A military flyover near the U.S. Capitol briefly drowned out remarks during a news conference Tuesday where women who say they were abused by financier Jeffrey Epstein urged Congress to release previously sealed files related to his case.

The flyover, featuring four F-35 Lightning II and four F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, occurred shortly before 11:30 a.m., roughly half an hour after the scheduled start of the news conference as President Donald Trump met at the White House with newly elected Polish President Karol Nawrocki.

Several attendees at the event, which included accusers from the United States and abroad, looked up as the jets roared overhead. One speaker, Anouska De Georgiou, stopped mid-sentence and raised her arm while the noise made it difficult to be heard. Other participants appeared startled by the sudden sound.

The U.S. Capitol Police issued an alert in advance saying the aircraft would be conducting an authorized flight near the Capitol complex at about 11 a.m. and warned the public the jets would be flying at low altitude and would be noticeable on the ground. The notification said the command center would monitor the flight and maintain situational awareness throughout the event.

The White House said the flyover was intended to honor a Polish army pilot who died in a recent training exercise and to "celebrate the special relationship between our two countries." A White House video posted on the social platform X showed Trump and Nawrocki outside the White House looking skyward as the aircraft performed a "missing man" formation, in which one aircraft breaks away to commemorate the fallen pilot.

The timing prompted criticism from some lawmakers and observers who questioned whether the flights were coordinated to coincide with the news conference. Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., said the flyover was an effort to "silence victims." Former U.S. counterterrorism official Malcolm Nance posted on X, "Who authorized fighter jets to fly by the Capitol at that very moment?!"

Amber Woods, an attendee who has been working with victims, called the flyover "disrespectful," saying some of the women were in tears or shaking and that no security was provided for the conference.

The White House did not immediately respond when asked who ordered the flights or whether officials were aware of the timing of the news conference. The White House statement did not address the coincidence question beyond describing the flyover's purpose.

The news conference was part of renewed pressure on Congress to make public a large trove of files from the Justice Department and court proceedings related to Epstein and his associates. Many details in those records remain sealed, and survivors and their advocates have urged congressional leaders to release them so the full scope of the case can be more widely understood.

Epstein, who had pleaded not guilty to sex-trafficking charges, died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019. His death and the handling of related investigations and prosecutions have remained a subject of public scrutiny and litigation.

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Jeffrey Epstein, Donald trump