The House is leaving Washington a day early for it's five-week August recess after tensions erupted over efforts to force release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Why it matters: Fallout from the debate over the Epstein files has effectively frozen House business.

In an statement shared with Newsweek, the White House denied that an encounter described by Farmer took place.

The House speaker announced that lawmakers would leave a day early for a five-week break from Washington as tensions soar over Epstein files.

Republicans are leaving town early as leaders struggle with how to handle the Jeffrey Epstein files, but they promise "no daylight" between the House and Trump.

Trump has unspooled comments on a litany of controversies, all of which seem designed to distract attention from the Jeffrey Epstein case.