‘The Epstein files won’t knock him out’: what Anthony Scaramucci learned in Trump’s inner circle - The Guardian
3/3/2026, 7:01:02 AM
A shift toward attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner lands amid renewed attention to Jeffrey Epstein-related claims and broader debates over presidential power. Two separate reports say Trump plans to attend the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and end his boycott, a notable change in posture toward the media establishment. At the same time, multiple headlines center on Jeffrey Epstein—through a Reuters account involving Bill Clinton’s recollection and commentary about political resilience and elite hypocrisy. In Congress-facing coverage, House Speaker Mike Johnson argues that using a war powers act to limit Trump’s authority would be “dangerous,” underscoring parallel disputes about executive constraint. What remains uncertain is how much these threads will intersect in real time: as image management, as accountability politics, or as separate news cycles running in tandem.
A shift toward attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner lands amid renewed attention to Jeffrey Epstein-related claims and broader debates over presidential power.
Two separate reports say Trump plans to attend the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and end his boycott, a notable change in posture toward the media establishment. At the same time, multiple headlines center on Jeffrey Epstein—through a Reuters account involving Bill Clinton’s recollection and commentary about political resilience and elite hypocrisy. In Congress-facing coverage, House Speaker Mike Johnson argues that using a war powers act to limit Trump’s authority would be “dangerous,” underscoring parallel disputes about executive constraint. What remains uncertain is how much these threads will intersect in real time: as image management, as accountability politics, or as separate news cycles running in tandem.
Key points
- Trump says he will end his boycott of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, with multiple outlets reporting he will attend.
- Reuters reports Clinton said Trump told him of “some great times” with Jeffrey Epstein, injecting a new angle into ongoing Epstein-related scrutiny.
- A Guardian piece frames Anthony Scaramucci’s takeaway that “The Epstein files won’t knock him out,” suggesting durability amid controversy.
- PBS highlights Speaker Mike Johnson warning that limiting Trump’s authority with a war powers act is “dangerous.”
- In These Times argues “The Epstein Class” represents “warped elites,” broadening the Epstein story into a critique of establishment power.
Why it matters
- A high-profile appearance at the correspondents’ dinner would be a public test of Trump’s relationship with the press—and a stage where political narratives can harden or shift.
- Epstein-linked headlines remain politically volatile; how they are framed—personal association, “files,” or broader elite critique—can influence public perception even without new adjudicated detail in these items.
- The war-powers dispute signals an ongoing argument over institutional checks on Trump’s authority, which can collide with foreign-policy flashpoints and domestic politics.
What to watch
- Whether Trump’s planned correspondents’ dinner attendance becomes a venue for confrontation, reconciliation, or message discipline.
- How Epstein-related coverage evolves across outlets—particularly whether “files,” recollections, and commentary converge into a more unified political storyline.
- Whether congressional talk of war-powers constraints gains momentum following Johnson’s warning.