Video Surfaces of Clintons Testifying About Epstein Connections

 

Washington has seen a lot of dramatic moments over the years, but last week delivered something that even seasoned political observers did not see coming. The House Oversight Committee dropped hours of video footage from separate, closed-door depositions of both Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton. They were answering questions about their ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender whose story continues to cast a long shadow over some of America’s most powerful names.

The footage is fascinating. Not just because of what the Clintons said, but because of everything that happened around it.

The Moment Hillary Nearly Got Up and Left

Hillary Clinton’s deposition had barely gotten going when things went sideways. Her lawyer told the room that a photo taken inside the hearing had already been leaked online. Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert owned up to it, saying she had snapped the picture before the session formally started and that a conservative influencer had shared it on social media.

Hillary did not take it well. She slammed her fist on the table and pushed back her chair. “I’m done with this,” she said. “You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home.”

What made the moment even more pointed was the fact that Clinton’s legal team reminded everyone in the room that she had actually asked for an open hearing, one that any member of the public could have watched live. The committee said no to that request. So here she was, agreeing to testify behind closed doors, and someone was already leaking photos before things even got started.

After a short break, the hearing resumed. But the atmosphere never quite recovered.

Pizzagate Gets Brought Up. Yes, Really.

Several hours into the deposition, things got strange in a different way. Boebert raised “Pizzagate,” the thoroughly debunked conspiracy theory that accused Clinton of being connected to a child abuse operation running out of a Washington D.C. pizza restaurant. The look on Clinton’s face said it all.

“Pizzagate was totally made up. It was an outrageous allegation that ended up hurting a number of people,” she said. “I can’t believe you’re even referencing it.”

Before long, another Republican lawmaker pivoted to UFOs. He asked Clinton whether she was happy that government files related to unidentified aerial phenomena might finally be made public. She said she was, adding, “I think whatever can be disclosed should be disclosed.”

It was that kind of hearing.

Bill Clinton and the Hot Tub Photo

Bill Clinton’s session had its own uncomfortable stretch. Lawmakers brought up a photograph released by the Department of Justice that showed the former president sitting in a hot tub with a second person whose face had been blurred out by investigators. Congress wanted context.

Clinton said he believed the photo was taken in Brunei near the end of a long overseas trip. The Sultan of Brunei had offered him the use of a hotel, specifically encouraged him to use the pool, and Clinton said he did exactly that. “I sat in the hot tub for five minutes, or whatever it was, and I got up and went to bed,” he said, with what looked like a tired laugh.

He said twice that he did not recognize the other person in the photo. He also denied clearly and directly that anything sexual happened that night.

What Bill Said About Trump

One of the more politically charged moments came when Bill Clinton brought up a conversation he once had with Donald Trump about Epstein. He said it happened around 2002 or 2003, at Trump’s golf course during a fundraiser. According to Clinton, Trump told him they had been close friends who fell out over a real estate deal. Nothing more, nothing less.

When asked whether Trump should be required to testify, Clinton kept it short. “That’s for you to decide,” he said. “But he did know him well.”

What Both Clintons Agreed On

Both Hillary and Bill denied knowing anything about Epstein’s crimes before they became public. Bill described their connection as that of brief acquaintances whose relationship had ended well before the full scope of Epstein’s behavior came to light. Neither has been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims.

Even so, the release of these videos is going to keep this story front and center for a while. Americans are watching closely, and the questions about who knew what, and when, are far from settled.