President Trump is facing a Ghislaine Maxwell problem.

Publicly releasing testimony from Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein who was convicted in 2021 on sex trafficking charges, could help satisfy Trump supporters who have clamored for more transparency around the Epstein case.

But further elevating Maxwell would keep the Epstein controversy front-and-center after Trump and top GOP leaders in the House have spent weeks trying to tamp down outrage among their own base.

At the same time, Trump’s comments about Maxwell have in recent days fueled allegations from Democrats that he has something to hide because of his past ties to Epstein. Trump’s name reportedly appears in the Epstein files, though the president has repeatedly distanced himself from Epstein and has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Trump has declined to rule out a pardon for Maxwell, saying only that he has the power to do it but hasn’t thought about her case. The administration raised eyebrows by moving Maxwell to a lower security prison in Texas. And Trump has continually praised Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche — his former personal attorney — for sitting down with Maxwell for interviews.

“I didn’t discuss it with him, but anything he talked about with her, or the fact that he did that, not........

© The Hill