The 21+ Most Compelling Moments From Bill Clinton’s 4-Hour Epstein Testimony

The House Oversight Committee released the full video of Clinton’s closed-door deposition yesterday. He was grilled for 4+ hours on the blue dress painting in Epstein’s mansion, the “likes them young” comment, flight logs, the island, Maxwell, massages, emails, and more.

This was part of the committee’s ongoing congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. The full video (roughly 4.5 hours) was released publicly by the committee on Monday, March 2, 2026,

Clinton denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and described their relationship as cordial but not a friendship.

Here are the most memorable exchanges, direct quotes, close paraphrases from the released footage.

Asked If Epstein Killed Himself

MAJORITY MEMBER: Do you believe that Jeffrey Epstein killed himself?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I only know what the medical finding was. He finally got caught and I don’t know. I’ve accepted it in my own mind. I don’t know what happened.

MAJORITY MEMBER: What did you accept? That he killed himself or that he did not?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: That he did, but I don’t know. Neither do you. We don’t. None of us know. We weren’t there.

On What Happened The Night of the Hot Tub Photo

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I sat in the hot tub for 5 minutes and then went to bed.

On If Clinton Threatened Reporters

EMMER: Virginia Giuffre alleged that you walked into Vanity Fair and threatened them not to write sex trafficking articles about Epstein. Mr. President, is this true?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: No. And no, not no. Hell no. Not close. No.

Confronted with Epstein Saying Bill Clinton “Likes Them Young”

REP. MACE: Did you know one of the witnesses who testified in the Epstein cases said that Epstein said you, quote, “like them young”? Why would Epstein say that about you?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: First of all, that’s not true.

REP. MACE: What’s not true?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: That I have any interest in underage…

REP. MACE: I didn’t say underage. I said young.

PRESIDENT CLINTON: But it’s still not true. At my age, anybody younger than I am is young.

The Blue Dress Painting

MAJORITY MEMBER: Are you familiar with this painting? Have you ever seen it in person?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I’ve never seen it in person.

COUNSEL: Do you know why someone would paint this?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: And if I had known Jeffrey Epstein had this painting, it would have saved me this whole day.

Giuffre’s Diary Places Him on the Island

REP. STANSBURY: Her family shared her diary with me. In it is a quote wherein she writes: “Bill Clinton met two times island with two girls, CTG, M, and J.E.” What is your reaction to that?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: It’s not true.

Asked If Maxwell Was Directing the Girls on the Plane

MAJORITY MEMBER: Did you witness Ms. Maxwell appearing to be in a position over other girls on the plane and possibly directing the girls?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: Well, I thought that she was Epstein’s top aide and that she was basically in charge of what happened.

MAJORITY MEMBER: What did happen, Mr. President?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I don’t know. I mean, I’ve already told you this. I’ll tell you again. I never saw anybody do anything wrong. I thought they were flight attendants.

MAJORITY MEMBER: Do flight attendants typically wear tank tops and jeans?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: They don’t all wear uniforms on private planes.

The “Hung Like a Horse” Email Read Aloud

PRESIDENT CLINTON: “I could not help myself. There was one juicy little tidbit I did let out. The one about what a super stud that you are and how I have a crush on you and how you are hung like a horse. And well, you get the picture. Hope you don’t mind.”

EMMER: Are you familiar with this email?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: It’s now famous.

“I Wish Shanté Had Told Me”

REP. STANSBURY: Now that you know that Jeffrey Epstein recruited girls as masseuses, does that reframe that photograph?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: She wants to know if I feel bad about it. Yes. I wish Shanté had told me. I liked her.

The Deal with Epstein

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I thought we had an understanding about the airplanes, that he would let me use the airplane to set up my AIDS programs around the world if I agreed to talk to him for an hour about economics and politics on every long leg. I kept my word and he seemed to honor his.

“All These Boats, They All Do That”

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I can’t tell you how many airplanes I’ve been on where rich people asked me to go and they had someone offering massages. All these boats that you go on, they all do that. And usually I don’t do that. I’m not into this.

REP. STANSBURY: Well, that certainly raises some other questions about people offering free massages on boats.

