A CNN analyst was deep into a serious segment on the ‘many legs’ of the Jeffrey Epstein saga when his five-year-old son stole the spotlight with an on-camera cameo. Brian Stelter (pictured), CNN’s 39-year-old chief media analyst, was mid-conversation with host Jessica Dean on Sunday night, dissecting Donald Trump ’s $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over its report linking him to a birthday gift for Jeffrey Epstein.

But just as he spoke against a calm, neutral blue backdrop, a tiny face suddenly popped into the frame – his five-year-old son making an unexpected crash appearance. Just after 7pm, the pair were deep in a live discussion about the president’s demand that the NFL reverse the Washington Commanders’ 2020 decision to drop the name ‘Redskins’ in favor of a more politically correct alternative.

Stelter acknowledged that much of what Trump does can be dismissed as ‘labeled distractions,’ but emphasized that when the leader of the US weighs in, ‘it matters.’ He explained that Trump’s latest moves are less about political power and more about reclaiming cultural influence in a potential second term – marking a dramatic shift from his first.

Dean, host of the primetime weekend edition of the network’s Newsroom, steered the conversation toward the disgraced Epstein – a topic she noted has been discussed extensively over time. But just as she asked Stelter how he feels about the current state of affairs – especially Trump’s apparent inability to ‘quite yet move past it’ – the calm blue frame behind him was suddenly obstructed by a small, grinning face. It turned out to be none other than Stelter’s five-year-old son, creeping into the frame with a mischievous smile – seemingly aware that his sudden pop-in had caught their attention.

As Dean was mid-question about where Stelter believes the Epstein saga stands today, she briefly choked on her words, struggling to hold back a smile as she noticed the small child creeping in from the right. Stelter also seemed fully aware as his expression tightened into a straight line, maintaining his focus on the camera while subtly brushing his son away. His son apparently got the message and disappeared from view just moments later -though not without earning a lighthearted mention at the end of the interview.

As the conversation wrapped up, Dean thanked Stelter for his time and insight – then added with a smile, ‘And I think you had a little helper with you, so give our thanks to him too. I apologize for my five year old,’ he responded. ‘It’s bedtime here at the Stelter house.’ Dean quickly reassured him not to apologize, cheerfully saying, ‘We’re a family show – it’s always nice to have some extra hands.’ Despite the kindergartener’s brief on-screen hiccup, the pair swiftly returned to business as usual, diving back into the seemingly endless wave of Epstein headlines.

Stelter went on to explain why he believes the Epstein story continues to grip both the American public and Donald Trump – and why it is refusing to fade from the national conversation. In his own words, ‘it will continue to be a topic for as long as MAGA media influencers feel betrayed.’ Stelter pointed to the social media posts he’s been following, noting that many people clearly believe there’s much more hidden beneath the surface of the Epstein story – and they’re determined to uncover it. ‘This will always exist to some degree,’ he said during the conversation. ‘Even if it’s mostly, you know, percolating beneath the surface. It’s always going to exist there because the conspiracy theories are always going to remain,’ he added. ‘The conspiracy theories are always going to linger.’

The conversation came just days after Trump followed through on his promise to sue the Wall Street Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, for $10billion. The filing, obtained by the Daily Mail, showed the libel suit filed in the Southern District of Florida against WSJ, Dow Jones, Rupert Murdoch and the paper’s reporters who published the story in what Trump called a ‘powerhouse’ suit on Truth Social. Trump is requesting a jury trial and is suing ‘for damages, punitive damages, court costs, and such other relief as the Court deems just and proper, not to be less than $10 billion dollars.’

A bombshell report in the WSJ on Thursday claimed Trump wrote a ‘bawdy’ 50th birthday card to Epstein which concluded: ‘Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.’ The newspaper said it had reviewed a typewritten letter bearing Trump´s signature, framed by the seemingly hand-drawn outline of a unclothed woman, that Ghislaine Maxwell included in a 2003 birthday album. In the text, the paper claimed Trump wrote: ‘We have certain things in common, Jeffrey’ and that both of them know that ‘there must be more to life than having everything’. Trump has denied writing the letter or drawing the picture, calling it ‘false, malicious, and defamatory.’