The White House is pushing back after Reacher star Alan Ritchson delivered a blistering, expletive-filled critique of Washington’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
In a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended President Trump directly. She argued that Trump “has been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein,” and pointed to a list of actions the administration says proves it: releasing thousands of pages of documents, complying with a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee, signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and pressing for further investigations into what she described as Epstein’s Democratic associates. According to Jackson, no previous president has done more for Epstein’s victims.
Jackson also turned the spotlight on the other side of the aisle, naming Democratic figures Hakeem Jeffries and Stacey Plaskett and questioning why they had sought money and meetings from Epstein after his sex-offender conviction.
The response landed a day after Ritchson aired his frustrations on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with host Josh Horowitz. The actor acknowledged that some people view him as “a loose cannon,” but insisted he’s simply voicing what he believes others are too afraid to say. He urged the public to stop deferring to the powerful and to recognize their own strength in numbers.
Ritchson recalled a previous conversation on the Armchair Expert podcast, hosted by Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, where Shepard encouraged him to “let go” of his anger. Ritchson said he rejected that advice, arguing that more people should feel the same outrage he does.
He reserved his sharpest words for the Epstein documents themselves, demanding to know why files mandated by law hadn’t been made fully public and vowing that he’d release them “in two seconds” if given the chance. Ritchson, who identifies as a Christian, even paused mid-rant to note that his own profanity might raise eyebrows among fellow believers — before insisting the situation warranted it. Without naming the individual, he took a pointed swipe at a politician he described as holding immense power, invoking references to nuclear authority and allegations involving minors.
The actor framed his politics around empathy for the overlooked. He said he cares deeply about people who are forgotten, unwanted, and treated unfairly, and believes many politicians have “lost the plot.” Ritchson added that he’s been working with an ADHD coach who has helped him channel the contempt he feels toward injustice into something more constructive — an effort that, he said, now shapes his worldview.
Elsewhere in the interview, Ritchson touched on lighter territory, discussing his friendship with action legend and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, his co-star in the holiday film The Man with the Bag. According to Ritchson, Schwarzenegger has encouraged him to consider a political career. Ritchson hasn’t ruled it out but says he isn’t ready to step away from acting just yet, suggesting a run could come once he feels “well resourced” or “visible enough” to make a real difference. He was most recently seen at the Motor City premiere on July 13.
By Marcus Ellery | Politics & Entertainment