A new NYT report shows the Trump White House scrambling in private to bury the Epstein files while protecting Trump's image — bad for the administration's credibility, and a sign of deep panic over its own base.

• Top advisers met repeatedly in the Situation Room to manage rage from Trump supporters who suspected a cover-up.
• The chosen plan was to publicly push courts to unseal grand jury records while expecting judges to refuse, so they could blame the judges.
• Protecting Trump's reputation was the clear top priority; advisers rejected releasing raw FBI files and floated, then dropped, a pardon or reduced sentence for Ghislaine Maxwell.
• Dan Bongino fought the "nothing to see here" memo and comes off best in the report, fueling speculation he was the leaker.
• Israel-linked aides like Susie Wiles and pollster Tony Fabrizio downplayed the backlash, raising questions about Israel's interest in keeping files sealed.

Outlook: The leak deepens the rift inside Trump's base and keeps pressure on the administration to release more, with suspicion of a cover-up now harder to shake.