The “Spank Bottoms” Email from the Shared Blackberry

EMMER: This email says: “This email is silly. I want to spank bottoms tonight.”

EMMER: Did you share a Blackberry with Mr. Band?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: Well, he says we did, but I think I had… I finally got another Blackberry. But the truth is I don’t remember. I just know that I did not email.

Bill Clinton Says He Only Sent Two Emails… Ever

EMMER: Have you ever sent an email, Mr. President?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I sent one email to John Glenn, Senator John Glenn, when he was in space at age 77. And I sent an email to the men and women aboard a US ship in the Adriatic during the Kosovo war. Since then, I’m not sure I’ve sent one.

Epstein’s Cameras

EMMER: It’s been reported that Mr. Epstein had cameras on his premises. Did you notice any cameras?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I didn’t, but that may have been the whole point.

“He Didn’t Have To, Since I Was Never There”

REP. MACE: Did you know Jeffrey Epstein instructed a witness to deny you were ever on his island?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: He didn’t have to, since I was never there.

Why He Let Maxwell Attend Chelsea’s Wedding

REP. MACE: If you were aware in 2008 that Jeffrey Epstein was having sex with kids, and you knew of his close association with Ghislaine Maxwell, why would you still associate with Ghislaine Maxwell? And why would you allow her to associate with your daughter?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: When the wedding occurred, she was with Ted Waitt and she was for several more years. We did not know when Epstein was arrested that she was still involved with him. We didn’t know.

I’m sorry for what she did and what she allowed her life to become. And now she’s living with it.

How Did They Dupe So Many People?

REP. MACE: How do you think Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein duped so many powerful and smart people, fully connected people, all around the world?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I really don’t know. I’ve thought about it a lot. And if you can figure it out, I’d like to know.

Trump Protecting Lutnick

PRESIDENT CLINTON: Lutnick runs a big company and has made a lot of money and has supported him strongly. I don’t think he believes that he’s done anything bad enough. I think he thinks he took his family to the island and you couldn’t have done anything wrong. That’s what I think he thinks.

On Ghislaine Maxwell’s Treatment In Prison

REP. FROST: The Deputy Attorney General and President Trump’s former personal attorney, Todd Blanche, conducted a closed-door interview of Ms. Maxwell at her then low-security prison. Just a few days after that interview, she was transferred to a lower-security prison where she’s afforded personalized meals, playtime with puppies. When you were president, was it common for your deputy attorney general to directly conduct interviews of federal inmates?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: To the best of my knowledge, I did not do that.

On Ghislaine Maxwell Sentencing

REP. FROST: In your opinion, does she deserve or should she be granted clemency by President Trump?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I don’t think I should comment on that. It was terrible what she did and she has to be punished. Somebody besides me should make a decision on that. So she got 20 years and there it is.

Half a Dozen Billionaires’ Planes

REP. MACE: Have you ever flown on anyone else’s private jet 26 times or more for overseas trips?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I have flown as many miles on other jets but never with as many stops.

REP. MACE: How many other people’s planes have you used like Epstein’s?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I did with Steve Bing, who’s now deceased, and probably with four or five others. So maybe about a half dozen billionaires total.

On How He Visited Epstein New York Mansion

PRESIDENT CLINTON: My staff said, “You know, we’re only a couple blocks from Epstein’s house. It’s a converted elementary school. He’s very proud of it.” So that’s what we did.

Demanding the Full Files

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I think unless there is some serious danger of physical harm to one of the victims or some national security interest involving intelligence, I think the rest of it ought to be gotten out. I think we just need to get to a point where we can put this behind us.

On Getting Old

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I was for most of my life the youngest person doing whatever I was doing. And one day I woke up, I was the oldest man in every room. And I couldn’t tell you for the life of me how I got from one place to the other.

Final Words

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I’m struggling because it’s hard to know exactly what I knew when I knew it, given what I’ve learned since. It’s become a kind of compelling challenge, but I’ve tried to tell you what I knew then.

I wish you well. I still will say, if you can think of some things to do that will reduce the incidence of trafficking in America… and it should be possible for us to virtually eliminate underage abuse. It should be. We just got to figure out what kind of technology we need and what kind of policies.