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”.

Here is a timeline of Epstein and Trump’s relationship. Though it is not known when Epstein and Trump first met, Trump told New York magazine in 2002 that he had known Epstein for 15 years, which would date back to the late 1980s. “Terrific guy,” Trump said in the 2002 interview.

The leading role the former “first buddy” took in stoking the Epstein controversy shows how he remains a potent political risk for Trump months after he publicly left the White House.

A resurfaced video of Jeffery Epstein from a 2010 deposition is raising more questions about his relationship with President Trump. MSNBC’s Antonia Hylton reports and is joined by Barry Levine, author of “The Spider: Inside the Criminal Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The two socialized together frequently in New York City and Palm Beach from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. In 2002, Trump praised Epstein to a reporter as a “terrific guy” — and curiously added that he “likes beautiful women” on “the younger side.”

As Trump continues to spar with parts of his political base over his handling of the Epstein files, attention is turning to the relationship between the two men. John Yang speaks with New York Times White House correspondent Luke Broadwater,

A year ago, we scrubbed the public record. Here are our updated findings. “It’s all been a hoax that’s perpetrated by the Democrats. And some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net.”

His towering buildings and cash attracted many figures within the city. Jeffrey Epstein eventually found his way to Trump too.

Some of MAGA’s most prominent voices say that Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years for sex trafficking girls for Epstein, has inside knowledge that would help law enforcement bring untold elites to justice.

Donald Trump's past ties with Jeffrey Epstein are under scrutiny after the US president slammed a Wall Street Journal report that he sent a lewd letter to the infamous sex offender as "fake news."AFP looks at the pair's relationship as the Trump administration also faces demands to release all government files on Epstein's alleged crimes and his death.

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