WASHINGTON — A noticeably fired-up President Donald Trump on Tuesday attempted to distance himself from his administration’s next steps in the Jeffrey Epstein documents drama, while also announcing a revised trade arrangement with the Philippines.

Meeting with reporters in the Oval Office alongside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Trump appeared feistier than he’s been in recent public appearances as he attempted to change the subject several times. He contended, for instance, that he did not know that a senior Justice Department official who represented him during a New York state criminal case intended to interview Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

The scene in the Oval Office, now wall-papered with gold leaf at Trump’s direction, summed up what the president’s second term has become: A world leader seeking to close a trade deal sat mostly silent as Trump deflected questions about the latest scandal. The Epstein saga has riled up some conservative lawmakers and “Make America Great Again” influencers, though polls have shown GOP voters remain solidly behind him.

Like other foreign heads of state who have sat in the yellow-patterned chair before him, Marcos tried a little flattery: “Our strongest, closest (and) most reliable ally has always been the United States. … With the leadership of President Trump, I am confident we will be able to achieve that.”

Before he left Manila, Marcos said that he hoped his government and the Trump administration could find a way to revise their countries’ trade relationship without a 20 percent duty being implemented. As Marcos’ small motorcade left the White House around 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, Trump wrote on social media that the two sides had “concluded our Trade Deal, whereby The Philippines is going OPEN MARKET with the United States, and ZERO Tariffs. The Philippines will pay a 19% Tariff. In addition, we will work together Militarily.”

Marcos said Sunday that his “top priority for this visit is to push for greater economic engagement, particularly through trade and investment between the Philippines and the United States,” adding: “I intend to convey to President Trump and his Cabinet officials that the Philippines is ready to negotiate a bilateral trade deal that will ensure strong, mutually beneficial and future-oriented collaborations that only the United States and the Philippines will be able to take advantage of.”

The meeting’s trade focus, however, did not mean Trump was able to skirt questions about the controversy swirling around his administration’s announcement that it would not release documents related to Epstein, the deceased and convicted sex offender. Here are three takeaways from Wednesday:

‘Probably agree’

The arrangement Trump announced in the afternoon did not seem like a done deal when the two leaders took questions from reporters around noon in the Oval Office. Before a working lunch that followed, Trump used words like “close” and “probably” when asked about a new trade pact.

“I think we will,” he said of reaching a deal while calling Marcos a “very tough negotiator.”

Details of the revised arrangement were not immediately released by the White House. But analysts at the Asia Society Policy Institute recently noted that it likely would not look like trade deals negotiated by previous American administrations.

“These negotiations are largely one-sided — that is, the U.S. is looking for the partner country to make substantial concessions, offering little in return. While this might resolve some immediate concerns about balanced trade, a win-win agreement where the partner also gains benefits that it can sell back home is more likely to be adhered to in the long term,” the analysts wrote late last month.

“(It) is expected that the trade deals will be more akin to framework agreements, setting the terms of future negotiations, with some upfront commitments,” the analysts added. “This was the case with the UK deal. While these may be lauded by President Trump as breakthroughs, in reality they are expected to be light on substance and enforceability, and set the stage for longer, potentially protracted, negotiations.”

‘Go after people’

As he often does when in a politically sticky situation, Trump said he had no previous knowledge that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, his former personal attorney, intended to meet with Maxwell about the Epstein saga.

Maxwell is the former partner and co-conspirator of the disgraced financier. She was found guilty of helping Epstein to sexually abuse underage girls and has been serving a 20-year sentence since 2022.

“I don’t know anything about it,” Trump said a few hours after Attorney General Pam Bondi had announced Blanche’s plans, adding later: “I didn’t know that they were going to do it. I don’t really follow that too much.”

Trump did say that the meeting “sounds appropriate to do” and called Blanche “a very talented person, he’s very smart.”

The president again referred to the demands — from both the right and left — for more information about the Epstein case as a “witch hunt.” Amid an ongoing House dispute over the Epstein case files that has resulted in rules for floor debate being bottled up in committee, GOP leaders have canceled votes in the chamber beyond Wednesday, meaning members could be leaving early for their summer recess.

Appearing eager to shift the focus from the Epstein fracas, Trump on Tuesday renewed his call for his Justice Department to pursue his administration’s contention that Obama administration officials manipulated intelligence in trying to hinder Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

No Obama administration official has faced criminal charges related to that 2016 campaign, which Trump won in an upset over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Again showing his willingness to push his office’s powers to their breaking point, Trump said Tuesday that “after what they did to me, whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people.” About former President Barack Obama, he said his administration had caught the 44th president “cold” as the leader of the alleged effort against Trump’s first campaign and called for “severe consequences.”

Xi, Powell, Bessent — oh my!

Meantime, the president touched on two figures key to the health of the U.S. economy, which continues to be most voters’ top priority.

Trump again walked back his recent calls for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to either resign or be fired — by the president himself: “He’ll be out pretty soon anyway. He’ll be out in eight months anyway.”

“It causing problems for people who want to buy a home. … People aren’t able to buy a house because this guy is a numbskull,” Trump said, before pushing for lower interest rates. “We should be at 1 percent, we should be leading the world. Instead, we’re paying 4%.”

Seated on a golden-colored sofa to Trump’s left, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, whom Trump suggested last week would not be a candidate to succeed Powell, said of interest rates: “Based on the way they cut rates last fall, they should be cutting rates now.” He also announced that he would visit Fed headquarters in Washington later in the week to tour a renovation project about which Trump has alleged wrongdoing by the Fed chair.

Additionally, Trump said he planned to accept an invitation to visit China extended by President Xi Jinping in the “not too distant future.” He did not disclose specific dates under consideration but described Washington-Beijing relations as warm despite an ongoing trade war.

“I don’t care if he gets along with China,” Trump said of Marcos in the Oval Office. “Because we’re getting along with China.”

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