"I'm allowed to give her a pardon but nobody's approached me with it," Trump said. "It's in the news…but right now it would be inappropriate to talk about it."

Maxwell would refuse to answer questions about Epstein while her case remains pending, but “would be willing—and eager—to testify openly and honestly, in public” if Trump pardons her, her lawyer said.

Plenty of Republicans are walking a tricky line right now on the Jeffrey Epstein files. But few have walked one as tricky as congressional leadership in recent days.