'Lied about his ties': Fury after 'fraud' Lutnick says he took family to Epstein’s island

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick speaks to members of the media near the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 13, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, admitted during congressional testimony that he took his family to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private island for lunch in 2012.

“I did have lunch with him, as I was on a boat, going across on a family vacation,” Secretary Lutnick told U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on Tuesday. “My wife was with me, as were my four children, and nannies.”

“I had another couple with, they were there as well, with their children, and we had lunch on the island. That is true, for an hour, and we left with all of my children, with my nannies and my wife, all together,” he said. “We were on family vacation. We were not apart. To suggest there was anything untoward about that in 2012. I don’t recall why we did it, but…”

Senator Van Hollen responded: “Mr. Secretary, again, as I said, there’s not an indication that you yourself engaged in any wrongdoing with Jeffrey Epstein. It’s the fact that you … misled the country and the Congress based on your earlier statements, suggesting that you cut off all contact when, in fact, you had not.”

The Bulwark’s Sam Stein posted a quote from Lutnick, who said, “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.”

That quote was dated October 1, 2025.

Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, wrote: “Every question to Lutnick on matters of commerce should be prefaced and concluded with ‘how do we know you’re not lying like you lied about Epstein?'”

Hemant Mehta of The Friendly Atheist commented: “I was on my boat, and it just happened to pass by Epstein Island, so I took my kids nannies there, and we all had lunch with children who were already there, and WHY ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT.”

Newsmax’s Marisela Ramirez posted screenshots and wrote: “The email below shows its Lutnik reaching out to Epstein about the lunch. After the lunch, Lutnik allegedly hired a nanny via Epstein in 2013. In 2017 Jeffrey Epstein donated $50,000 to an organization in Lutnick’s honor.”

The Libertarian Party of Mississippi commented, “Lutnick needs to either resign or be impeached. He previously claimed he severed all ties with Epstein after 2005, but the Epstein files (along with his own Senate testimony) prove he maintained contact, including visiting Epstein’s island for lunch in 2012.”

Democratic strategist Mike Nellis added, “Howard Lutnick lied about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein because he thought the files would never see the light of day. He bet on Trump and Bondi’s cover-up working—and now he’s been exposed for the fraud he is.”

Other social media commenters called for Lutnick’s resignation or firing.

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