Mike Johnson on the Epstein case: "It's not a hoax"

• The president has repeatedly described the case as a "hoax," as pressure builds on his administration to release more files after it concluded there's no evidence of an Epstein "client list" nor that the disgraced financier's 2019 death in a New York prison cell was anything other than suicide.

Driving the news: "It's not a hoax. Of course not," Johnson said after CBS' Major Garrett asked him to clarify the matter.

• "There are real victims here," said Johnson, noting the issue was a delicate one.
• "I tried to explain in my press conference this week, man, we want full disclosure. If I had these things in my possession, I would have put them out a long time ago, but I would also have been very careful to protect the innocent," he added.

State of play: Johnson last week joined the chorus of Trump-friendly voices urging the administration to release the Epstein files.

• The speaker has also faced scrutiny after the House left a day early for a five-week summer recess after tensions erupted over efforts to force the release of the files.
• Just before the recess, a Republican-led House subcommittee on Wednesday passed a Democrat's motion to subpoena the DOJ's documents on Epstein.

• "We want full transparency," Johnson said on CBS' "The Takeout with Major Garrett."
• "We want everybody who is involved in any way with the Epstein evils — let's call it what it was — to be brought to justice as quickly as possible. We want the full weight of the law on their heads."

More from Axios:

• "Such bulls**t": Not every Democrat wants to talk about Epstein
• Judge denies Trump request to release Epstein transcripts in Florida
• Deputy attorney general meets with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell