A woman who says she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein as a teenager and later voted for President Donald Trump sharply criticized him this week after he called the uproar over the case a "Democrat hoax."
Jena-Lisa Jones stood outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to share her account alongside Republican and Democratic lawmakers and urged the Trump administration to release records related to Epstein’s case. She is supporting an effort by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to compel the administration to make the files public.
Jones said she had placed hope in Trump when she voted for him and called his recent characterization of the Epstein controversy as partisan dismissive of survivors. "I voted for Trump, and for him to say what he’s saying is beyond me, because I put my hope in him, and he’s supposed to protect us," she told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell in an appearance following her Capitol Hill remarks. "And for him to say that this is a joke and that it’s sides, this is not sides."
Her comments came after Trump, speaking at the Oval Office on Wednesday, again referred to the attention surrounding Epstein and related inquiries as a "Democrat hoax." During his 2016 presidential campaign, the president had said he had no problem releasing Epstein-related documents; Jones and other survivors have renewed calls for transparency in the wake of continued reporting and congressional attention.
Jones emphasized that survivors were not accusing Trump of wrongdoing, but said they were seeking accountability and openness about the investigation into Epstein and his associates. The push to make files public has drawn bipartisan interest on Capitol Hill, with Khanna and Massie sponsoring a measure to obtain and disclose records the administration may hold.
The Epstein case has prompted scrutiny from multiple fronts, including criminal investigations, civil lawsuits and congressional inquiries, and it has remained a flashpoint in national politics. Survivors and advocates have repeatedly urged authorities to release records and provide greater insight into how prosecutors and other officials handled Epstein’s prior prosecutions and his network.
Jones’s appearance with lawmakers marked a visible moment of bipartisan alignment among some members of Congress and survivors who sought to place pressure on the administration to act. Advocates say the release of files could clarify details of plea agreements, law enforcement decisions and the extent of any networks involved in trafficking.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers who joined the advocacy effort have framed the request for documents as a matter of transparency and accountability rather than partisan politics. The White House has not indicated a timeline for any release of records tied to Epstein, and administration officials have at times resisted broad disclosure requests, citing legal constraints and ongoing inquiries.
The debate over access to Epstein-related materials is likely to continue in congressional hearings, legislative proposals and public advocacy from survivors and their supporters. For Jones and others, the demand for records is part of a broader call for recognition of survivors’ experiences and for systemic steps to prevent further abuses.