Fox News Reporter Presses Karoline Leavitt on Trump’s ‘Epstein Hoax’ Claim

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt faced an unexpected challenge during Thursday’s press briefing — and it came from a Fox News reporter.

Jacqui Heinrich, a correspondent for the network, asked a pointed question about President Trump’s recent dismissal of the Epstein case as a “hoax.” The question came after the DOJ and FBI released a memo stating that no evidence existed of a blackmail “client list” linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

“There’s been a lot of discussion about the Epstein files and the president’s comments yesterday calling it a ‘hoax,’” Heinrich began. “Can you clarify which part of the Epstein ‘hoax’ is the ‘hoax’ part?”

Leavitt, caught slightly off guard, responded with a politically charged answer rather than a direct clarification.

“The president is referring to the fact that Democrats have now seized on this as if they ever wanted transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein,” Leavitt said. “Which is an asinine suggestion for any Democrat to make.”

Blaming Democrats, Dodging Details

Leavitt shifted focus away from the question by attacking Democrats for alleged inaction during the Biden administration.

“Democrats had control of this building, the White House, for four years,” she added, “and they didn’t do a dang thing when it came to transparency in regards to Jeffrey Epstein and his heinous crimes.”

Despite the strong rhetoric, Leavitt never directly addressed which part of the Epstein scandal Trump believes is a hoax — the blackmail list, Epstein’s death, or the scope of his connections to elites.

Background on Trump’s Epstein Comments

Earlier this week, President Trump dismissed speculation around Epstein’s death and ties to high-profile figures as conspiratorial nonsense. He referred to those continuing to question the official narrative as “weaklings” who were “doing the Democrats’ work.”

These remarks sparked backlash from both Epstein truthers and political opponents who argue that more transparency is still needed.

Fox News Unusually Critical

Fox News has traditionally offered supportive coverage of Trump and his administration. Heinrich’s direct question signals a rare moment of on-camera skepticism from a conservative outlet, drawing attention to the lingering public mistrust around the Epstein case.