The New York Times also published a photo of Trump and the sex offender financier posing with singer James Brown.

Yet as Trump has backed away from his promises of disclosure on Epstein, Maga commentators have started to turn on him. The disgraced former general Mike Flynn, a sometime ally who has become a political commentator, posted on social media reminding the president – in capital letters – that the “EPSTEIN AFFAIR IS NOT GOING AWAY”.

The intensifying focus on Ghislaine Maxwell represents the latest turn in a winding case that has long been a focus of conspiracy theorists.

We don’t yet know the full story of the Trump administration’s sudden reluctance to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. Its reversal appears to have coincided with the president being told his name appeared in the files,

“He told me he has like 15 or 16 hours of videotape of Jeff,” said Epstein’s brother Mark in an interview with NBC earlier this month, adding he had met with Bannon after Epstein’s death and asked to see the tapes. “He was trying to help Jeff rehabilitate his reputation.”

Seth takes a closer look at Donald Trump hanging up on CNN after they asked him questions about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Mark Halperin argued Donald Trump "shouldn't be making decisions" about the Jeffrey Epstein case, citing the fact that Trump and Epstein were "close friends."