Why is MAGA angry with Trump, Pam Bondi over Epstein files?

On Tuesday, United States President Donald Trump and US Attorney General Pam Bondi evaded questions from reporters on a recent authorities review astir the accused enactment trafficker and convicted enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) concluded that Epstein died by termination successful 2019 successful a Manhattan jailhouse cell. However, questions are coming from right-wing conspiracy theorists, galore of whom are portion of Trump’s MAGA [Make America Great Again] base, who person agelong posited wide circulated conspiracy claims that Epstein was murdered due to the fact that helium possessed sexually compromising worldly connected almighty figures and a “client list”.

Here is what we cognize astir however the Epstein lawsuit is causing a MAGA split.

Why person MAGA conspiracy theories astir Epstein resurfaced now?

A memo, released connected Monday by the Justice Department and the FBI stated that a authorities reappraisal had recovered nary grounds that Epstein had a circumstantial “secret lawsuit list”.

The memo besides reaffirmed that Epstein had died by suicide, stating, “This decision is accordant with erstwhile findings, including the August 19, 2019 autopsy findings of the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the November 2019 presumption of the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York successful transportation with the probe of national correctional officers liable for guarding Epstein, and the June 2023 conclusions of DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General.”

However, right-wing Americans and online sleuths person agelong posed conspiracy theories that the authorities covered up the information of Epstein’s death. The latest memo has sparked these backmost into action.

Besides the memo, the DOJ released a video connected Monday of Epstein’s jailhouse compartment connected the nighttime helium died, showing that nary 1 entered Epstein’s jailhouse compartment during that night. In the video, however, the clip codification jumps by 1 infinitesimal and 2 seconds conscionable earlier midnight, further inflaming the conspiracy theorists.

What did Trump accidental to reporters astir Jeffrey Epstein?

During a White House Cabinet gathering connected Tuesday, a newsman asked Bondi astir the missing infinitesimal connected the Epstein situation video.

The newsman said, “The memo released yesterday connected Jeffrey Epstein, it near immoderate lingering mysteries, and 1 of the biggest ones is whether helium worked for an American oregon overseas quality agency. Could you accidental wherefore determination was a infinitesimal missing from the jailhouse portion connected the nighttime of his death?”

Trump jumped in, asking, “Are you inactive talking astir Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked astir for years”, with wide frustration.

“Are radical inactive talking astir this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable,” Trump added earlier asking Bondi if she wanted to “waste time” answering the question.

Trump unopen the question off, saying, “I mean, I can’t judge you’re asking a question connected Epstein astatine a clip similar this, wherever we’re having immoderate of the top occurrence and besides tragedy, with what happened successful Texas,” referring to flash floods that roiled the confederate US authorities implicit the weekend, sidesplitting 109 people. “It conscionable seems similar a desecration,” Trump added.

While campaigning for the statesmanlike predetermination past year, however, Trump had said helium would merchandise files related to Epstein.

Bondi told the newsman that she had nary cognition astir Epstein being an “agent”. “We tin get backmost to you connected that,” she said.

She added that the situation camera strategy was aged – “from 1999”. “Every night, the video is reset and each nighttime should person the aforesaid infinitesimal missing. So we’re looking for that video to merchandise that, arsenic well, showing that a infinitesimal is missing each night. And that’s it connected Epstein,” she said.

What happened to Epstein?

Born and raised successful New York, Epstein was a millionaire financier known for associating with socialites, politicians and celebrities. He died successful a Manhattan jailhouse compartment connected August 10, 2019.

In 2005, Epstein was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old miss aft her parents reported it to the police. This led to the constabulary speaking to much girls who came guardant to marque akin allegations. Ultimately, successful 2008, Epstein pleaded blameworthy to a complaint relating to a azygous victim. He spent 13 months successful situation connected a work-release programme, which allowed him to permission jailhouse to spell to enactment during the time and instrumentality astatine night.

In 2019, helium was charged with enactment trafficking by national prosecutors successful New York.

The US lawyer successful Manhattan besides prosecuted Epstein’s erstwhile girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell – girl of the disgraced media mogul, Robert Maxwell, who died successful 1991 aft being accused of stealing from employees’ pensions successful the UK. Ghislaine Maxwell was accused of being Epstein’s co-conspirator successful his intersexual maltreatment scheme. Maxwell was convicted successful 2021 and is presently serving a 20-year situation sentence that she received successful 2022.

In January past year, immoderate 950 pages of tribunal documents pertaining to allegations against Epstein were made public. These documents contained accounts by Epstein’s victims saying that they saw salient figures, including musicians, academics and politicians successful Epstein’s institution from Michael Jackson to Bill Clinton.

The inclusion of a sanction successful the files does not bespeak determination are immoderate allegations against the individual, and the individuals listed successful these files were not Epstein’s clients.

What bash conspiracy theorists judge astir Epstein’s decease and why?

Theories that Epstein’s decease was covered up by the authorities – according to some, due to the fact that helium was a spy for chartless agencies – person been floating astir successful right-wing circles passim the six years since his death.

In 2022, FBI agents searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago nine and residence due to the fact that the National Archives wanted to guarantee Trump did not person immoderate classified documents taken during his archetypal word arsenic president.

