President Donald Trump has helped Speaker Mike Johnson survive every political storm of his speakership. Now, Johnson is stuck in a crisis of Trump’s own making over Jeffrey Epstein — and there’s no clear way forward without risking the ire of the speaker’s most critical ally.

Shortly after 6 p.m., Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and other GOP leaders huddled with the GOP Rules members in Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office. Inside the room, Johnson and his team laid out several options, according to three people with direct knowledge of the meeting.