CNN anchor Kate Bolduan was left visibly puzzled during a live broadcast after a conservative panelist claimed the Jeffrey Epstein scandal had largely faded from public interest.
The exchange came as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to face renewed scrutiny over its handling of documents related to the disgraced financier. The Justice Department recently announced it would not release new information about Epstein’s alleged crimes, despite earlier promises from multiple administration officials. The decision has put Trump’s long-standing ties to Epstein back in the spotlight.
Bolduan was leading a panel discussion when Republican strategist and CNN contributor Scott Jennings argued that, politically, the Epstein issue was not a priority for most Americans.
“I don’t have any problem with them following the facts where they go here,” Jennings said. “I mean, the polling on this, this is a political analysis, is pretty clear: Nobody cares. This is like the least important thing to the American people, and that includes Republicans, too.”
Bolduan pressed him on the claim, pointing out that lawmakers are still actively engaging on the issue. Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) are set to bring survivors of abuse by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell to a Capitol Hill news conference when Congress returns from recess on September 3. In addition, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has called for former federal prosecutor Alex Acosta to testify about the 2008 plea deal he struck with Epstein, which critics have long described as overly lenient.
BREAKING: Attorney for 11 Epstein victims just revealed that Trump’s Former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta knows more than anybody about Epstein.
MAKE IT TREND:
Acosta must testify! pic.twitter.com/6ALPShTAsQ
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) August 12, 2025
“Well, I mean, there have been questions about this, and so if you want to talk to folks, I don’t know,” Jennings responded. “I don’t know why anybody would be mad about that but, at the same time, I think we shouldn’t mistake this for something other than a Washington story, because out in the country, this is not a big deal for the American people.”
Bolduan pushed back, saying, “If yes, maybe when you ask a voter what their top issue is, it’s not going to be the Jeffrey Epstein saga, but, you know, that lawmakers have said this is the top call they’re getting into their congressional office. They are hearing this when they go home.” She cited Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, who told her that his party is prepared to support Luna’s efforts if she follows through.
Jennings stood by his remarks, pointing again to polling data. Bolduan questioned the methodology and whether it truly reflected how voters feel about a scandal that has spanned years and involved high-profile figures across politics, business, and entertainment.
DO NOT STOP TALKING ABOUT THE FUCKING EPSTEIN FILES!! pic.twitter.com/VikUvSECvQ
— ᗰᗩƳᖇᗩ (@LePapillonBlu2) August 11, 2025
Jeffrey Epstein’s shadow is still looming large, despite claims the scandal has faded. The Justice Department recently tried and failed to convince a federal judge to unseal grand jury transcripts from Ghislaine Maxwell’s case, with the court dismissing the move as adding “nothing meaningful” to public understanding.
Maxwell herself is now serving time in a Texas minimum-security facility, a transfer that’s drawn outrage from lawmakers who suspect a sweetheart deal.
Meanwhile, victims and their attorneys are blasting what they call a cover-up, demanding more transparency while protecting survivor identities. In Bryan, Texas, locals are uneasy about their new high-profile inmate, citing heightened security and media attention. Advocacy groups are also suing for access to DOJ and FBI communications about the probe.
