MUST SEE — Hillary Clinton Hearing on Epstein HALTS After Brutal Photo Leaks
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee was briefly suspended Thursday after a photograph taken during her testimony was leaked to a conservative media figure, triggering a dispute between lawmakers over committee procedure.
The image, captured while Clinton was seated mid-testimony in the committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, was provided to podcast host Benny Johnson by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). After the photo circulated publicly, Clinton’s attorneys halted the proceedings and she exited the room.
According to MSNOW, Clinton later returned and engaged in a tense exchange with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) before questioning resumed. The deposition continued behind closed doors.
Clinton addressed reporters during an impromptu press conference, issuing a categorical denial of any association with Epstein.
“I did not know Jeffrey Epstein! I never went to his island. I never went to his home. I never went to his offices,” she said.
Her legal team accused Boebert of violating House rules by taking and releasing the photograph during a closed-door session. Clinton also asserted that committee guidelines had been breached.
Democrats on the committee echoed those concerns during a break in the deposition.
“What is not acceptable is Oversight Republicans breaking their own committee rules that they established with the Secretary and her team,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) said at a press conference.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) criticized the tone and conduct of the proceedings, stating, “We are sitting through an incredibly unserious clown show of a deposition where members of Congress and the Republican Party are more concerned about getting their photo op of Secretary Clinton than actually getting to the truth and holding anyone accountable.”
The deposition forms part of the committee’s broader inquiry into matters connected to Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in 2019. Congressional interest in Epstein’s network and potential ties to prominent individuals has persisted in the years since his death, with lawmakers seeking additional disclosures and documentation.
Details of Clinton’s testimony beyond her public denial were not released Thursday, and no transcript was made available. The committee has not publicly outlined the specific rules governing photography during closed-door depositions, nor indicated whether it will pursue formal action related to the leak.
Boebert responded to criticism from Democrats and Clinton’s attorneys on social media, referencing the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.
“No U.S. ambassadors were harmed in the taking of today’s photo,” she wrote.
The comment alluded to the death of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who was killed during the Sept. 11, 2012 attack in Benghazi. Three other Americans also died in the assault. The incident prompted multiple congressional investigations during Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State and remained a central political issue throughout her subsequent presidential campaign.
Thursday’s developments underscored the heightened partisan tensions surrounding the Oversight Committee’s work. Under Republican leadership, the panel has pursued a series of investigations involving high-profile political figures and federal agencies. Clinton’s deposition marked one of the most closely watched sessions tied to its ongoing review of Epstein-related matters.
Clinton’s decision to speak publicly following the interruption signaled the seriousness with which her team viewed the photograph’s release. While Democrats characterized the incident as a procedural violation, Republicans did not immediately issue a formal committee statement detailing their position on the alleged breach.
Chairman Comer has previously defended the committee’s investigative authority in high-profile inquiries, emphasizing its oversight responsibilities. His exchange with Clinton after she returned to the deposition room was described as a sparring moment, though no specific remarks from that exchange were disclosed publicly.
The leak also drew attention to the role of outside media figures in covering congressional investigations. The photograph’s distribution to Johnson, a conservative podcast host, ensured rapid circulation on social media platforms, amplifying the episode beyond the confines of the closed-door session.
As of Thursday evening, it remained unclear whether additional images were taken or released, or whether the committee would modify its procedures in response to the incident. Lawmakers did not announce any changes to future deposition protocols.
Trump Warns Iran of ‘Total Obliteration’ if They Try To Harm Him HH
President Donald Trump warned Iran that continued assassination threats made by leaders in Tehran would be met with the country getting “blown up” and “total obliteration.”
“Well, they shouldn’t be doing it but I’ve left notification,” Trump said. “Anything ever happens, we’re going to blow the whole — the whole country’s going to get blown up.”
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Biden-era Intelligence officials briefed Trump about the alleged threats against him during his presidential campaign in 2024. Former Attorney General Merrick Garland said the plot was retaliation for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani by the U.S. in 2020, during Trump’s first administration.
Despite being briefed by his administration, Trump on Tuesday said President Biden “should have said something” on the matter, adding that presidents should defend each other on such matters.
“But I have very firm instructions,” Trump continued. “Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”
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Trump also spoke about the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran in Geneva.
“What are you expecting from these Iran talks in Geneva?” a reporter asked Trump aboard Air Force One.
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“So, I’ll be involved in those talks indirectly, and they’ll be very important. We’ll see what can happen. Typically, Iran’s a very tough negotiator; they’re good negotiators — or bad negotiators. I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B2s to knock out their nuclear potential. We had to send the B2s. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal,” Trump said.
“Have you been told that a deal is next to impossible?” the reporter followed up.
Trump replied, “No. I think they want to make a deal. I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal. They want to make a deal.”
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Trump previously said that he instructed officials to destroy Iran if they killed him.
The president said this after signing an executive order right after taking office that gave him all the tools he needed to talk to Iran’s government and put as much pressure on Tehran as possible.
“They haven’t done that and that would be a terrible thing for them to do,” Trump said at the time. “Not because of me — if they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I’ve left instructions, if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left. And, they shouldn’t be able to do it.”
Trump warned last week that the United States could send additional warships toward Iran if ongoing diplomatic negotiations fail to produce a deal, signaling that military pressure could increase as talks over Tehran’s nuclear program stall.
In remarks to Axios, Trump said the administration is considering deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group to the region in addition to the USS Abraham Lincoln and 9 additional warships already positioned near Iran, though he expressed hope that a diplomatic agreement can still be reached.
“Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” the president told Axios on Tuesday, a reference to the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites in June.
“Last time they didn’t believe I would do it. They overplayed their hand,” Trump added. “We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going.”
The president emphasized that the United States is seeking to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, halt the development of its ballistic missile program, and end support for militant proxy groups. Iranian officials have so far resisted expanding negotiations beyond nuclear-related issues.
He described the nuclear issue as a “matter of course” part of any negotiation, but also insisted that an agreement with Iran must also address Tehran’s ballistic missile stockpiles, per Axios.
Trump said the US “can make a great deal with Iran,” and Tehran “very much wants to make a deal.”
Trump’s comments came ahead of a planned visit to Washington, D.C. by Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to press for a tougher U.S. stance and broader terms for any Iran deal that would include constraints on Tehran’s missile capabilities and regional activities.
Before heading to DC, the Israeli leader previewed some of what he and Trump were going to discuss.
“I will present to the president our understanding of the principles of the negotiations (with Iran) – the essential principles that are important not only to Israel – but to everyone who wants peace and security in the Middle East,” Netanyahu told reporters, per the New York Post.
The administration has already bolstered its military presence in the Middle East, with multiple warships and aircraft deployed as a means of deterrence and leverage.
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