Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick shared photos this weekend of the “amazing evening” he spent at a lavish White House state dinner, but the post quickly backfired when critics spotted one image that dragged Jeffrey Epstein back into the conversation.
Lutnick was one of many prominent guests to attend last week’s White House dinner welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping. In one photo shared by Lutnick, the commerce secretary is seen posing next to Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
As noted by countless critics, both Lutnick and Musk have documented ties to Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James. Lutnick visited the island in 2012 despite claiming he’d cut ties with Epstein years earlier, and Musk, who said he’d rebuffed Epstein’s repeated invitations, was later shown in emails to have asked about visiting himself, both instances that took place years after Epstein was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution.
“One pretended not to have gone to the island, the other pretended he didn’t ask to go to the island,” wrote journalist and former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan in a social media post on X Sunday.
Comedian and political commentator Bobby Sausalito sarcastically told his more than 75,000 followers on X not to worry about Lutnick, mocking the stark contrast between the commerce secretary’s glitzy night out and the financial struggles facing everyday Americans.
“Dont worry guys the guy who went to kiddie diddler island and lied about it is having a fun time at the taxpayer funded gala while you work 2 jobs to stay alive,” Sausalito wrote.
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) struck a similar tone, also telling his followers on X not to worry.
“They love showing you all the cool stuff they do, and their helipads and ballrooms, while you pay out the a– for everything. But don’t worry, they’re richer!” Kinzinger wrote. “Super in touch with the people!”
One pretended not to have gone to the island, the other pretended he didn’t ask to go to the island. pic.twitter.com/xDm88BuTxE — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 27, 2026
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