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?

President Trump is attempting to shift the narrative, blaming Democrats for not releasing the Epstein files when they were in office. NBC News’ Melanie Zanona reports more from Capitol Hill. Former Gov.