Jeffrey Epstein’s distress led to strange discussions in the Situation Room, according to a book.

Discussion Among Trump’s Top Advisers on Epstein Case

In July, President Donald Trump’s senior advisors gathered in the White House Situation Room to address public concerns regarding a memo from the Justice Department and FBI, which stated that further disclosure of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein would not be allowed.

The meeting, held on July 17, included Vice President J.D. Vance, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and other senior officials. Notably, FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi participated remotely, according to a forthcoming book by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, titled “Regime Change: Inside the Donald Trump Empire.”

This meeting came just over a week after the memo triggered significant backlash, even from some of Trump’s allies. It was also shortly after the president had dismissed the public’s interest in Epstein, expressing disbelief at a Cabinet meeting, saying, “People are still talking about this guy? Is this creepy? I can’t believe it.”

During the meeting, Mr. Vance attempted to ease the tension by suggesting that former Fox News host Tucker Carlson should interview Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell in prison. The idea was to publicly establish Trump’s innocence in the ongoing controversy.

All this unfolded as Vance advocated for full transparency to counter conspiracy theories suggesting Trump may have had inappropriate relationships with women and girls during his past connections with Epstein.

However, despite Vance’s suggestions not swaying others in the room, Blanche later traveled to Florida to meet with Maxwell for discussions about the case.

Trump himself eventually shifted his stance on the transparency law, which led to the Justice Department releasing a variety of documents starting in December, some of which included unverified claims about Trump.

Some Trump aides raised concerns regarding White House Counsel David Warrington’s idea to pardon Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence. Communications director Stephen Chan remarked that “pardoning girl trafficker Maxwell would create a huge PR problem,” with Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair agreeing that there was “nothing to offer Ghislaine Maxwell.”

Further discussion revealed hesitations about the potential implications of a pardon. Some worried it would undermine any positive sentiments about the administration and feed into existing conspiracy theories.

The meeting also highlighted growing tensions within the Trump administration regarding the Epstein files. Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino were particularly critical of Bondi’s handling, to the point they suggested his job might be at risk due to his comments surrounding the potential for major disclosures.

Bongino confronted Bondi on the day the memo was released, accusing him of fabricating the situation. Their disputes reached a boiling point, leading to Bongino storming out of a meeting with Wiles shortly after, although he eventually agreed to remain in his role until January 3, 2026.

In response to the situation, White House press secretary Abigail Jackson stated that excerpts from the book further validate President Trump’s innocence regarding any Epstein-related controversies.

Jackson maintained that the president had taken significant steps to aid Epstein’s victims, including complying with subpoenas and supporting the Epstein File Transparency Act. She also questioned the motives of Democratic congressmen who had interacted with Epstein in the past.