Before Donald Trump returned to the White House, Fox News hosts Jesse Watters and Will Cain vocally supported calls for the government to release files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, even calling out Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), who supposedly blocked access to Epstein’s flight logs. However, in true Fox News fashion, Watters and Cain pivoted to dismissing the importance of Trump releasing the Epstein files after his administration reversed course on doing so.

Jesse Watters and Will Cain have recently dismissed the importance of Trump releasing the Epstein files

Regarding Democrats pressing Trump to release the Epstein files, host Will Cain said: “There is no doubt, by the way, this is political opportunism from the left.” He added, “It is a hoax to try to tie Donald Trump to something coming from the left.” [Fox News, The Will Cain Show, 7/17/25]
Host Jesse Watters: “If Trump is the dangerous dictator shredding our Constitution like the Democrats say he is, why are they so focused on the Epstein files of all things?” He continued, “The left doesn’t care about Epstein. They never have.” Watters concluded, “There’s nothing righteous about what the Democrats are asking for. It’s just another political attack.” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 7/17/25]
Watters instructed his viewers: “Don’t take the bait” on the Epstein story. He claimed that Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is “trying to make Epstein the new Russia.” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 7/24/25]
Responding to the argument that Trump deployed the National Guard in Washington, D.C., to distract from the Epstein scandal, Cain said the Epstein files are “something that apparently not very many people are interested in.” [Fox News, The Will Cain Show, 8/12/25]

Previously, Watters and Cain called for or supported the release of Epstein files

After Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty for child sex trafficking in connection with Epstein, Cain said it would be “an injustice if this is the end of the story … because clearly she was trafficking these young women to other people” and claimed the prosecution “has shown very little interest — in fact, they’ve discouraged any names coming out in this trial.” Cain continued: “With everything found in his apartment … will we get those names? … Will we pursue that next step in justice? ” [CNN, 12/29/21; Fox News, Tucker Carlson Tonight, 12/29/21]
Watters: “Epstein had dirt on a lot … of powerful people” and “he’s been dead for four years, but for some reason, the government keeps blocking the client list.” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 12/1/23]
Watters: “Why would Sen. Dick Durbin be running interference for a dead pedophile?” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 12/5/23]
Watters threatened to “make Durbin’s life in 2024 a living hell if he continues to protect a dead pedophile.” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 12/13/23]
Watters: “Powerful people want to keep the public from knowing this information. … Who protects a dead pedophile when children are raped?” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 12/14/23]