Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) probably thought this was going to be a walk in the park. It’s CNN—these guys are my friends. Well, CNN host Kaitlin Collins had some good questions about Del. Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands and Jeffrey Epstein, the latter of whom was texting her during a 2019 hearing with ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.
To be more direct, he was feeding her what to ask. Plaskett helped Epstein get tax carve-outs and later worked for the disgraced late New York financier’s fixer on the island. These texts are eye-opening. It’s the real story regarding the Epstein Files thus far, and Democrats have nothing sellable to make a pivot. Jeffries tried, but he cannot go off-script, because he’s Temu Obama:
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins just put Hakeem Jeffries in the heat seat about Epstein for over two minutes straight on national television.
— Overton (@overton_news) November 19, 2025
Jeffries tried to dodge questions about his and his party’s connections, but Collins came at him like a locomotive.
She started with Stacey… pic.twitter.com/zt1nXcb2MV
COLLINS: “Do you think it was appropriate for her to be texting with Jeffrey Epstein, 11 years after he pleaded guilty?”
JEFFRIES: “I mean, I have not had a conversation with Stacey Plaskett to discuss this issue because we’ve been focused today on making sure that there was a decisive vote as it related to the Epstein files and the release.”
COLLINS: “Do you plan to talk to her about it?”
JEFFRIES: “I think that we……successfully defeated a resolution that lacked any basis, was not credible and was being brought by an individual who was trying to weaponize this issue to reinvigorate his own failed gubernatorial campaign in south Carolina.”
“It was rejected on a bipartisan basis on the floor today. That’s the end of the story.”
COLLINS: “Yeah, I was just asking if you personally believe messaging with Jeffrey Epstein, who is at that point a registered sex offender, is appropriate for a member of the House Democratic caucus?”
Jeffries, clearly feeling the hear, snapped back:
JEFFRIES: “That’s the third time you’ve asked me this question, and I’m going to give you the same exact answer.”
“Our focus today is on making sure that the Jeffrey Epstein files were released. If you want to have a conversation with Stacey Plaskett about it, I’m sure she’d be willing to talk to you.”
“It was an illegitimate effort to try to remove her from the House Committee on Intelligence, and that was defeated in a bipartisan way.”
Talk about not seeing the blitz coming, Hakeem. Democrats are named in the files. After all they’ve said about Trump and the GOP regarding this story, it’s going to be funny, a classic boomerang to the face. It’s not about the victims, though it should be; it’s all about getting Trump. Which you, me, and the entire nation already know.
The dog has bitten the car, and the Democrats have no idea what to do.