A new political controversy is making waves, and this one involves a name that always grabs attention: Jeffrey Epstein. But this time, it’s not about new revelations in the Epstein case itself—it’s about a Democrat in Congress who exchanged text messages with the convicted sex offender. And now, another Democrat is trying to shut down the conversation by calling the criticism racist.
Let’s unpack what’s going on.
During a recent livestream, Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas defended her colleague, Del. Stacey Plaskett from the Virgin Islands. Crockett was responding to backlash over text messages that Plaskett exchanged with Epstein, the disgraced financier who was convicted of sex crimes and had longstanding ties with powerful figures in politics, media, and finance.
Plaskett nearly faced censure in the House of Representatives over those messages. A resolution to censure her failed by just five votes—214 to 209—after a few Republicans, including Rep. Corey Mills of Florida, broke ranks and sided with Democrats. The messages in question reportedly included birthday wishes, photos, and discussions about congressional hearings.
Rather than address the content of the texts, Crockett turned the criticism into a racial issue. She claimed people were only upset because Plaskett is a “Black woman.”
Crockett said, “MAGA has decided that they are most upset about the fact that Epstein was sending text messages to this member of Congress,” suggesting that the outrage wasn’t about ethics or judgment, but about race. She also claimed there was “no ethical violation” in receiving or responding to texts and compared it to staff and even her pastor texting her about her hairstyle.
But here’s the problem: Epstein wasn’t just some random person. He was a registered sex offender with a long history of manipulating powerful people to protect his interests. When a sitting member of Congress is found to have a relationship—friendly or not—with someone like Epstein, it raises serious questions. And those questions deserve answers, no matter the race, gender, or party of the official involved.
Watch the full clip here:
Crockett also tried to shift the focus to former President Donald Trump, accusing Republicans of ignoring his alleged ties to Epstein. But the facts tell a different story.
Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims. In fact, Virginia Giuffre—one of Epstein’s most well-known accusers—did not name Trump in her memoir. Her ghostwriter even said she was a fan of Trump and supported his efforts to release the Epstein files.
Even more telling: Bradley Edwards, the attorney who represented many of Epstein’s victims, publicly praised Trump. He said Trump was the only person who willingly cooperated with his investigation back in 2009, offering to help and provide any information he could.
“The only thing I can say about President Trump is that he is the only person who picked up the phone and said, ‘Let’s talk,’” Edwards said. “He was very helpful and gave no indication he was involved in anything wrong.”
Trump didn’t just speak out—he took action. He urged Congress to pass the bill to release the Epstein files, and it passed nearly unanimously, with just one vote against it. He signed the bill into law, pushing for full transparency. That’s not the behavior of someone with something to hide.
So, let’s be clear: this isn’t about race. It’s about accountability. When elected officials exchange messages with someone like Epstein, the public has a right to know what was said and why. Trying to spin this as a race issue is just a way to dodge the real questions.
Americans deserve honesty from their leaders. And when those leaders try to deflect blame by shouting “racism” instead of answering serious ethical concerns, it only makes people more suspicious.
The truth matters. And no matter who you are, if you had dealings with Epstein, the public deserves to know what you were doing.