Will scandal bring down Donald Trump? The US president’s refusal to release documents about convicted criminal Jeffrey Epstein has divided his own base. He might have unleashed forces he cannot control.
President under pressure says ‘fake news’
Old friends: Donald Trump and his then girlfriend (and future wife) Melania Knauss (left) with financier and future convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and his British socialite girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell (right), at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, in 2000. Glossary
Financier - Someone who uses their fortune to fund other people's businesses and projects.
Sex Trafficking - Forcing people, usually young women, to be sex workers.
Kindling - Material for starting a fire. It comes from an old Norse word meaning a candle or torch.
Conspiracy Theorists - People who believe in the idea that an event or situation is the result of a secret plan made by powerful people (a conspiracy theory).
House of Representatives - The lower chamber of the United States congress. There are 435 representatives, with a certain number allocated to each state based on the state's population.
MAGA - Make America Great Again. The slogan was a key part of Trump’s election campaign in 2016.
Deep state - According to an American conspiracy, the deep state is a group of influential government agencies or members who secretly manipulate government policy.
Far-right - A range of ideologies that emphasise social order, racial purity and the elimination of opponents.
January 6 US Capitol Attack - On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol in Washington DC was attacked by a mob encouraged by Donald Trump, who challenged the election of Joe Biden as president some months before.
Republican - Somebody who supports the idea of a country having an elected head of state, such as a president, rather than a hereditary king or queen.
Impeachment - In the United States, as in the UK and many other countries, elected representatives have the power to call for officials to be removed from office for committing a public offence. This is called 'impeachment'.
Senate - The upper chamber of the Congress that - along with the US House of Representatives (lower chamber) - comprises the legislative branch of the US government. Each of the 50 US states is equally represented by two senators, regardless of its population size.
Indictments - Formal accusations of crime.
Felony - In the USA, a crime which is punishable by more than one year in prison.
Insurrection - A violent uprising against a government.