In 2007, while Bush was president, federal investigators at the FBI and U.S. attorney's office prepared to indict Epstein, but negotiations between Epstein’s lawyers and the U.S. attorney's office in Florida’s Southern District led by Alexander Acosta resulted in a secret deal that let Epstein avoid federal charges.

With US president Donald Trump continuing to face pressure over his administration’s handling of the Epstein files – something he claims is a “hoax” orchestrated by Democrats – critics of the Republican are now seeing any other flippant remark from the convicted felon as a “desperate” attempt to change the subject.