Reporters at the White House have just been told that Trump's event, scheduled for almost three hours ago, has been cancelled.

As we've mentioned, Trump had planned to host an event in the Oval Office, inviting reporters to watch him sign a proclamation focused on pharmaceutical advertising.

Now, a memorandum is available on the White House website, external.

We haven’t heard any reason given for cancelling the event.

So we’re closing this live page for now. If you want to know more about the Israeli attack on Qatar, you can check out our news piece here. Or if you want to know more about the Epstein files, we have this explainer piece for you.

Thanks for staying with us.

Image source, US Department of Justice

As we've been reporting, a US congressional panel has released a redacted copy of an alleged "birthday book" given to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 celebrating his fiftieth birthday.

The book was released with a trove of documents that include the late convicted paedophile financier's will and his personal address book - with contacts that include royalty, politicians across the globe, celebrities and models.

The 238-page book contains messages and photos sent by many of Epstein's friends, including a letter carrying a signature resembling US President Donald Trump's. Trump has denied ever writing the birthday note.

• Read more about the "birthday book" here

Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
Reporting from Capitol Hill

Image source, Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu/BBC

Senator John Thune is asked if the Senate will follow the House if lawmakers there vote on a bill that would force the US government to release every file it has on Epstein.

The Senate's majority leader is non-committal about what the upper house will do in such a situation, but says he supports publishing more information.

"I believe that transparency is always best, and you should get as much information out there as possible can in a way that obviously protects the rights of victims," Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, says.

"I think that the Department of Justice has already released tons of files related to this matter and, in my view, I trust them in terms of having the confidence that they will get as much information out there as possible."

House Speaker Mike Johnson has previously opposed the use of a procedural bypass that would force the bill to come to the floor, saying it "should be stopped."

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Bernd Debusmann Jr/BBC

There's very little happening here at the moment - but many members of the remaining press corps here just took a stroll outside to find a solitary protester holding a sign that reads "not a hoax" over the White House gate.

While protesters are an extremely common, if not daily, occurrence here, it's unusual to see one so close to the gate used by press.

I've seen him in the area before. He's become a bit of a fixture in Lafayette Park just across from the White House, often holding handwritten signs that include extremely colourful language.

Several reporters, I'm told, went to go attempt to interview him, only to be met by angry shouting.

A few hundred metres away, another protest site - which has been around for decades - is back up and running after having been dismantled at Trump's orders over the weekend.

Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
Reporting from Capitol Hill

Image source, Reuters

Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke to reporters in one of the Senate’s halls, where he was asked about Israel's strike in Doha.

"The bottom line is that we are concerned about the bombing, and we have requested a classified meeting on it," he says in brief remarks.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders also tells me Israel’s strikes were a "clear violation of international law".

"And it's just one more reason why the United States should not be providing any military aid to the Israeli government," he says.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

The White House, which earlier was a hub of activity and extremely crowded, has gone largely quiet.

Trump's Oval Office proclamation - about advertising by pharmaceutical companies - was scheduled to begin at 16:30 ET (21:30 BST). But now it's delayed.

We don't know exactly how far behind schedule we are, but White House staff have told us it's "very, very" delayed.

Many reporters are now milling about in the briefing room, with others outside chatting in the sun until we hear more details.

As we wait to hear from Trump about what - and when - he knew about the Israeli attack in Qatar, let's take a look at a statement he's just posted.

The Truth Social post says he was told by the US military this morning that Israel was attacking Hamas, which he said was "very unfortunately" located in Doha, Qatar.

The post is similar to the statement we heard Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read out earlier at the press briefing, but it's not exactly the same.

"I immediately directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did," Trump's statement says - which is also what Leavitt told us earlier.

But there's an extra line in Trump's statement after that: "However, unfortunately, too late to stop the attack."

• Follow our live report on the Israeli strike on Qatar here

Image source, Reuters

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Reuters

We're restarting our coverage now as we expect President Trump to answer more questions at an event happening soon.

In a press briefing a few hours earlier, Karoline Leavitt's questions highlighted what seems to be the White House's strategy to move on from the issue - to go on the attack.

For now, the White House's communications strategy is to dismiss it as a "hoax" and a "narrative" by the Democrats to hurt Trump politically.

So far, it appears to be working, at least for large parts of Trump's base.

Since news of the publication of those documents broke yesterday, several prominent names in the wider "Maga-sphere" - including Charlie Kirk, Laura Loomer and podcaster Benny Johnson - have amplified the White House's position that the story is "fake".

While some conservative media outlets have covered the documents at length, many have instead focused on Bill Clinton's note to Epstein.

Overall, Leavitt left the briefing without facing any particularly difficult questions on the topic, with many reporters focused on the administration's law and order drive and immigration - issues that Trump sees as "winners" among his supporters.

Image source, Reuters

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt fielded a variety of questions in her briefing, but there were two topics that kept coming up.

On Qatar

• Leavitt says Israel's strike in Doha does not advance Israeli or US goals
• She describes Qatar as a close ally and says Trump feels very badly about the location of the attack
• She adds that Trump believes eliminating Hamas is a worthy goal
• Leavitt says the Trump administration was notified about the situation this morning, ahead of the attack
• After the attack, Trump spoke with Netanyahu and the Qatari Emir, and assured Qatar that "such a thing will not happen again on their soil"

On the Epstein files

• Leavitt says the alleged note which appears in a 2003 birthday book given to Jeffrey Epstein was not signed by President Trump
• Leavitt says the White House would be willing for a handwriting expert to examine the document
• Similarly, Leavitt says an oversized cheque was not signed by the president. A photo of Epstein posing with the novelty cheque appears in the latest documents

We're pausing our coverage on this page, but you can stay up to date with the latest on Israel's strike in Qatar here.

