Even President Donald Trump doesn’t seem to think his angry and chaotic efforts to end the renewed storm over convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will work.

He—the president, their leader, the martyr who had endured scandals and prosecution and an assassin’s bullet on their behalf—had repeatedly told them it was time to move on, and that alone should suffice. Why, he groused, would the White House add fuel to the fire, would it play into the media’s narrative?

The president appeared to stop abruptly to yell "turn it off" to an individual off-screen. His face had visibly dropped into a grimace-

A Wall Street Journal report late Thursday added new scrutiny to President Donald Trump’s relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Rekindled public interest in Jeffrey Epstein, and President Donald Trump’s frustration with the topic, followed the July 7 release of a DOJ memo announcing that the agency found “no incriminating ‘client list’” even after the administration had alluded to its existence.

The president’s request on Thursday to attorney general Pam Bondi to seek the records came hours after the Wall Street Journal reported on a 50th birthday greeting to Epstein that Trump allegedly sent in 2003 that included a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to secrets they shared.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged the Justice Department to release all Jeffrey Epstein documents, a move that contrasts with ally Donald Trump's stance. This call follows criticism of Trump's administration for its handling of the case.

It’s the story that continues to grip Washington: the Trump administration’s handling of the so-called Epstein files. The potential ripple effects could be significant. Trump’s lawsuit could become the most important legal clash yet between Trump and the press,