Bill Clinton Testifies on Epstein, Raising New Questions About Trump’s Ties

Topline

Former President Bill Clinton testified to House lawmakers Friday about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, saying he “saw nothing” and “did nothing wrong”—and, lawmakers say, offering fresh insights into Epstein’s relationship with President Donald Trump—marking the first time a former president has been compelled to testify before Congress and the first time Clinton has had to answer questions under oath about the late financier.

Former President Bill Clinton speaks onstage during the Clinton Global Initiative 2025 Annual Meeting on September 24, 2025 in New York City.

Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative

Key Facts

Clinton testified before the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, where he lives, as part of the committee’s broader investigation into Epstein and his alleged sex trafficking, with his testimony coming one day after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke to lawmakers Thursday.

Lawmakers told reporters the former president was a cooperative witness and has not refused to answer questions, with Democrats describing Clinton as “answering questions in a transparent manner” and giving “long, deliberate” responses.

The former president told Congress he “had no idea of the crimes [Epstein] was committing,” according to a copy of his opening statement Clinton shared on X, and that if he had any “inkling” of Epstein’s wrongdoing, “not only would I not have flown on his plane … I would have turned him in myself and led the call for justice for his crimes.”

Clinton added he “saw nothing that ever gave me pause” when he was with Epstein, arguing the investigation into Epstein was only taking place because the financier “hid [his crimes] from everyone so well for so long,” and Clinton had “long stopped associating” with Epstein by the time those crimes came to light.

Clinton has long been tied to Epstein and flew multiple times on the financier’s private plane, but has never been accused of wrongdoing, and has maintained he did not grasp about Epstein’s alleged abuse and cut ties with the financier in 2005, three years before Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution.

Friday’s testimony took place behind closed doors and will not be broadcast to the public, but the video and transcript are expected to be released to the public in the coming days.

Crucial Quote

“No matter how many photos you show me, I have two things that at the end of the day matter more than your interpretation of those 20-year photos,” Clinton said in his opening statement. “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. I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”

A Precedent With Implications For Trump

Bill Clinton’s deposition Friday isn’t just about revisiting past associations; it’s setting a precedent that could directly impact President Donald Trump, according to analysis from CNN. As CNN reported, the compelled testimony of both Clintons—following Hillary Clinton’s appearance before the committee on Thursday—opens the door for further scrutiny of individuals mentioned in Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein, including Trump himself.

What Lawmakers Are Saying

While Clinton’s exact comments won’t be clear until a transcript and video is released, lawmakers suggested Friday that the former president offered new insights about conversations with Trump about Epstein and raised “new questions” about the president’s relationship with the late financier. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., who chairs the House Oversight Committee, told reporters Friday that, after being asked whether Trump should testify before the committee, Clinton said that was up to lawmakers to decide, but the president “has never said anything to me to make me think he was involved” with Epstein’s alleged crimes. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the committee’s top Democrat, then cast doubt on those comments, however. Garcia told reporters Comer’s statement was not “a complete accurate description of what was actually said,” and suggested Clinton’s testimony had “[brought] up some additional information about some discussions with President Trump” that the former president had. The testimony raises “new questions about comments that President Trump has actually said in the past” about Epstein, Garcia said, with Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., suggesting the comments have to do with Trump’s falling out with Epstein in the 2000s. “We all now have a lot of new questions that we have to raise … on the reasoning why Trump had a falling out with Jeffrey Epstein in the first place,” Frost told reporters. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and said they had a falling out over the financier taking away women who worked at Mar-a-Lago. The president also expressed support for Clinton in light of his deposition Friday, telling reporters, “I like Bill Clinton and I don’t like seeing him deposed,” as quoted by the Associated Press.

The Clinton-Epstein Connection: A Timeline

The association between Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein dates back to the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to reporting from the BBC. BBC Verify’s timeline details how Trump and Clinton both moved in similar social circles and were photographed with Epstein on multiple occasions. Key dates include:

Late 1980s/Early 1990s: Epstein begins associating with both Trump and Clinton.
1992: Archive footage shows Trump and Epstein attending a party at Mar-a-Lago together, with Ghislaine Maxwell also present.
2002-2003: Clinton flies on Epstein’s private jet multiple times.
2005: Clinton reportedly cuts ties with Epstein.
2019: Renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s associates following his arrest.
February 2026: Both Bill and Hillary Clinton testify before the House Oversight Committee.

What’s Next?

It’s unclear how long Clinton’s deposition will take, though Comer told reporters Thursday he predicted it will be an “even longer deposition” than Hillary Clinton’s on Thursday, which took more than six hours. It remains to be seen when the transcript and video will be released to the public, with Comer previously saying on Thursday that all transcripts have to be reviewed first by the Clintons’ attorneys to make sure You’ll see no errors. The deposition is likely to be released swiftly, however: Comer suggested video of Hillary Clinton’s testimony could be made public as soon as Friday, and Democratic lawmakers called Friday for the videos’ release to come no more than 24 hours after the depositions end.

What Has Clinton Said About His Relationship With Epstein?

The former president has long maintained he did nothing wrong in connection with Epstein and was not aware of the financier’s alleged crimes. His office issued a statement in July 2019 after Epstein was arrested for alleged sex-trafficking, in which spokesperson Angel Urena said Clinton “knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York.” The statement went on to explain Clinton’s meetings with Epstein, saying the former president flew on Epstein’s plane four times, along with foundation staff and Secret Service detail, and had two meetings with Epstein in New York City, one of which was at the financier’s home. Clinton has “not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade,” the statement added, “and has never been to Little St. James Island, Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico, or his residence in Florida.” Epstein also denied in emails before his death that Clinton was ever on the island, saying in 2015, “Clinton was NEVER EVER there, never.”