US House Speaker Mike Johnson has claimed that President Donald Trump once acted as an FBI informant in relation to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, a statement that has not been independently verified.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Johnson said Trump had expelled Epstein from his Mar a Lago estate after hearing rumours about his conduct. He added that Trump had cooperated with the FBI in an effort to expose Epstein.
“When he first heard the rumor, he kicked him out of Mar a Lago. He was an FBI informant to try to take this stuff down,” Johnson said.
The Speaker’s remarks came as he sought to dismiss a move by Congressman Thomas Massie, who is leading a petition to force the release of sealed Epstein files. Johnson described the effort as unfounded and unnecessary, insisting the matter had already been addressed.
When asked about Trump’s earlier use of the term “hoax” to describe aspects of the Epstein controversy, Johnson attempted to clarify. He said Trump was not referring to Epstein’s crimes but rather to what he saw as political exploitation of the case by Democrats. Johnson said the president viewed Epstein’s actions as “a terrible, unspeakable evil.”
No public record has emerged to support the claim that Trump ever served in any official capacity as an FBI informant. Epstein, who was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, was found dead in a New York jail cell in 2019. Authorities ruled his death a suicide, though doubts about the circumstances persist among the public.
Johnson’s assertion adds a new and untested element to the already heated debate over the release of Epstein documents. With victims demanding full transparency, the Speaker’s claim may intensify political tensions without resolving long standing questions.
