By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/speaker-johnson-says-he-misspoke-about-trump-being-an-fbi-informant-in-the-epstein-case Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Speaker Johnson says he misspoke about Trump being an FBI informant in the Epstein case Politics Sep 8, 2025 4:09 PM EDT House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that he didn’t mean to suggest in a recent interview that Trump had or had not been an FBI informant in the case against disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. “I don’t know if I used the right word,” Johnson told reporters at the Capitol. “I said FBI informant. I’m not sure — I wasn’t there. This isn’t my lane. I’m just repeating what is common knowledge and has been out in the public for a long time: President Trump was never a hindrance to the Epstein investigation. He was trying to assist in that.” Johnson, a Republican, said the House Oversight Committee chaired by GOP Rep. James Comer, of Kentucky, will visit the Epstein estate to review visitor logs and other information as part of its probe. More on the Epstein case: See the alleged Trump birthday note to Epstein, released by House Democrats Epstein survivors demand justice in Washington as Trump calls case “a Democrat hoax” How Trump’s embrace of conspiracy theories kept the Epstein case in the spotlight The facts and timeline of Trump and Epstein’s falling out A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Associated Press Associated Press
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that he didn’t mean to suggest in a recent interview that Trump had or had not been an FBI informant in the case against disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. “I don’t know if I used the right word,” Johnson told reporters at the Capitol. “I said FBI informant. I’m not sure — I wasn’t there. This isn’t my lane. I’m just repeating what is common knowledge and has been out in the public for a long time: President Trump was never a hindrance to the Epstein investigation. He was trying to assist in that.” Johnson, a Republican, said the House Oversight Committee chaired by GOP Rep. James Comer, of Kentucky, will visit the Epstein estate to review visitor logs and other information as part of its probe. More on the Epstein case: See the alleged Trump birthday note to Epstein, released by House Democrats Epstein survivors demand justice in Washington as Trump calls case “a Democrat hoax” How Trump’s embrace of conspiracy theories kept the Epstein case in the spotlight The facts and timeline of Trump and Epstein’s falling out A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now