During his remarks, Trump asked Bondi if she felt like answering the reporter's question. "I don't mind answering," the attorney general replied. When the president finished speaking, Bondi addressed the reporter and cited an interview she did with Fox News in February, which she said had "been getting a lot of attention."

The Epstein affair had the hallmarks of a conspiracy theory. He was a rich financier with a Jewish surname and powerful acquaintances, including Bill Clinton, a former president, and Prince Andrew, a British royal.

White House officials are dismissing the chances of a revolt in his base over the announcement that there are no developments in the case of Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier accused of sex trafficking minors.