Steven Cheung uses slur against Ro Khanna in fight over unredacted Epstein files

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung used a disability slur on X to attack Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) during a dispute over the release of FBI files tied to Jeffrey Epstein.

Cheung also targeted Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) writing that the two were “some of the dumbest retards ever to be in Congress” and accusing them of having “ruined the lives of innocent people.” The post came after Khanna and Massie pushed for the full, unredacted release of Epstein-related records that had previously been partially withheld.

Khanna and Massie recently reviewed unredacted Epstein-related materials at the Department of Justice in a secure setting after raising concerns about the scope of prior redactions. Following that review, Khanna read six names into the Congressional Record on Feb. 10, identifying individuals whose names had not appeared in earlier public disclosures.

On the House floor, Khanna said, “Now my question is: why did it take Thomas Massie and me going to the Justice Department to get these six men’s identities to become public? And if we found six men that they were hiding in two hours, imagine how many men they are covering up for in those 3 million files.” He and Massie have argued that earlier releases limited public understanding of the government’s handling of Epstein’s investigation.

Cheung’s post came amid criticism from some commentators who argued that at least some of the names publicly cited by lawmakers were included in investigative materials such as photo arrays and did not necessarily indicate criminal involvement. In his post, Cheung wrote that Khanna and Massie had “knowingly and willfully ruined the lives of innocent people who had nothing to do with Epstein.”

The term Cheung used is widely recognized as a derogatory slur directed at people with intellectual disabilities. As of publication, the White House had not issued a formal statement clarifying or retracting the language used in the post.

While Khanna did not issue a direct response to Cheung’s remarks, Massie, posted a reply on X on Feb. 14, “Sorry about your Sultan bro,” sharing a screenshot of a Wall Street Journal article reporting that Dubai-based executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem had resigned from DP World after being identified in Epstein-related Justice Department documents.