by recording a robocall urging voters to back Jasmine Crockett, the Democratic congresswoman from Dallas who is locked in a tight race with James Talarico, who represents Austin in the state legislature. In the call Harris said, "Texas has the chance to send a fighter like Jasmine Crockett to the United States Senate, " and added, "Jasmine has the experience and record to hold Donald Trump and his billionaire cronies accountable. "
Supporters, scandals and stage moments
During a section of his speech in Texas where he singled out prominent supporters in the crowd, Trump said, "Congressman Tony Gonzales is here, " then turned toward the embattled Texas congressman. Gonzales has faced calls to resign after the revelation that he had an affair with an aide who then took her own life. Trump, who was convicted of fraud for concealing 2016 payments to a porn actress who threatened to go public with her accusation that they slept together shortly after his wife, Melania Trump, had given birth to their son Barron, did not say what he was congratulating the congressman on doing.
Actor on stage, cap and slogans
Later in the speech the president brought the actor Dennis Quaid on stage and asked him to say a few words. Quaid shouted, "I love Donald Trump!" Trump replied, "Thank you Dennis, " and added, "Did a great job. " At the event Trump was wearing a red cap with the words "Gulf of America" on the front and the numbers "45-47" on the side, a reference to his terms as the 45th and 47th president of the United States.
The hearing and the political events in Texas occurred on the same day and presented parallel lines of public accountability and electoral campaigning, with Clinton testifying about Jeffrey Epstein and Trump addressing candidates, supporters and allies in Corpus Christi.
