CNN’s Kaitlin Collins Grills Hakeem Jeffries on Plaskett-Epstein Texts in Testy On-Air Exchange

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pushed back repeatedly as CNN’s chief White House correspondent Kaitlin Collins grilled him Tuesday about Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), who that night had dodged censure over revelations she’d texted Jeffrey Epstein in real-time during Michael Cohen’s 2019 Congressional testimony.

The exchange, published in a document dump by the House Oversight Committee last week, was highlighted in a report by The Washington Post. The texts between Epstein and Plaskett were sent in February 2019 as Cohen detailed allegations that President Donald Trump manipulated financial records and directed hush-money payments, claims Trump denied.

The texts, sent in real-time as Plaskett sat on the panel, appeared to show Epstein nudging the lawmaker’s line of questioning before signing off: “Good work.”

Defending herself against censure on the House floor on Tuesday night, Plaskett framed Epstein as a “constituent” and argued that the exchange came in February 2019, months before the federal investigation into him was “public knowledge.” The censure attempt narrowly failed in a 209-214 vote.

On CNN, after the Epstein disclosure bill passed the House, Collins seized on the denials as she pressed Jeffries, arguing that Epstein had been convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution “11 years” prior – having served a jail sentence in 2008. He also faced multiple lawsuits from women alleging abuse in the years following.

For two minutes, Jeffries was pushed on the question as Collins repeated it three times.

KAITLIN COLLINS: You heard Stacey Plaskett there. She was arguing her texts with Jeffrey Epstein were not illegal. But in your view, were they appropriate?

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Well, Stacey Plaskett is not accused of violating any House rule, any law, any statute. And she’s clearly and unequivocally denounced Jeffrey Epstein. And I think what the survivors fought for today is the type of transparency that came out of the House, went through the Senate and is now on its way to Donald Trump’s desk, where hopefully he will sign it into law, because at the end of the day, all the American people are asking for is just the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Which is why these Epstein files that Donald Trump and his administration have been hiding for months need to be released.

COLLINS: But do you think it was appropriate for her to be texting with Jeffrey Epstein, 11 years after he pleaded guilty to –

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. I’m thankful for the work of Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), of [Rep.] Ro Khanna (D-CA), but most importantly, the survivors.

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: 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.

Collins moved on quickly to discuss Jeffries’ own mention in the files after email releases revealed a decade-old fundraising request sent to the disgraced financier, inviting him to meet with the Democrat during his early rise in Congress.

Jeffries insisted he has “no recollection” of any such outreach and “certainly” never accepted money from Epstein.

Watch above via CNN.