The president is digging in his heels on the issue even as his most fervent supporters turn against his stance on the convicted pedophile who was once his close friend.

President Donald Trump has a message for MAGA supporters upset with his handling of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein: They are "weaklings" and he doesn't need them.

Like sex trafficking panic more broadly, the Epstein files are a useful political tool—as long as they remain hidden.

United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the Department of Justice should release all “credible” information from its probe into notorious sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein as he sought to douse a firestorm of criticism from his supporters over his handling of the case.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., introduced an amendment to a cryptocurrency bill set for a House vote this week that would compel Attorney General Pam Bondi to "retain, preserve and compile" Epstein-related records and release them within 30 days.

After President Trump urged a rattled MAGA base to not "waste [t]ime" on the Jeffrey Epstein case, some are softening their tones. But others still have their teeth sunk in the storyline. The big picture: Trump-world influencers and the president's base were blindsided by the Justice Department and FBI's conclusions that the disgraced financier did not have a "client list" and died by suicide,

Right-wing influencers now have to choose between authenticity to their brand, and their loyalty to Trump.

President Trump expressed bewilderment at interest in the Jeffrey Epstein case as MAGA voices press for the full release of more files.