Jeffrey Epstein, left, pictured alongside President Donald Trump at 2025's State of the Union. (Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty Images; Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Robson recalled being "destroyed" by guilt for years afterward.
When asked about why he had selected Robson as his guest on Tuesday, Khanna's office referred Fox News Digital to an online statement.
"Haley Robson was 16 years old when she survived Epstein's abuse. This campaign to malign her and the other survivors on the night of the State of the Union is shameful. Attack me all you want. Do not attack the survivors," Khanna said. "I am honored to bring [her] as my guest to Trump’s State of the Union. Their courage moved a nation."
Robson herself could not be reached for comment.
Top Democrats in Congress are attempting to needle President Donald Trump by bringing Epstein victims as guests to the State of the Union on Tuesday evening, putting pressure on an area of public dissatisfaction and continuing the ways lawmakers have advanced political storylines through the address in years past.
Findings from January indicate that fifty percent of the public are dissatisfied with the way the government has handled the Epstein case, according to polling by SSRS, a political polling group.
Another poll put out by IPSOS, a public opinion research firm, found that 75% of the public believes the government is still hiding secrets from the public about Epstein’s dealings.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump stands at the podium during his State of the Union address on January 30, 2018. (Win McNamee/REUTERS)
In the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, Democrats invited officers who had defended the building against protesters, while Republicans invited the innocent family members of those caught in the costly legal crossfire of the fallout.
Although those appearances generated headlines and underscored key political themes, Khanna hopes to continue the public pressure on Epstein will do something more.
He wants prosecutions.
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"Former Prince Andrew PrinceAndrew is being investigated and prosecuted in Britain. In Norway, they are prosecuting a former prime minister. In France, they’re investigating government officials and business leaders," Khanna said.
"It’s time for the Department of Justice to begin investigations and prosecutions," he added.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ro-khannas-state-union-guest-recruited-over-20-underage-girls-epstein