Fox News host and former Trump aide falsely claims president was never on Epstein’s plane — as it happened
Kayleigh McEnany, a host and Donald Trump’s first-term White House press secretary, repeated an incorrect claim on air that Donald Trump was never on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet, an assertion contradicted by flight records and prosecutorial emails made public amid Bill Clinton’s testimony. The exchange unfolded as Clinton answered questions before a House oversight committee, highlighting fresh scrutiny of flight logs, a new photo tied to Howard Lutnick, and debate over who should be deposed.
host Kayleigh McEnany’s on-air statement and the House session
McEnany’s remarks came during a broadcast discussion of Bill Clinton’s testimony to the House oversight committee about his ties to Epstein. Marie Harf, a former state department spokesperson during the Obama administration, said on the program, "I want everyone who’s mentioned multiple times here to be deposed, " and named Larry Summers, Bill Gates and Donald Trump. Harf argued Trump should be required to testify about crimes Epstein committed during the nearly two decades the two men were friends. McEnany interjected to defend her former boss, saying, "I would note that Donald Trump was not on the plane, " and arguing it would be unfair to put him in the same pool as Bill Clinton, whom she said was on the plane "I think it was 17 times, 27 times. " That statement was incorrect.
Justice department files and a 2020 email exchange
Flight records made public by the justice department contradict McEnany’s claim. In one 2020 email exchange released in December, a federal prosecutor involved in the discussion of the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell wrote that "the flight records we received yesterday reflect that Donald Trump traveled on Epstein’s private jet many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware), including during the period we would expect to charge in a Maxwell case. " The prosecutor added that Trump "is listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, including at least four flights on which Maxwell was also present, " and that he was listed as having traveled with Marla Maples, his daughter Tiffany, and his son Eric.
Specific flight details and withheld names
The prosecutor’s notes describe one 1993 flight with only Epstein and Trump listed as passengers, and another 1993 flight listing Epstein, Trump, and a then-20-year-old whose name has been redacted by the justice department. Two other flights had women among the passengers who would be possible witnesses in a Maxwell case. The name of the 20-year-old has been withheld by the justice department.
Emails, Celina Midelfart and a Mar-a-Lago photograph
In a separate email from the files, Epstein bragged to a reporter that he had "gave" a woman of that age he dated in 1993 to Trump two years later and sent a link to photos of the woman, identified in the files as the Norwegian cosmetics heiress Celina Midelfart, who was born in 1973 and dated Trump in the late 1990s. Midelfart was photographed with Epstein at Mar-a-Lago on 22 February 1997, the same night a now-famous photograph was taken of Trump with his hand on Epstein’s shoulder.
Bill Clinton’s testimony, timeline of contacts and legal context
Bill Clinton told the committee he had "no idea" about Epstein’s crimes and described a "brief acquaintance" that ended "years before his crimes came to light, " saying he never witnessed during their limited interactions "any indication of what was truly going on. " Clinton has acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane several times in the early 2000s after leaving office; flight logs show Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane 26 times during six trips between February 2002 and November 2003. The former president has said he stopped communicating with Epstein at least a decade before Epstein’s 2019 arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges and that he severed ties in the mid-2000s, several years before Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. The committee and reporting have noted that appearing in the files is not in itself evidence of wrongdoing and that Clinton is not accused of related crimes.
Trump’s reaction, Lutnick scrutiny and the rarity of presidential depositions
A White House pool report said Donald Trump weighed in on Clinton’s appearance, telling reporters, "I don’t like seeing him deposed. But they certainly went after me more than that. " Kristen Holmes said Trump told her that commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, who has ties with Epstein, was a "very innocent guy" who is "doing a great job" and that he "would go in and do whatever he has to say. " Lutnick’s scrutiny has increased after a new photo showed him with Epstein. The circumstance of Clinton’s deposition is notable because sitting and former presidents only rarely appear before members of Congress: Gerald Ford is the last former president listed as appearing before a congressional committee, speaking to a Senate subcommittee on the US constitution in 1983 around the bicentennial, and Harry Truman, in 1955 as a former president, spoke to a Senate committee on foreign relations about the United Nations charter. Ford was also the last sitting US president to appear before Congress, voluntarily testifying in 1974 before a House subcommittee about his pardon of Richard Nixon.
coverage of Iran strike and presidential statements on war
On a separate matter, described a preemptive strike on Tehran as "brazen. " The term "brazen" can mean acting in a shocking, shameless or impudent way, often marked by bold, rude confidence. A live blog quoted a U. S. official saying, "A U. S. official told News that Israel is targeting Iranian leadership in its brazen morning attack against the regime, but the U. S. is setting its sights on military targets and ballistic missile sites that pose an 'imminent threat. '" The coverage referenced Operation Epic Fury and noted that the president admitted on Saturday morning that Americans will likely die in this war. The material also recalled past comments by Donald Trump about Iran, including a November 2011 remark criticizing then-President Barack Obama: "Our president will start a war with Iran because he has absolutely no ability to negotiate, " and "He’s weak and he’s ineffective. So the only way he figures that he’s going to get re-elected, and as sure as you’re sitting there, is to start a war with Iran. " He has made multiple public predictions and warnings about presidential actions on Iran in subsequent years, posted statements on social media about Mr. Obama and in later years campaigned on a "no new wars" pledge during his 2024 presidential run. As strikes were announced, he warned the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and other forces: "lay down your arms, or you will face certain death. " The context noted that his poll numbers were hitting record lows and that pressure was mounting on him ahead of the midterms in November.
One final textual detail in the files mentioned an excerpt from a 2025 memoir by the former Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg that began to describe his first meeting with Trump in 2017; that excerpt is incomplete and unclear in the provided context.
