As the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case files continue to trickle in from the Justice Department under Congressional mandate, allies around President Donald Trump are scrambling for a narrative to reassert control of the conversation, CNN reported on Wednesday — and they can't figure out what to do.
"When the Justice Department released a first batch of Jeffrey Epstein files on Friday that included photographs of former President Bill Clinton, White House officials raced to amplify the importance of the new documents," said the report. "But days later, amid a second trove that contains several references to President Donald Trump, the White House is pushing a different view: Don’t believe everything you see."
One of the most prominent cases was the release of a purported letter from Epstein to fellow sex offender convict Larry Nassar, lamenting that Trump shared their love of young girls but hasn't faced any consequences. The DOJ proclaimed this message was determined to be fake because it was postmarked just after Epstein's death — which only raised further questions from observers why it wasn't vetted before it was released, and whether, if it is indeed fake, it was strategically released to discredit other revelations about Trump.
"The messaging shift — the latest in a largely unsuccessful effort by the administration to seize control of the story — has spawned frustration in Trump’s orbit and parts of the White House, where some saw the scrambled response over the last few days as just the latest stumble in a year of Epstein-related blunders and baffling communications mishaps," said the report.
One GOP strategist, Matthew Barlett, told CNN, “It’s just been confusing and compounding. It’s perpetuated this news cycle, continues to give the White House and administration a massive headache of their own making, and I don’t see any remedy any time soon.”
Trump, who initially tried to pressure Republicans against voting to release the Epstein files but relented as it became clear they had the votes, is reportedly enraged that the news cycle continues to dwell on the issue.