The leading role the former “first buddy” took in stoking the Epstein controversy shows how he remains a potent political risk for Trump months after he publicly left the White House.

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.

If doing irreparable damage to Donald Trump was on Elon Musk's mind when he posted his infamous attack on the president where he stated the president "is in the Epstein files," he certainly got his wish,

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.

The Trump Administration has tried—and failed—to put tensions over its handling of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's case to bed for weeks. But they’ve only continued to escalate as news outlets have reported new information related to President Donald Trump’s years-long relationship with Epstein and potential inclusion in files related to the case.