Former President Bill Clinton recently provided a six-hour testimony to the House Oversight Committee, shedding light on President Donald Trump’s past association with the now-deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein. During the closed-door deposition on Friday, Clinton revealed that Trump's decision to cut ties with Epstein in the early 2000s was due to a dispute over land, rather than Epstein's illicit activities, according to multiple reports.
Three sources familiar with Clinton's testimony informed CNN that the former president recounted an interaction with Trump at a golf tournament. In this interaction, Trump allegedly told Clinton about his severed friendship with Epstein, attributing the fallout to a land deal gone awry. The specifics of the dispute remain undisclosed, with no additional details provided during the testimony.
This revelation comes amidst long-standing public scrutiny over the relationships high-profile individuals had with Epstein, who was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019 and subsequently died in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial.
In 2019, following Epstein's arrest, Trump addressed his prior relationship with Epstein, stating to reporters, "I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you." More recently, in 2025, Trump elaborated on his reasons for distancing himself from Epstein, alleging that Epstein had "stolen" young female employees from his Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump's narrative, as he told reporters at one of his golf courses in Scotland, was that after warning Epstein against such behavior, he had to eject him from the premises for repeating the offense.
Steven Cheung, White House Communications Director, later confirmed that Trump had removed Epstein from Mar-a-Lago for "being a creep," further distancing the former president from Epstein's notorious reputation.
During the deposition, Clinton emphasized his innocence regarding his own interactions with Epstein, stating, "I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong." This statement was part of his opening remarks shared before the hearing. He also mentioned that Trump "has never said anything to me to make me think he was involved," a claim that was relayed by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer.
However, this characterization of Clinton's testimony was contested by Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, who suggested that it was "not an accurate description" and that the testimony brought forth "very important new questions about comments President Trump has actually made in the past."
Trump, when questioned about Clinton's deposition, expressed a sense of camaraderie despite the circumstances. "I like him," he said. "I don’t like seeing him deposed, but they certainly went after me."
The deposition aligns with the recent release of Justice Department files connected to Epstein, which reference both Clinton and Trump. Clinton has acknowledged using Epstein's private plane for Clinton Foundation-related travel in 2002 and 2003 but has denied visiting Epstein's private island and stated that he ceased contact with Epstein long before the latter's criminal behavior was exposed.
The testimony has reignited discussions about the relationships between Epstein and prominent figures, as well as the reasons behind the distancing from Epstein by individuals like Trump. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate, is currently serving a 20-year federal sentence for sex trafficking offenses, highlighting the gravity of Epstein's circle and its impact.
