Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) battled again on social media Thursday in a potential sneak-preview of the 2026 gubernatorial race, this time over the Epstein files.
Hochul kicked the feud off by demanding the Trump administration release the Epstein files and accusing Stefanik of helping Trump cover them up. The president has called them a “hoax” after pledging to release them.
“New Yorkers want the truth,” Hochul posted on X. “@EliseStefanik would rather help Donald Trump cover it up. Release the Epstein files.”
The governor was responding to Stefanik’s claim that the Wall Street Journal‘s reporting on President Donald Trump sending a birthday letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 was false.
“The mainstream media clearly thinks the American people are stupid. This lame hit piece is so circa-2017,” she said in a post on X. “This is clearly NOT President @realDonaldTrump and is a sick made up hoax meant to weaponize a serious pedophile prosecution against the Left’s arch nemesis. This is a newly hatched desperate Trump Derangement Scheme since this would have been leaked years ago had it been real. Make America Great Again & Save New York,” she concluded.
The letter reportedly featured Trump drawing a lewd picture of a woman with an imagined conversation between Trump and Epstein within it. In the conversation, Trump says they have “certain things in common.”
Stefanik believes Hochul has plenty of other files to release, including documents on the COVID-19 nursing home death scandal and allegations Hochul rigged the bidding process to oversee the state’s Medicaid program.
“New Yorkers want the truth from the Worst Governor in America @KathyHochul,” Stefanik posted on X.
“RELEASE THE FATAL NURSING HOME SCANDAL FILES, RELEASE THE SEXUAL ASSAULT FILES, RELEASE THE HOCHUL MEDICAID CORRUPTION FILES, RELEASE THE FILES ON THE ILLEGAL BAILOUT FOR TISH JAMES CORRUPTION & STOP RELEASING ILLEGALS AND CRIMINALS,” she added.
STEFANIK HITS BACK AT HOCHUL AS SHE MULLS GUBERNATORIAL BID: ‘WELCOME TO THE FIGHT’
Stefanik has not formally declared a bid for governor, but has hinted at one numerous times. Her state’s Democratic party is slamming Stefanik for not calling to release the Epstein files. Her office did not answer an inquiry from the Washington Examiner asking if she would call to release the files.
“Elise Stefanik is refusing to call for the Epstein files to be released because she would rather help Donald Trump bury a scandal than give New Yorkers the truth,” New York State Democratic Party Spokesperson Addison Dick told the Washington Examiner. “Stefanik can’t explain why she voted to block the Epstein files from being released, which is only leaving New Yorkers with more questions about what she’s so desperate to hide.”