US President Donald Trump has said the Jeffrey Epstein files are just a hoax, however he said the Justice Department should release all "credible" information from its probe into the convicted pedophile.
Mr Trump attacked fellow Republicans critical of his administration's handling of the case.
On social media and in the Oval Office, Mr Trump lashed out at allies he said were falling for a "hoax" pushed by Democrats, who "unlike Republicans...stick together like glue".
Mr Trump is facing the most serious split of his political career from his right-wing base over suspicions that his administration is covering up details of Epstein's crimes to protect rich and powerful figures they say are implicated.
'All a hoax' - Trump on Epstein case
"It's all been a big hoax," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
"It's perpetrated by the Democrats and some stupid Republicans, and foolish Republicans fall into the net and so they try and do the Democrats' work."
On Truth Social earlier in the day, Mr Trump said of Republicans raising concerns about the case: "Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!"
"The attorney general has handled that very well," the Republican president said of Pam Bondi, who leads the Justice Department, when he was asked about the case at the White House.
Mr Trump repeated his claim that the Epstein files were "made up" by his Democratic predecessors in the White House - even though he said multiple times during the election campaign that he would "probably" release them.
"She's handled it very well and it's going to be up to her," the president said.
"Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release," he added.
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"I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody," Mr Trump told reporters last night, adding: "It's pretty boring stuff."
The president's Make America Great Again movement has long held as an article of faith that so-called "deep state" individuals are protecting Epstein's most powerful associates in the Democratic Party and Hollywood.
Mr Trump has faced growing outrage since his administration effectively shut down Epstein-related conspiracy theories, which have become MAGA obsessions.
The Justice Department and FBI said in a memo made public earlier this month there is no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a "client list" or was blackmailing powerful figures.
They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his death by suicide, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe.
It marked the first time Mr Trump's officials had publicly rejected the stories - pushed for years by numerous right-wing figures, notably including the FBI's top two officials, before Mr Trump hired them.
Beyond angering supporters, the issue has opened a schism within his administration, sparking a confrontation between Ms Bondi and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who is said to be considering resigning.
Mr Trump's attempts to pacify the controversy have largely failed, with far-right influencers continuing to criticise him online.
Even his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, a Fox News host, has called for "more transparency" from the administration.
Mr Trump's most powerful ally in the US Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson, pushed yesterday for the administration to release more information about the case and his stance has been echoed by multiple Republicans.
"We should put everything out there and let the people decide," he told MAGA influencer Benny Johnson's internet show.
He called on Ms Bondi to "come forward and explain" apparent discrepancies in her statements about the case.
Ms Bondi told Fox News in February a list of Epstein clients was on her desk for review, before backtracking and saying that no such list existed.
Epstein was found to have died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking.
Mr Trump, who has denied visiting the US Virgin Islands home where prosecutors say Epstein sex trafficked underage girls, said ahead of his election he would have "no problem" releasing files related to the case.
Asked whether Ms Bondi had told him if his name appeared in a file related to Epstein, Mr Trump said "no".
He added that Ms Bondi has "given us just a very quick briefing".
