For nearly 15 years, the two men socialized together in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Fla., before a falling out that preceded Mr. Epstein’s first arrest.

Trump and his administration recently faced scrutiny over their handling of Epstein’s sex abuse case after building up hype for the files’ release — only for the Department of Justice and FBI to say there was no evidence Epstein was murdered in jail, nor did he have a so-called “client list.”

Although President Donald Trump ordered the Justice Department to request the release of more details in the probe of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, he claimed Saturday that the move may do little to quell the outspoken criticism of his administration's handling of the case.