California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) expressed his enjoyment in seeing the frustration President Trump and his allies are experiencing over the administration's handling of information related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. "Epstein and Trump were close," Newsom told host Steven Bartlett on a Thursdayepisode of"The Diary Of A CEO" podcast. "They were — wasn't just a few photographs. They were close. That's a fact. Sorry, Donald, just a fact. So look, I get why this outrages folks. I think it's interesting. It's outraged some of the core base, I enjoy the hell out of it." Trump and his administration have recently been facing heat from both sides of the aisle over Epstein's case, with the saga also causing chaos in Congress. On Wednesday, the House broke for its weeks-long August recess, shutting down aday earlier than plannedas the chamber was stuck in a logjam over the Epstein controversy. Democrats across the ideological spectrum of the party have seized on the Epstein controversy in an intense fashion, withmembers rangingfrom moderates like Reps. Gil Cisneros (D-Calf.) toprogressives likeRep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), offering their critical commentary on the matter. "It's the first day of House Republicans fleeing town for their Epstein Recess. They high tailed it out of here hoping to hide the story. But the story is growing louder by the hour with Trump and the administration's lies," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a Thursdaypost on the socialplatform X. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.