Blanche defends closed-door meeting with lawmakers, rips Democrats’ walkout as ‘stunt’

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended a closed-door briefing he and Attorney General Pam Bondi gave to the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday regarding the Justice Department's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, calling Democratic lawmakers' walkout a "stunt." The two Trump officials met with the committee to discuss the sex offender case, but tensions escalated when some Democrats abandoned the briefing after disputes with Committee Chair James Comer. The walkout reflects deepening partisan friction over the Trump administration's handling of sensitive investigations and oversight of the Justice Department. Democrats' departure signals they viewed the briefing process or the officials' conduct as problematic, while Blanche's public pushback suggests the administration views the exodus as a political maneuver rather than a substantive protest.