The president is expected to sign into law Friday a package of cuts passed by Congress late Thursday night but the talk in Washington is still dominated by the Epstein files and how the president is responding to the controversy.

The FBI and DOJ said they do not plan to make future public disclosures related to their review of Epstein's case, stoking outrage among Trump's most vocal supporters.

President Trump promised a lawsuit after The Wall Street Journal described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album for Epstein’s 50th birthday.

The Trump administration's handling of what are known as the Epstein files has been creating a firestorm within the president's MAGA base. NPR recaps a timeline of the controversy.

The controversy over the Jeffrey Epstein files has consumed Washington, D.C. and taken over Capitol Hill, as lawmakers and the public demand the full release of the Epstein files and answers for the administration's alleged 'coverup.

No doubt for mainstream-media readers, the Epstein rift came out of nowhere,” said a New York Times reporter. “We had not established how important this story was to a good chunk of the MAGA base.” A political reporter at a rival publication added,

After Trump described the Epstein saga as a "hoax," Musk wrote: "Wow I can’t believe Epstein killed himself before realizing it was all a hoax."

As many Democrats call for the release of the files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged caution in a Thursday morning interview. “This is a