The US president and his top allies stoked conspiracy theories about late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s death before Trump returned to power and are now struggling to manage the fallout after the Justice Department said the convicted sex offender did,

Dogged by questions on the Jeffrey Epstein scandal even from Scotland, President Donald Trump again sought to put distance between himself and the sex offender — offering one of his most thorough personal explanations to date on his former relationship with the disgraced financier.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he "never had the privilege" of visiting Jeffrey Epstein's island, saying he turned down an invitation from the convicted sex offender in what the president called a moment of good judgment.