CNN commentator Scott Jennings accused Democrats of trying to “manipulate the public narrative” about Jeffrey Epstein, saying on the PBD Podcast that the strategy had “backfired.” His comments came after Rep. Jasmine Crockett mistakenly mentioned a donor named “Jeffrey Epstein” during a House debate, implying he donated to Republicans. Crockett later clarified the donor was not the infamous sex offender, saying the mix-up happened because her staff was rushing to gather information.

Jennings argued Democrats were trying to drag Donald Trump back into the Epstein discussion, even though new information tied some Democrats more closely to Epstein. He highlighted emails showing former Clinton Treasury Secretary Larry Summers seeking “dating advice” from Epstein in 2018 and 2019, long after Epstein’s conviction. Summers stepped down from a Harvard advisory role after the emails became public.

Jennings also criticized Del. Stacey Plaskett, pointing to her interactions with Epstein during a 2019 hearing and claiming Epstein influenced her questions. Plaskett has insisted she only relied on Epstein for “information, not direction.” Crockett defended herself by saying she never claimed it was the same Epstein and deliberately used the phrase “a Jeffrey Epstein” to make a point about Republican vetting.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that all unclassified documents related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell will be released within 30 days of President Trump signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and aims to increase transparency while protecting victims.