Speaking on CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront on Tuesday, Mark Epstein shut down Trump’s repeated claims he ended his friendship with the convicted sex offender. CNN played footage of Trump claiming in 2019 that he “ was not a fan ” of the financier, that he “did not want anything to do with him” and had no respect for him.

Critics say President Donald Trump is working to change the conversation from the Jeffrey Epstein files as the administration faces pushback for more transparency.

In an statement shared with Newsweek, the White House denied that an encounter described by Farmer took place.