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By Gabe Whisnant
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In an appearance on CNN Monday morning, Haley Robson, a registered Republican and a survivor of late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, rebuked President Donald Trump's administration's response after Robson and other survivors made their voices heard last week on Capitol Hill.
On Friday, Trump again called for an end to any effort to force the release of the files, saying it was "time to end the Democrat Epstein Hoax."
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump likened the case to Democratic efforts to connect him with Russia, saying the Democrats were doing so "to deflect and distract from the great success of a Republican President." He added that the Justice Department had "done its job" and "given everything requested of them."
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CNN's Pamela Brown asked Robson, who has said she voted for Trump in 2024, if she had heard from the White House, after inviting them to meet with her and other survivors. Robson bluntly said, "I've heard crickets."
She continued, in a pointed message to the president, "Donald Trump, we are not here to point figures or be hostile. We would like to team up with Congress and the administration to not only come to a resolution for Epstein files, but we have lives to live. For years, we've been ignored and disregarded. We're not getting paid for this. We want justice."
"And for us to travel all the way to the Capitol to be disregarded and called a hoax, it's defamatory and it's extremely offensive to our trauma.
Last week, the House Oversight Committee published what it described as the first batch of documents it has obtained from the Justice Department in the Epstein case. The Google Drive folders included hundreds of image files of older court filings tied to Epstein but offered virtually no new information.
"No matter what you do it's going to keep going," Trump said Wednesday. He added, "Really, I think it's enough."
Brown also asked Robson if she had a message for Republicans over their current handling of the Epstein files. She said, "My party didn't show up for me. It's a big disappointment for me. Everybody in his administration said this would be a priority, and they would release the files, so I'm extremely disappointed for sure."
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a frequent Trump ally, framed her backing of a bill, The Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring the Justice Department to disclose its files on Epstein and his former girlfriend and associate Ghislaine Maxwell as a moral stand against sexual predation.
Meanwhile, The White House cautioned lawmakers that backing the bill to force the DOJ to release the files would be viewed as a hostile move. Rep. Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican leading the push, said the warning showed the administration had "dug in."
Greene is among four Republicans — including three women — who have broken with House GOP leaders and the White House in pushing for a vote on their bill. Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has moved to block the effort with his own resolution, insisting that an ongoing House Oversight Committee probe is the proper path for Congress to ensure transparency.
Trump's own past ties to Epstein are drawing renewed attention as Congress battles over whether to force the Justice Department to release files related to the disgraced financier. Trump and Epstein were known to socialize in the 1990s and early 2000s, appearing together at parties and on flight logs, though Trump has denied involvement in Epstein's crimes and later said he cut off contact with him.
The push for transparency has revived questions about the extent of Epstein's connections to powerful figures across politics, business and entertainment, with Trump's name often cited among those whose past association continues to fuel public scrutiny.
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What is the Epstein Files Transparency Act?
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, spearheaded in the House by Massie and Ro Khanna of California, is a proposal in Congress that would require the Justice Department to release the records it has compiled on Epstein and his longtime associate, Maxwell. Supporters of the bill argue that making these documents public is essential for accountability and for exposing the full scope of Epstein's network of sexual exploitation. Critics, however, have raised concerns about protecting the privacy of individuals mentioned in investigative files who were not charged with crimes.
Robson told CNN, "God bless Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene who did come out and support us. Not only that, but they also took time to hear us and back us up. I think they're equally disappointed in their own party. I think a lot of Republicans are up in arms because it goes back to his [Trump's] campaign."
On Monday, the House Oversight Committee obtained files from Epstein's estate as part of its ongoing probe. Committee Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, had subpoenaed the estate for materials that include Epstein's so-called birthday book, which The Wall Street Journal reported contains a sketch of a curvaceous woman and an alleged note from President Trump. The president has denied writing such a message.
What is the Jeffrey Epstein client list?
The so-called "Jeffrey Epstein client list" refers to the rumored roster of prominent figures who may have had social, financial, or travel ties to Epstein. The phrase is widely used in media and online discussions, but there is no single official "list." Instead, references come from flight logs, court filings, and documents released during civil litigation and criminal proceedings. While some names have been publicly linked to Epstein, many details remain sealed, and speculation continues to fuel public demand for greater transparency about who was connected to him and how.
Update: 9/8/25, 1:06 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Update: 9/8/25, 6:58 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
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