He—the president, their leader, the martyr who had endured scandals and prosecution and an assassin’s bullet on their behalf—had repeatedly told them it was time to move on, and that alone should suffice. Why, he groused, would the White House add fuel to the fire, would it play into the media’s narrative?

The Justice Department this week fired Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor in New York who was involved in cases against Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Some Republicans have called for the appointment of a special counsel, as MAGA allies have raged over the handling of the Epstein investigation.