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By Jasmine Laws
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Jeffrey Epstein survivors, who were invited to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address by Democratic lawmakers, sharply criticized the commander-in-chief, accusing him of shielding powerful figures and failing to fully release long‑sought government files tied to the late sex offender.
Several survivors used their high‑profile presence at Tuesday's event to renew public pressure on the administration over transparency in the Epstein case, questioning Trump’s expressions of sympathy for Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, and rejecting White House claims that he has done more than any previous president to support victims. Their remarks came as demands intensify for the Justice Department to disclose all remaining documents related to Epstein.
Why It Matters
Trump's record-breaking State of the Union speech lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes, topping the record he set last year. It covered the economy, foreign affairs and criticism of Democratic lawmakers. A topic he did not cover though was the Epstein investigation.
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There have been ongoing calls to release all the files, and earlier this year, the Department of Justice released 3 million documents relating to the investigation. Some of the documents had significant amounts of identifying information redacted, prompting calls for greater transparency.
Among the high-profile names appearing in the documents was Trump, although the president has continued to maintain that he did nothing wrong in relation to his former friendship with Epstein, and has said he has been "totally exonerated."
Appearing in the Epstein files does not imply wrongdoing or criminal behavior.
What To Know
Speaking after Trump's speech, Dani Bensky, an Epstein accuser, demanded to know "where are the rest of the files?" adding the "truth must come out." Bensky, who Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer invited to the State of the Union address, also said: "How can anyone feel safe in this country when our president’s sympathies are going to the former Prince Andrew and not to survivors?"
After Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested last week, Trump called the situation "very sad" and said he thought it was "a shame."
Haley Robson, who has said Epstein trafficked her, was invited to the event by California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, one of the authors of the Epstein Transparency Act, the law triggering the document releases.
In an interview with CNN after Trump's speech, Robson was asked what her thoughts were on the White House's assertion that "President Trump has done more for Epstein's victims than anyone before him."
She replied: "It's a magic show, it's theatrics is what it is. The tactics are very similar to Jeffrey Epstein honestly, it's 'I'm going to pretend that I'm doing something as a grand gesture to help you, but behind closed doors when nobody's looking, I'm going to make it very difficult for this to move forward.'"
Robson added that even though Trump signed off the bill calling for the release of the Epstein files, she said he "switched his stance on it" when it was clear the vote was going to be unanimous.
She said his actions were "Houdini," a reference to the famous American magician known for his escape acts.
"So yes, he might have been the person to sign off on the bill, but again it's a mirage," Robson said.
Annie Farmer, another survivor of Epstein, who was invited to the address by California Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, said in a statement shared with Newsweek after Trump's address: "The president made a promise to the American people that the horrible abuse by Epstein, Maxwell, and their enablers would be brought to light. Yet powerful individuals remain shielded, and we still don’t have answers to central questions."
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Newsweek when reached for comment: "Just as President Trump has said, he’s been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein. And by releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request, signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and calling for more investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends, President Trump has done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone before him. Meanwhile, Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries and Stacey Plaskett have yet to explain why they were soliciting money and meetings from Epstein after he was a convicted sex offender.”
What People Are Saying
U.S. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin said: "House Democrats stand in solidarity with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s monstrous international sex trafficking ring. They have come to the State of the Union to reject Trump’s claim that this is a "hoax." America demands an end to the Trump-Bondi cover-up and justice for all the survivors and their families."
He said in a separate post: "Trump delivered the longest and most grotesque State of the Union address in American history. He never acknowledged the community of Epstein survivors in attendance who are fighting his Administration’s continuing cover-up on behalf of the perpetrators. But America is with the survivors and Trump’s MAGA is sinking like a stone."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said: "As Trump rambles on, the American people are still waiting for justice and transparency on the Epstein Files. My #SOTU guest, Dani Bensky, was a victim of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein, and like so many of her fellow survivors, she’s not giving up in the fight for justice."
He added in a separate post: "Even after everything she endured, she is still fighting—not just for herself but for every survivor who was silenced, ignored, and dismissed.
U.S. Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal said: "I’m honored to have Marijke Chartouni as my guest at tonight’s State of the Union. The Trump Administration has continually tried to intimidate her and other survivors, as well as cover-up the Epstein files. Tonight, he has to look them in the face."
Jayapal's guest and Epstein survivor, Marijke Chartouni, said: "I think it's important to show up, to remind lawmakers we're not going away. We're not going to be quiet. And we're here because we want accountability and we want the files released."
U.S Republican Representative Thomas Massie said: "Congress created, funds, and oversees the Department of Justice. But when will we see justice for Epstein survivors? Over two dozen people have resigned, but none in the US have been arrested. On the House floor, I named 3 men the DOJ needs to investigate and hold accountable."
What Happens Next
There are allegedly millions more Epstein documents yet to be released, according to Raskin, as reported by People, and calls continue to have those made public.
An NPR investigation also said that the Justice Department allegedly withheld some Epstein files related to allegations involving Trump, although Newsweek has not been able to verify the report.
Responding to NPR's report, a DOJ spokeswoman said any documents not published are privileged, are duplicates or relate to an ongoing federal investigation.
Update 2/25/26, 1:39 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from a White House spokesperson.
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