White House Stands by Commerce Secretary Lutnick Despite Epstein Island Visit Questions

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed the administration’s continued support for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday, despite mounting questions about his connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“Secretary Lutnick remains a very important member of President Trump’s team, and the president fully supports the secretary,” Leavitt stated during a press briefing that quickly became dominated by questions about Lutnick’s past relationship with Epstein.

The scrutiny follows Lutnick’s testimony before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee earlier that day, where he acknowledged visiting Epstein’s notorious Caribbean island in 2012. Lutnick attempted to downplay the significance of this visit, explaining, “My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies. I had another couple with me as well with their children, and we had lunch on the island for an hour.”

During his testimony, Lutnick insisted, “I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person.”

However, the controversy has intensified following recent Department of Justice document releases showing communications between Lutnick and Epstein years after 2005, when Lutnick previously claimed he had cut off contact. This discrepancy has fueled calls from Democrats and critics for Lutnick’s removal from his cabinet position.

The Commerce Secretary’s connection to Epstein has become a political liability for the Trump administration as it continues to face questions about other officials’ ties to the convicted sex offender. The Epstein case remains a sensitive political issue, particularly after the release of documents following President Trump’s signing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act last November.

As repeated questions about Epstein dominated the briefing, Leavitt appeared visibly frustrated and pivoted to highlighting what she characterized as unreported administration achievements.

“I will just point out that there are a lot of wins in the news this week that people in this room have not asked about because you continue to ask questions about the same subject,” Leavitt said, before listing several accomplishments.

Among the achievements she highlighted were the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossing 50,000 points for the first time, a federal appeals court upholding the administration’s policy on detaining undocumented immigrants, falling crime rates, and improvements in housing affordability.

“The murder rate has plunged to a 125-year low as crime falls across the board thanks to President Trump’s crime crackdown,” Leavitt asserted. She also noted that national median rent prices had fallen to four-year lows while mortgage affordability had improved significantly.

Following Leavitt’s redirection of the conversation, White House spokesman Kush Desai later took a more confrontational stance toward the media’s focus on the Epstein connection, telling Fox News Digital, “There’s a reason why Americans’ trust in mainstream media outlets is at an all-time low. They’re Fake News. The Trump Administration will never hesitate to share the truth with the American people.”

The briefing, which started approximately 40 minutes behind schedule, lasted just over 20 minutes. Leavitt attributed the delay to a meeting with President Trump regarding updates on the Nancy Guthrie missing person case.

As she concluded the session, Leavitt referenced the president’s busy schedule, telling reporters, “We’re going to get back to business. The president is very busy today, and you will see him all tomorrow at the event in the East Room touting his administration’s energy policy.”

The administration’s handling of questions about Lutnick’s Epstein connections highlights the ongoing challenges of navigating controversies while attempting to redirect public attention to policy achievements.