Trump has repeatedly denied prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and claimed he cut off their relationship long ago. For a president skilled at manipulating the media and controlling the Republican Party, it has been the most challenging test of his ability to shift the conversation in his second term.

Here’s how Donald Trump’s position on Jeffrey Epstein has changed over the year, and how the fallout over the Epstein files poses a particular challenge for him.

Ghislaine Maxwell’s interview with DOJ prosecutors has sparked questions about whether the Trump administration could leverage a pardon to get her to exonerate Trump.