President Trump is finding it harder and harder to outrun the political storm swirling around the Epstein files.
Just weeks ago, Republicans were riding high after passing Trump’s signature One Big, Beautiful Bill. But that victory lap has been cut short by a messy internal rift over Epstein, especially after the Department of Justice declared that there’s no hidden “client list” tied to the disgraced financier.
Trump has urged his party to move on, but the controversy refuses to die down — reportedly leaving him “furious.” Even his push to unseal transcripts from the Epstein grand jury hit a wall this week when a federal judge in Florida declined the request.
Just how precarious is this moment for the president? “This is a category five, full-on freakout that Donald Trump is going through right now,” says former CNN anchor Jim Acosta.
The story was moving fast and furious as Katie geared up for the latest episode of her new show on Substack Live, so she went deep on the latest with Acosta and attorney-slash-TikTok creator Aaron Parnas. Here’s more on what’s been happening, along with some of the biggest takeaways from their riveting conversation.
Bombshell WSJ Report
Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Trump back in May that his name appeared multiple times in Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein, according to senior administration officials cited by The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. That revelation appears to directly contradict Trump’s claim just last week that Bondi had never told him he was mentioned in the files.
While being named in the records doesn’t necessarily equate to wrongdoing, the White House quickly tried to shut it down. Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed the report as “fake news.”
Still, the Journal’s latest scoop adds fuel to what’s becoming a full-blown political crisis for Trump. Just last week, the paper reported that he sent Epstein a “bawdy” birthday message in 2003 that ended with: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” Trump has denied writing it.
Acosta didn’t hold back: “This is a major scandal that’s unfolding,” he said, adding that it “directly threatens the future of [Trump’s] presidency.”
“We have an old-fashioned Washington cover-up going on, and reporters have a duty at this point to start asking these questions,” he continued. As for what those questions include, Acosta says one of the biggest is this: “To what extent is your name in the Epstein files?”
What’s next?
The Justice Department says it plans to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 and is currently serving a 20-year sentence. A House committee has already subpoenaed her for testimony.
“I anticipate meeting with Ms. Maxwell in the coming days,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement early Tuesday. “Until now, no administration on behalf of the Department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government. That changes now.”
Earlier this year, Maxwell asked the Supreme Court to review her case, arguing that a 2007 non-prosecution agreement between Epstein and federal prosecutors should also protect her from charges nationwide. But the Justice Department pushed back, saying the deal applied only to the Southern District of Florida — and that Maxwell wasn’t even named as a beneficiary.
Even as the DOJ turns to Maxwell for answers, some Republicans aren’t convinced she’s a reliable narrator. Johnson and other Republicans sought to downplay the development on Wednesday, casting doubt on Maxwell’s credibility and questioning whether she can “be counted on to tell the truth.”
That skepticism isn’t limited to Capitol Hill. Parnas has doubts, too, he tells Katie: “I don’t know if this meeting will even ever happen. We may never even hear about whether it happens or not.”
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly pulled the plug on this week’s legislative session, sending lawmakers home early for the summer — a move widely seen as an effort to dodge a showdown over the Epstein files. The decision effectively shuts down any immediate chance for Democrats to force procedural votes demanding the Justice Department release more information, at least for now.
Still, a House Oversight subcommittee voted Wednesday to subpoena the DOJ for the records, though Parnas is skeptical it will lead to any meaningful answers.
“Unfortunately, it’s kind of this circular situation where there’s really not much Congress can do here other than some performative actions, which they will do,” says Parnas. “I just don’t think it’ll get anywhere.”
One thing’s for sure: This story shows zero signs of slowing down. For more expert insights on what’s happened and what it all means, check out Katie’s full Substack Live conversation here:
