‘That’s Blood Money!’ GOP Congressman Throws DOWN With CNN Host Over Democrat’s Ties to Epstein

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) got into a verbal brawl with CNN’s Boris Sanchez on Tuesday afternoon, saying the network was wasting time focusing on President Donald Trump’s ties to dead sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein instead of reporting on the fact Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) was texting with Epstein during a congressional hearing.

Sanchez, during Van Orden’s appearance on CNN News Central, asked the conservative if he had any “questions” for Trump about his relationship with Epstein. Van Orden disregarded the question and immediately went off on Plaskett, who, according to files released last week, was texting with Epstein during a 2019 hearing.

“Well, here’s what else Jeffrey Epstein wrote — he wrote several text messages to congresswoman Plaskett while she was sitting on the Oversight Committee in an Oversight hearing about Jeffrey Epstein, and she was asking him what questions to ask Michael Cohen,” he said.

Van Orden repeated that statement a second time, before ripping Plaskett, saying she “received over $30,000 in campaign money from Jeffrey Epstein and she refuses to return it.” The DNC, he continued, received another $32,000 from Epstein.

“That’s blood money,” Van Orden told Sanchez. “So what we need to be asking ourselves is, sir, is why was a Democrat member of Congress on the Oversight Committee, responsible for the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, live texting with Jeffrey Epstein during the hearing?”

Things got more animated from there. Sanchez tried asking Van Orden a question while he was still talking, and the Republican scoffed.

“Do we have a limited amount of time because you’re going to interview her next? Is that right?” Van Orden asked. “Is she going to be on your show and explain herself?”

“We’d be more than happy to have her on, congressman,” Sanchez told him.

He then said Plaskett has “refuted those characterizations” — and that set off Van Orden.

“No no no, wait. Hold on a second. They have, they have—” Van Orden started to say, as Sanchez continued asking him about Trump.

Sanchez plowed forward, “Congressman, I asked you about President Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, you started talking about Mrs. Plaskett.”

“I heard ya,” Van Orden said.

Sanchez reiterated his question about Trump.

“I get it. So, You’re just not going to get away with this,” Van Orden told him.

“Get away with what, congressman?” Sanchez shot back.

Van Orden pointed out there are time-stamped text messages from Epstein to Plaskett and video of the hearing that reinforces it.

Sanchez pushed back again and said he was interested in hearing Van Orden’s answer about Trump and Epstein. He also reiterated Plaskett has “refuted those characterizations.”

Van Orden ended the segment by joking that he and Sanchez can both refute they are bald, but “that doesn’t mean we’re going to grow hair tomorrow.”

The fiery back-and-forth comes a few days after newly released documents show Plaskett was texting with Epstein while she questioned Cohen.

“Hes opened the door to questions re who are the other henchmen at trump org,” Epstein texted Plaskett during the hearing.

“Yup. Very aware and waiting my turn,” she responded.

Trump on Sunday evening called on Republicans in the House to release more files tied to Epstein, saying “we have nothing to hide.” The House voted to force the Justice Department to release more files on Tuesday afternoon.

Watch above via CNN.