Context:

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were deposed in the House Oversight Committee’s Epstein probe, revealing starkly different stances on whether Donald Trump should testify. Hillary advocated for Trump’s deposition, citing related civil and criminal cases involving Trump, while Bill offered a restrained, non-committal answer about calling him. The sessions highlighted partisan dynamics and included notable moments such as Hillary briefly storming out over a Boebert incident. The broader implication is a polarized approach to collateral connections among high-profile figures, with the investigation potentially discussing Trump’s past ties and leverage for future testimony.

Dive Deeper:

• Bill and Hillary Clinton sat for hours of closed-door testimony in Chappaqua, New York, as part of the House Oversight Committee’s probe into Jeffrey Epstein, focusing on whether Trump should testify given his ties to Epstein.

• Hillary Clinton told Democratic staff that Trump should be called to testify, referencing Trump’s civil defamation case and a 34-count NY criminal verdict related to payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, arguing the files justify including him as a witness.

• Bill Clinton gave a more muted response, saying the decision on Trump’s appearance was up to others and suggesting he had a cautious view about injecting himself into the matter, while noting his past acquaintance with Trump.

• Hillary contended that, despite Epstein not being involved in those cases, the broader pattern could be relevant to the probe, and she described past witness deposition experiences to defend the potential usefulness of Trump’s testimony.

• During Hillary’s deposition, she briefly left her seat after Rep. Lauren Boebert posted a photo of her, highlighting the deposition’s tense atmosphere and procedural challenges faced by witnesses.

• Trump himself was asked about being called in and offered a non-committal answer, acknowledging a long acquaintance with Epstein but declining to endorse a Trump deposition, framing the decision as Congress’s to make.

• The coverage underscores a public dispute over how to handle potential connections among powerful figures within the Epstein case and the broader debate over congressional oversight and executive privilege.