Leavitt is asked why President Trump and his team have used the word "hoax" to describe the Epstein story.

"I didn't say the documents are a hoax, I said the whole narrative is a hoax," she says.

Leavitt is then asked to clarify what exactly the "hoax" is.

She claims the hoax is Democrats pretending to care about victims of crime and abuse when she says they just want to distract from the Trump administration's work.

Leavitt says Trump has one of the world's most famous signatures, and it is not the signature seen in Epstein documents released by the House of Representatives on Monday.

The White House briefing has now finished, but stick with us as we bring you a recap of the main talking points.

Another question has come up about Epstein's "birthday book".

The 2003 book includes a photo that appears to be Jeffrey Epstein holding an oversized novelty cheque signed by "DJ Trump". A note in the birthday book seemingly suggests Epstein sold a woman for the price of $22,500.

Leavitt says the signature on the cheque is "absolutely not" Donald Trump's.

Leavitt is asked again about Qatar.

She refers reporters once again to the statement she read to the room a few minutes ago.

A reporters asks if the president thinks Israel is undermining negotiations in Doha. She replies that the president addressed that "unilaterally".

She again repeats that the administration was notified this morning just before the attack.

Twenty minutes into the press briefing we get questions on the topic that was at the top of the agenda this morning.

Leavitt claims that the current White House has done more in terms of transparency on the Epstein case than any previous administration.

She repeats the refrain that Democrats have tried to concoct a "hoax" and notes that Trump is dedicated to locking up people who prey on children.

In a follow-up question, a reporter asks whether the White House would support a forensic test on his alleged signature.

"Sure, we would support that," she says.

"The president did not write this letter, he did not sign this letter, and that's why the president's external legal team is aggressively pursuing litigation against the Wall Street Journal," the newspaper that initially reported on the letter, Leavitt says.

But the White House story leaves several unanswered questions - among them, if the signature in the 2003 book is a forgery, who was the forger, and to what end?

• READ MORE: What we know as 'birthday book' of messages to Epstein released

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

A few questions into the briefing, the question of the Epstein documents comes up, prompting Karoline Leavitt to take aim at the Democrats and what she termed their "hoax" - a frequent talking point from Trump and White House officials.

She has continued to claim that Trump's signature on the newly-revealed documents is false, and said that the White House would be willing for a handwriting expert to examine the document.

The topic is a sensitive one for the White House and one that is quickly dismissed by Trump, Leavitt and other public-facing officials.

We are unlikely to see any change in tone from them with regards to the topic. This is something they hopes goes away quickly.

You can read more about the Jeffrey Epstein's "birthday book" here.

Leavitt is being probed further about Trump's reaction to the Israeli strike against Hamas officials in Qatar.

One reporter asks whether the strike might jeopardise the Abraham Accords, a set of pacts normalising diplomatic relations between Israel and other governments in the region - though Qatar is not part of the accords, it has opened quiet ties with Israel.

The president's spokesperson says Trump has made his views clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The president made his thoughts and concerns about this very clear," Leavitt says, and she goes on to say that he's "actively and aggressively" pursuing peace in the region.

More now on Karoline Leavitt's comments about Israel's strike in Doha.

She says that this morning the Trump administration was notified about the situation, ahead of the attack.

She describes Qatar as "a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely" to broker a peace deal between Israel and Hamas.

She adds that Trump "feels very badly" about the location of the attack.

"However, eliminating Hamas," Leavitt says, "is a worthy goal."

She says Trump wants all of the hostages in Gaza and the bodies of the dead released, and for this war to end now.

Leavitt also says Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the attack, and Netanyahu told Trump that he wants to make peace quickly.

She adds that Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, two of Trump's key advisers, were present for Trump's conversation with Qatar.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says that Israel's strike on Doha "does not advance Israeli or American goals" - but adds that Trump believes eliminating Hamas "is a worthy goal".

Leavitt notes that Qatar is a "close ally" of the United States and that President Trump feels "very badly" about the location of the attack.

She adds that Trump is "actively and aggressively" pursuing peace.

Leavitt also says that Trump spoke both with Netanyahu and the Qatari Emir in the aftermath of the attack.

You can follow our coverage of the strike in Qatar here.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

The White House briefing begins with topics that the administration is focusing on - crime and law and order - including the murder of Irina Zarutska in Charlotte.

The murder of the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee has ignited a fierce debate on crime and punishment in the US - one which the White House clearly sees as an opportunity to criticise what Karoline Leavitt calls "woke" policies in Democrat-led jurisdictions, that she says are weak on crime.

Speaking at the top of the briefing, Leavitt said that criminals must be sent to prison, rather than be "allowed to terrorise" US streets.

Leavitt followed up her comments on Zarutska's murder with the latest border apprehension numbers - a favourite topic for Trump and other White House officials alike, who see border and immigration enforcement as a clear victory and an electoral promise kept.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has walked into the packed briefing room and greets the reporters.

Click watch live at the top of this page to follow along.

Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
Reporting from Capitol Hill

I just had a quick chat with Senator Elizabeth Warren and asked her about Israel’s strike in the Qatari capital.

She says the strike on Hamas leaders in Doha makes getting to a cessation of violence even more difficult.

"Benjamin Netanyahu has created a humanitarian disaster, and every day that goes by, he seems to find a way to make it worse," the Democrat from Massachusetts tells me.

"If the United States wants to be a good friend to Israel, it should be pushing much harder for a reversal of the Netanyahu policies and return of the hostages, humanitarian relief, and a stop to the violence."