Trump Fumes As Epstein Scandal Dominates Headlines, Overshadows Agenda

download — Poster of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell from July 2020 (AP Photo/John Minchillo, FILE)

By Emily Davies, Perry Stein, Jeremy Roebuck and Kadia Goba

President Donald Trump is increasingly frustrated with how his administration’s handling of the furor around the Jeffrey Epstein files has dominated the news and overshadowed his agenda, said two people familiar with his thinking.

His exasperation follows weeks of missteps and no clear strategy among top officials who underestimated the outrage, especially from the president’s base, and hoped the country would forget about the unreleased Epstein files and move on, according to nearly a dozen people close to the situation, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose internal deliberations.

“This is a pretty substantial distraction,” said one person close to the situation. “While many are trying to keep the unity, in many ways, the DOJ and the FBI are breaking at the seams. Many are wondering how sustainable this is going to be for all the parties involved — be it the FBI director or attorney general.”

Despite his frustration, Trump has been hesitant to make personnel changes, according to another person close to the president: “He does not want to create a bigger spectacle by firing anyone,” this person said.

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