Calls from television commentators for First Lady Melania Trump to testify in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation gained momentum on Friday after the panel questioned Hillary Clinton for over six hours behind closed doors.
On MS NOW’s Morning Joe, co-host Joe Scarborough argued that the committee should focus on individuals with proven connections to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. He pointed to photos showing Donald Trump and Melania Trump at social events with Epstein, and in some images, Maxwell.
Scarborough criticized Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., for subpoenaing the former secretary of state. Clinton stated after her deposition that she never knew Epstein and never visited his island, home, offices, or other properties.
“It was disappointing that they refused to hold a public hearing, so I wouldn’t have to be out here characterizing it for you,” Clinton told reporters in Chappaqua, New York, after her deposition. “You could have seen it for yourself.”
Scarborough’s comments spread online as lawmakers and media outlets continued to monitor the committee’s high-profile series of depositions related to the Epstein case. In a segment aired by MS NOW and reported by Mediaite, Scarborough mocked the committee’s decision-making and claimed Comer targeted “the wrong first lady,” referring to the focus on Hillary Clinton instead of Melania Trump.
The committee has not announced plans to depose Melania Trump. Comer mentioned that the panel intends to publish video from Hillary Clinton’s deposition within about a day and release the transcript once her lawyers complete the standard review process.
Hillary Clinton said she encountered what she described as repetitive questioning during the session. “I don’t know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein,” she said.
Comer told reporters the deposition was productive and indicated he expected to question Bill Clinton next. “We have a lot of questions for her husband tomorrow, and I’m confident that deposition will last even longer than this one,” Comer said after Hillary Clinton testified.
Photos from the early 2000s have shown Trump and Epstein together at public events. Getty Images includes a photo captioned with then-real estate developer Donald Trump and his girlfriend, Melania Knauss, alongside Epstein and Maxwell.
Online claims about additional images involving Melania Trump and Maxwell have also circulated, including at least one photo that fact-checkers described as fake.
The Oversight Committee’s investigation has drawn attention because it has compelled testimony from figures across party lines and from the highest levels of public life. Media coverage this week highlighted Bill Clinton’s appearance as part of the committee’s Republican-led effort to look into Epstein’s connections to well-known individuals, with Democrats and commentators pushing for a broader scope that includes current officials.
Epstein, a financier with extensive social ties, died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was later convicted in federal court of sex trafficking-related offenses tied to Epstein’s abuse of underage girls.
For now, the committee’s public schedule focuses on depositions it has already announced, while calls to expand the witness list, including demands aimed at the current first lady, continue to circulate in political media.
