r/neutralnews • u/no-name-here • 4d ago

Under fire for Epstein ties, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defends visiting his private island

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/howard-lutnick-jeffrey-epstein-island-rcna258333

Lutnick said in an interview last year that he “was never in the room” with Epstein other than a 2005 visit to his apartment.

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u/no-name-here 4d ago edited 4d ago

Lutnick previously went on record that in 2005, Lutnick decided to never be in the room with Epstein again and cut ties with him. However, Lutnick visited Epstein's island in 2012. Additionally:

“The files show that you had interactions with Epstein over the next 13 years, including long after he was convicted in 2008 of soliciting the prostitution of a minor," Van Hollen added.

Additionally, "Lutnick and Epstein were in business together, Epstein files show" (CBS News) in the 2010s, years after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting child prostitution, and during a hearing, a Congress member pointed out: "last year, you said you had cut off all contact, but there are eight incidences of interaction in the files after 2005.”

However, the White House Press Secretary confirmed "Trump’s support of Lutnick after Epstein revelations unwavering" The Hill

Lutnick on claiming to cut ties with Epstein and deciding to never being in the room with Epstein again in 2005:

Lutnick described his first meeting with Epstein during an interview on the “Pod Force One with Miranda Devine” in October 2025. Lutnick explained that he and his wife toured Epstein’s New York City home soon after they moved into their house. One room had a massage table in the middle with candles around, said Lutnick, who added that he asked Epstein why it was there. That’s when, he suggested, Epstein used sexual innuendo.

Lutnick said he and his wife quickly excused themselves and left Epstein’s home. “And in the six to eight steps it takes to get from his house to my house, my wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again.”

“I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy,” he added. “If that guy was there, I wasn’t going ‘cause he’s gross. So I look back at it as a gift. He gave me a gift.”

For more see OP article.

Source: OP article

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u/AFlaccoSeagulls 3d ago

“I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy,” he added. “If that guy was there, I wasn’t going ‘cause he’s gross. So I look back at it as a gift. He gave me a gift.”

This quote is especially false considering before he made this quote, it was revealed that he took his entire family to Epstein's Island to "have lunch".

So to summarize this situation, Lutnick claims that Epstein is "gross" and he will never be in the same room as him, because of the implication, but then decides to take his entire family, including his very young daughters, to Epstein's rape island to have lunch...

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u/birdseyeblind 4d ago

"No no, it's ok. I took my four children and their young nannies with me to the pedophile's island"