• President Trump praised both Bill and Hillary Clinton as House Republicans forced their testimony in the Epstein investigation
• Democrats vow to use the new congressional precedent to subpoena Trump under oath when they regain power
• The standoff raises constitutional questions about compelling former presidents to testify while survivors demand broader accountability

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — President Donald Trump stunned members of his own party this week by publicly defending former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as they face compelled depositions before the House Oversight Committee in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation — a probe driven almost entirely by his fellow Republicans.

Asked about the Clintons’ agreement to testify during a press conference Tuesday, Trump offered what amounted to a character endorsement of his longtime political rivals.

“I think it’s a shame, to be honest. I always liked him. Her, she’s a very capable woman. She was better at debating than some of the other people, I will tell you that. She was smarter. Smart woman.”

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The remarks represent a sharp pivot from years of Trump attacking the Clintons over their ties to Epstein, including a 2019 retweet of conspiracy theories suggesting the Clintons were involved in Epstein’s death in a New York jail cell. Trump also directed the DOJ in November 2025 to investigate Epstein’s relationship with Clinton specifically.

A Precedent Republicans May Regret

The House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer (R-KY), spent months pursuing the Clintons after issuing subpoenas in August 2025. When the former first couple resisted — arguing the subpoenas were legally invalid and politically motivated — the committee advanced bipartisan contempt resolutions that drew support from nine Democrats on the charges against Bill Clinton and three on the charges against Hillary Clinton.

Under the agreement finalized this week, Hillary Clinton will testify on Feb. 26 and Bill Clinton on Feb. 27 in transcribed, filmed depositions.

“The Clintons completely caved and will appear for transcribed, filmed depositions this month. We look forward to questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors,” Comer said in a statement.

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But Trump’s sympathetic tone undercut the political framing his own party had constructed. He added that he “hates to see it,” while comparing the Clintons’ situation to his own legal battles.

“I hate to see it, but then I look at me, they went after me like they wanted me to go to jail for the rest of my life. Then it turned out I was innocent. Very innocent.”

Democrats Draw a Line

Democrats seized on both the precedent and Trump’s apparent discomfort. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), a member of Democratic leadership, issued a blunt warning.

“We are absolutely going to have Donald Trump testify under oath” when Democrats take back power.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act that forced the release of DOJ documents, called for equal treatment across party lines.

“The precedent it sets is that Donald Trump better be showing up before Oversight on the Epstein matter. I hope Comer will pursue that with the same zeal he’s pursued the Clintons.”

Khanna went further in a separate interview, calling for testimony from anyone named in the files — including Bill Gates and others with documented connections to Epstein.

“That means people like Bill Gates who are in these files need to come before Congress and testify. That means all the real estate folks, finance folks, technology folks who have emails to Epstein saying, ‘When can I come to the island?’ need to come to Congress and testify and answer questions.”

Even Comer acknowledged the risks. Asked directly whether he was setting a precedent that Democrats could use to compel Trump’s testimony, the chairman conceded: “It could set a precedent.”

When NBC’s Tom Llamas pressed Trump on Democratic vows to subpoena him over Epstein, the president deflected.

“Well, I think they might say that, you know? But they’ve already brought me. See, I’ve been brought. They had me indicted, many, many times. Many, many times.”

The Clinton Defense

The Clintons have maintained they have no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. A spokesperson confirmed that Bill Clinton traveled on Epstein’s plane in 2002 and 2003 and met with Epstein briefly in New York, but cut ties before Epstein was charged in 2006. Neither has been accused of wrongdoing by law enforcement or by any Epstein survivor.

Hillary Clinton took a combative posture on Thursday, posting on X that she and her husband had cooperated in good faith for six months while the committee “moved the goalposts.”

“So let’s stop the games. If you want this fight, let’s have it — in public. You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on. We will be there.”

The Clintons’ January letter to Comer made a pointed observation about the investigation’s scope: Comer subpoenaed 10 individuals but dismissed seven without requiring a single word of testimony, while insisting on in-person depositions only from the Clintons.

Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña framed the agreement as forward-looking.

“The former President and former Secretary of State will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone.”

Survivors and Constitutional Stakes

The broader Epstein investigation has generated bipartisan demands for accountability that extend well beyond the Clintons. The DOJ released more than 3.5 million pages of Epstein-related files on Jan. 30, though lawmakers from both parties noted that roughly half the potentially responsive documents remain unreleased or heavily redacted.

Epstein survivors have expressed frustration that the investigation has become politicized. A group of victims issued a statement criticizing the file release for failing to protect some survivors’ identities while powerful individuals continued to benefit from secrecy.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to be impeached after the DOJ published unredacted photos of possible victims.

“This is an indefensible and horrifying disregard for the victims by Trump’s Justice Department. They are still withholding the full Epstein Files, and rich and powerful men continue to evade accountability for their heinous crimes.”

Constitutional scholars note that compelling a former president to testify before Congress through contempt threats is virtually unprecedented. The last time a former president testified before a congressional panel was when Gerald Ford appeared in 1983 — voluntarily. The Bannon and Navarro contempt convictions for defying Jan. 6 committee subpoenas established that congressional subpoena power carries real consequences, but applying that power to former presidents opens uncharted constitutional territory.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, captured the tension between institutional power and potential abuse.

“Like all powers of Congress or any other branch, these are powers that can be abused.”

When a sitting president publicly defends political rivals his own party is investigating — and both parties acknowledge the precedent could be turned against anyone — does the Epstein probe represent accountability for survivors, or has congressional oversight become a weapon that every faction fears having turned on itself?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from NBC News’ coverage of the Clinton-GOP standoff and Democratic warnings about subpoena precedent, Newsweek’s reporting on Trump’s reaction, official statements from the House Oversight Committee, reporting by NPR, ABC News, CNN’s analysis of the Epstein files and Clinton documents, Al Jazeera’s reporting on Trump’s shifting Epstein stance, Democracy Now’s interview with Rep. Khanna, and constitutional analysis from GovFacts and the Congressional Research Service.

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