Top aides to former President Donald Trump convened crisis meetings last summer regarding documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. These meetings took place in the White House Situation Room, a highly secure space typically reserved for national security crises. Participants included Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. The New York Times reports that the purpose of the meetings was to address a growing crisis surrounding the Epstein files. Trump himself was not present during these discussions, according to excerpts from a new book by NYT reporters. The use of the Situation Room highlights the seriousness with which Trump’s team viewed the potential fallout from the Epstein-related information. The meetings suggest an attempt to manage the situation internally as scrutiny over Epstein’s associates increased.