White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed questions about President Donald Trump’s recent comments expressing discomfort with the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into former President Bill Clinton’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
In an NBC News interview that aired earlier this week, Trump voiced his unease about the scrutiny directed at Clinton. He described his longstanding personal regard for the former president, noting their positive interactions over the years. Trump recalled Clinton’s early warnings to Democrats during the crowded 2016 Republican primary field, when Clinton reportedly advised against running against him. Trump said Clinton “got me. He understood me,” highlighting a mutual understanding that he appreciated, even as their parties clashed politically.
Trump: It bothers that they’re going after Bill Clinton. I like Bill Clinton.
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 5, 2026
Reporter: What do you like about him?
Trump: He got me. He understood me. pic.twitter.com/wNowPvORka
A reporter raised the matter during Thursday’s White House press briefing, asking Leavitt why Trump appeared bothered by Comer’s investigation into Clinton and his Epstein connections. Leavitt responded that the president holds respect for Clinton as a former president of the United States. She pointed to Trump’s own words in the interview, where he mentioned their good relationship, as the key to understanding his position.
Reporter: Why is President Trump bothered that they are investigating Bill Clinton?
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 5, 2026
Leavitt: They have shared a good relationship pic.twitter.com/rMtm8imy8V
The inquiry, led by Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), has focused on Epstein’s connections to prominent figures, including demands for testimony from Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The couple recently agreed to appear for closed-door depositions later this month, averting a potential contempt of Congress vote after initially resisting subpoenas. The probe stems from long-standing scrutiny of Epstein’s sex-trafficking activities and his associations with political and business elites, renewed in recent months amid document releases and congressional pressure.
Trump’s remarks underscore a rare note of cross-party personal affinity amid partisan tensions surrounding the probe.
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