It usually works the other way around, but the Epstein files furor now has the White House turned so inside-out that bewildered aides have been quietly reaching out to CNN for clarity over what on earth is going on in their own administration.

President Donald Trump said on Sunday he spoke to deputy FBI director Dan Bongino to try to calm an uproar over how the Justice Department handled the probe into the death of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged clientele.