Sec. Lutnick Admits to Visiting Epstein's Private Island

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged on Tuesday he visited the private island of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Lutnick admitted to visiting the island with his wife and children in 2012.

"My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies," Lutnick said. "I had another couple.

"They were there as well with their children, and we had lunch on the island."

Lutnick said they spent an hour on the island with the late New York financier.

"We were on family vacation," he added.

Lutnick previously said he cut ties with Epstein after 2005.

At the hearing, Lutnick described their contact as a handful of emails and a pair of meetings that were years apart.

"I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with him," Lutnick told lawmakers.

Last year, on the podcast "Pod Force One," Lutnick said he had decided to "never be in the room" with Epstein again after a 2005 tour of Epstein's New York home that disturbed Lutnick and his wife.

But under questioning by senators, Lutnick admitted to an hour-long engagement at Epstein's home in 2011.

Prior to his testimony, the White House had pushed back against bipartisan calls for his resignation, emphasizing unity within the Trump administration and dismissing criticism as a distraction from its policy agenda.

In an email to CNBC, White House spokesman Kush Desai said President Donald Trump stands firmly behind his Cabinet.

"President Trump has assembled the best and most transformative Cabinet in modern history," Desai wrote.

"The entire Trump administration, including Secretary Lutnick and the Department of Commerce, remains focused on delivering for the American people," he continued.

"The president's cabinet is working as one team, and they remain focused on results."

Following Lutnick's testimony, Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., told Axios she was calling for him to resign.

Rosen is the first member of the Senate Commerce Committee to do so.

"I believe that to protect the trust of the American people and to uphold the honor of his office, Howard Lutnick must immediately resign as Secretary of Commerce," Rosen said.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., has also called for Lutnick's resignation.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who led the push for the release of the Justice Department's files on Epstein, was one of the congressmen who called for Lutnick's resignation prior to his testimony.

"He was in business with Jeffrey Epstein, and this was many years after Jeffrey Epstein was convicted," Massie told CNN.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said the visit to Epstein's private island "would raise questions."

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told reporters, "It's something I'm concerned with."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., did not mention Lutnick by name but told reporters Tuesday that those mentioned in the Epstein files are "going to have to answer questions around that."

"I think the American people are going to have to make judgments about whether or not they think those answers are sufficient," said Thune.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who along with Massie initiated the legislation that led to the release of the Epstein files, said Lutnick, "should be out of the Cabinet."

"It's not about any particular person. In this country, we have to make a decision," Khanna said.

"Are we going to allow the rich and powerful people who are friends and [had] no problem doing business and showing up with a pedophile who is raping underage girls, are we just going to allow them to skate?" Khanna asked.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.