A new book, ‘Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump’, reveals that President Donald Trump and his team were privately obsessed with the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, despite public dismissals. The book, written by New York Times correspondents Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, is based on three years of reporting and includes an hour-long interview with Trump.

Private Meetings and Concerns

According to the book, Trump and his team held private meetings in the Situation Room to discuss the Epstein scandal, with Vice President JD Vance arguing that more detailed allegations about Trump would surface eventually. Some officials, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, believed that Vance was a conspiracy theorist. However, Vance’s concerns were later proven right.

The book also reveals that Trump’s team debated whether to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s enabler, who is now serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking of a minor. Communications Director Steven Cheung warned that pardoning Maxwell would create a huge public relations problem.

Trump’s Public Stance

Despite the private concerns, Trump publicly downplayed the Epstein scandal, calling it a ‘SCAM’ and a ‘hoax’ by Democrats. However, his private frustrations continued to grow, with some officials describing the discussions as ‘surreal’. Trump’s pollster, Tony Fabrizio, found that the Epstein files were the sixth most important issue named by focus groups, with many voters expressing negative views on the matter.

The book’s publication is likely to add further fuel to the fire, with Trump’s team already facing criticism for their handling of the Epstein scandal. The story has also drawn attention to the issue of sex trafficking and the need for greater transparency and accountability.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.