Howard Lutnick's attempt to flaunt 'Trump Gold Card' backfires as Epstein ties resurface

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick took to social media Sunday evening to show off an image of the administration’s Trump Gold Card, the visa program for wealthy immigrants, but was soon swarmed with reminders of his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Posting on the social media platform X, Lutnick shared a single image of who appears to be President Donald Trump holding up the Trump Gold Card, which officially launched in September, costs between $1 million and $5 million, and grants holders permanent resident status and a pathway to full U.S. citizenship.

“If only they cared half as much about justice for Epstein's victims,” wrote MeidasTouch co-founder Brett Meiselas in response, a reminder of Epstein survivors' outrage at the Trump administration’s Justice Department for mistakenly exposing their identities, as well as the lack of prosecutions for potential Epstein co-conspirators.

Simon Goddek, a prominent influencer and biotechnologist, responded with an edited version of Lutnick’s image altered with generative artificial intelligence to replace Trump’s image with that of Epstein’s, along with the caption, “You lost your card, sir.”

Andy Bloch, the MIT and Harvard Law School graduate and professional poker player, also responded by sharing an edited version of Lutnick’s image, instead replacing the “Trump Gold Card” with the birthday letter Trump allegedly sent Epstein for his 50th birthday.

Investigative journalist Jamie Satterfield noted that Trump’s signature seen on the image of the “Trump Gold Card” shared by Lutnick was near-identical to the Trump signature seen on the alleged birthday letter, and the prominent conservative social media brand “Republicans against Trump” wrote to their more than 1 million followers a list of what they argued were Lutnick’s and the administration’s misplaced priorities.

“Lower prices? Nope. Affordable health care? Nope,” reads the social media post from the prominent conservative account. “The Trump administration is busy selling $5 million “Gold Cards” to Russian, Chinese, and Saudi oligarchs. That’s apparently the priority.”

Lutnick previously claimed he had cut off all ties with Epstein in 2005 before being exposed earlier this year for having maintained contact with the disgraced financier through at least 2018. He also claimed last year that at least 1,000 Gold Cards had been sold, only to be forced to admit in April while testifying under oath that only one had been sold.