Zeldin, McCain hammer Crockett on Epstein donations claim
In a heated exchange that has captured significant media attention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin took to social media to address accusations made by House Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett regarding campaign donations linked to Jeffrey Epstein. During a recent speech, Crockett claimed that several prominent figures, including Zeldin, had received funds from “somebody” named Jeffrey Epstein, a name that carries heavy implications due to its association with the late convicted sex offender. Zeldin quickly rebutted these claims on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing that the Epstein who donated to his campaign was a physician named Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, who had no connection to the infamous financier and was, in fact, deceased well before the donation was made.
Zeldin’s response included a pointed remark: “When you find yourself in a hole, it’s best to stop digging,” highlighting his frustration with Crockett’s comments. He clarified that the donation referenced by Crockett was made posthumously and from a completely different individual, underscoring the importance of accuracy in political discourse. The situation escalated further when Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Senator John McCain, joined the fray, defending her father’s legacy by asserting he had never taken money from the notorious Epstein. This exchange has sparked a broader conversation about misinformation and the responsibility of public figures to ensure their statements are factually correct.
Crockett, for her part, defended her remarks in subsequent interviews, asserting that she never explicitly claimed the donation was from the convicted sex offender. Instead, she stated her intention was to reference a person with the same name, maintaining that she had made her comments with clarity and integrity. This incident not only illuminates the contentious nature of political dialogue in the current climate but also serves as a reminder of the potential ramifications of conflating individuals with similar names, especially in such a charged context. As the debate continues, it raises questions about accountability in political rhetoric and the impact of social media in shaping public perception.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator
Lee Zeldin
— who clapped back after House Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett said that he and others had taken money from someone by the name of Jeffrey Epstein — took to social media again after Crockett defended her comments and claimed that she was not seeking to “mislead” anyone.
Zeldin began his Wednesday
post on X
with an exploding head emoji and then declared, “When you find yourself in a hole, it’s best to stop digging.”
“The public FEC report Crockett referenced on the House floor very clearly states that the Jeffrey Epstein who donated to my past campaign was a physician, and the donation date was well AFTER the [drum emoji] other [drum emoji] Jeffrey [drum emoji] Epstein [drum emoji] WAS [drum emoji] ALREADY [drum emoji] DEAD!!!” he exclaimed.
TRUMP OFFICIAL FIRES BACK AT DEM’S EPSTEIN DONOR CLAIM: ‘TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERSON’
The dust-up originated because Crockett, during remarks on Tuesday, listed figures and entities she said had taken money from “somebody” with the name
Jeffrey Epstein.
Noting that she had her “team dig in very quickly,” she ran through the following list: “Mitt Romney, the NRCC, Lee Zeldin, George Bush, WinRed, McCain-Palin, Rick Lazio.”
Zeldin fired back on X, pointing out that the donation was not from the notorious Jeffrey Epstein, but from a completely different individual.
“Yes Crockett, a physician named Dr. Jeffrey Epstein (who is a totally different person than the other Jeffrey Epstein) donated to a prior campaign of mine,” Zeldin wrote. “NO [clap emoji] FREAKIN [clap emoji] RELATION [clap emoji] YOU [clap emoji] GENIUS!!!”
Meghan McCain
, who is the daughter of the late Republican senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain, also fired back at Crockett.
SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND BOTCHES EPSTEIN CLAIMS: ‘INSANE ACCUSATION’
“My Dad has been dead 7 years @RepJasmine. He never met Jeffrey Epstein, let alone took money from him. The Jeffrey Epstein you are referencing is an entirely different human being. Do you have mashed potatoes for brains, you absolute joke?!” she wrote in a Wednesday
post
on X.
When CNN’s Kaitlan Collins confronted Crockett on Wednesday about Zeldin’s Tuesday post that pushed back against the notion that he had accepted a donation from the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Texas Democrat said that she “never said that it was that Jeffrey Epstein.”
FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SPENDS EYE-POPPING AMOUNT OF CAMPAIGN CASH ON LUXURY HOTELS, ‘TOP-TIER’ LIMO SERVICES
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Unlike Republicans, I at least don’t go out and just tell lies,” she later said.
“So, number one, I made sure that I was clear that it was a Jeffrey Epstein, but I never said that it was specifically that Jeffrey Epstein,” Crockett said later during the interview.
