Will ties to Epstein force this Trump stooge to lose his job?
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/5/6/800034536/congress/epstein-howard-lutnick-resign/
Will ties to Epstein force this Trump stooge to lose his job?
House Democrats are calling for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to resign, accusing him of “evasive, nervous, dishonest” testimony in their Jeffrey Epstein probe.
Lutnick testified before the House Oversight Committee Wednesday, where he addressed his ever-changing story on his connection to Epstein.
During a podcast in February, Lutnick claimed that he cut ties with Epstein in 2005 after he discussed his sexual conquests while giving Lutnick and his wife a tour of his home.
But later that month, Lutnick testified under oath that he not only had more meetings with Epstein, but that he even traveled with his family in 2012 to Epstein’s private island, where many of Epstein’s sex crimes allegedly took place.
“Howard Lutnick should resign,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia told reporters after the hearing. “That was just absolutely mind-boggling what we just heard in that room.”
Rep. Ro Khanna of California—who has led the charge to force the release of the Epstein files—accused Lutnick of being coerced by the Trump administration into not being forthright in his interview.
“Someone obviously got to him from the administration,” Khanna said. “In fact, he said he talked to people in the administration and that’s why he’s changed his tune. And the question is not just why he is lying—the question is why he’s covering up. Why he’s no longer willing to share what he knows about Epstein’s abhorrent behavior.”
Democrats also accused Lutnick of coordinating with President Donald Trump on his answers.
“It’s also important to note he was asked by a number of us if he spoke to President Trump about today’s testimony, and he refused to answer that question,” Rep. James Walkinshaw of Virginia told reporters.
Similarly, Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona called Lutick a “pathological liar.”
“After what we have seen so far in this transcribed interview, I feel very comfortable saying that Howard Lutnick is a pathological liar who is enabling the most egregious cover-up in American history,” she said.
Of course, Americans won’t get to judge for themselves whether Lutnick appeared nervous and evasive in the interview, as Republicans on the committee refused to allow the deposition to be recorded.
Ultimately, the Epstein files saga has plagued Trump and his administration for nearly the entirety of his second term. And Trump—who was a close, personal friend of Epstein’s—had for months refused to release the files.
After Congress forced Trump’s hand, his administration then slowly trickled out redacted documents, leading to even more questions about what Trump has been trying to hide.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been stonewalling the bipartisan congressional effort to understand why the administration was so adverse to releasing the files.
Ultimately, polls show that Americans believe that Trump is covering up damning evidence in the Epstein files.
Lutnick’s bizarre closed-door testimony on Wednesday will only add to that belief.
Daily Kos is free for everyone—no paywall, no barriers. Help keep it that way
Daily Kos is committed to keeping all our content free. That's why we don't have a paywall, and never will. However, Daily Kos' revenue is down, and we may not be able to continue producing the quality of work you have come to expect from us. Donations from our readers are our largest source of income. If you value independent, accessible, paywall-free journalism, please consider making a donation today.
Conversation
All Comments