Less than a time later, far-right net property Jack Posobiec made suggestions of a conspiracy erstwhile helium posted connected Telegram: “We present cognize the justice who signed disconnected connected the Mar-a-Lago raid was Jeffrey Epstein’s lawyer. Don’t question it!”

This assertion was misleading, however, due to the fact that portion Federal Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart had so represented employees of Epstein, section property reported that immoderate magistrate justice would person signed disconnected connected the raid and Reinhart was conscionable the 1 who was available.

Close Trump adjutant and FBI manager Kash Patel had besides formed doubts connected the decision that Epstein died by termination earlier Trump appointed him to pb FBI. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has besides expressed akin doubts successful the past. In 2023, Patel, addressing the then-leaders of the FBI, said connected a YouTube show, “Put connected your large lad pants and fto america cognize who the pedophiles are.”

In May this year, Patel and Bongino some changed their positions to the US government’s conclusion: that Epstein died by suicide.

Why has Attorney General Pam Bondi travel nether unit now?

Bondi has spoken astir the Epstein files successful the past and is seen arsenic having stirred up involvement and expectations of revelations among conspiracy theorists.

During an interrogation with Fox News successful February, Bondi was asked, “The DOJ whitethorn beryllium releasing the database of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients, volition that truly happen?”

She responded, “It’s sitting connected my table close present to review.”

Also successful February, governmental commentators and far-right influencers were invited to the White House and presented with documents titled “The Epstein Files: Phase 1”. Bondi past released these documents, which did not incorporate thing revelatory astir the Epstein case. However, she besides said that she had delivered a “truckload” of grounds astir the Epstein lawsuit to the FBI.

Monday’s memo, which stated that the “list” Bondi has been promising to merchandise did not exist, was the last nail successful the coffin of disappointment for critics wrong MAGA. On Tuesday, Bondi denied that she had been talking astir a “client list”. Instead, the “list” she was referring to was the Epstein lawsuit file. “That’s what I meant by that,” she said.

On Tuesday, Bondi besides said that the thousands of videos regarding the Epstein case, reviewed by US intelligence, could not, successful fact, beryllium released to the nationalist since they contained kid intersexual abuse. “Child porn is what they were. Never going to beryllium released, ne'er going to spot the airy of day,” she said.

What are the conspiracy theorists saying now?

Following the authorities memo connected Monday, far-right personalities expressed further disappointment.

The ‘missing minute’ successful the Epstein video

Conservatives, including societal media property Robby Starbuck, raised questions astir the video posted by the DOJ connected Monday successful online posts.

There are immoderate highly bizarre things astir the video of Epstein’s compartment that Pam Bondi’s DOJ released arsenic impervious nary 1 killed him. First, a afloat infinitesimal appears to beryllium missing from the video and secondly, it does NOT look to beryllium the aforesaid compartment arsenic the photograph released connected Jan 5, 2020.… pic.twitter.com/xW3GhU6a8N

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) July 7, 2025

Allegations of a authorities cover-up

Far-right influencer Jack Posobiec posted connected X: “We were each told much was coming. That answers were retired determination and would beryllium provided. Incredible however utterly mismanaged this Epstein messiness has been. And it didn’t person to be.”

We were each told much was coming. That answers were retired determination and would beryllium provided. Incredible however utterly mismanaged this Epstein messiness has been. And it didn’t person to be

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) July 7, 2025

Alex Jones is different conspiracy theorist who has spent 3 years successful national bankruptcy tribunal aft families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook schoolhouse shooting won $1.3bn successful 2 defamation suits successful Connecticut and Texas against him. He had dispersed conspiracy theories that the shooting was a hoax. Now, helium is engaging with much conspiracy theories.

He wrote connected X connected Tuesday: “Next the DOJ volition accidental ‘Actually, Jeffrey Epstein ne'er adjacent existed’,” deeming the memo’s findings “over the apical sickening”.

Trump state and different conspiracy theorist, Laura Loomer, besides wrote connected X: “Pam Blondi [sic] is covering up kid enactment crimes that took spot nether HER WATCH erstwhile she was Attorney General of Florida,” adding that Bondi “needs to beryllium fired”.

Pam Blondi is covering up kid enactment crimes that took spot nether HER WATCH erstwhile she was Attorney General of Florida.

During Blondi’s tenure arsenic Florida’s Attorney General from 2011 to 2019, Jeffrey Epstein’s formation logs surfaced, galore of his victims filed lawsuits, and…

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) July 8, 2025

Epstein’s ‘links’ to Trump and Steve Bannon

Last month, billionaire Elon Musk, a former Trump ally claimed successful a now-deleted station that Trump was named successful Epstein files, which stay sealed. He aboriginal expressed regret for the societal media jabs helium made towards Trump, but this week, helium made a further bid of posts alleging that the authorities is withholding worldly astir Epstein.

“How tin radical beryllium expected to person religion successful Trump if helium won’t merchandise the Epstein files?” Musk posted connected Tuesday. In a reply to different post, Musk besides alleged that “Bannon is successful the Epstein files”, referring to erstwhile White House advisor and Trump adjutant Steve Bannon.

Musk did not supply grounds for this, and Bannon’s sanction is not successful the files that were released successful January 2024. Musk and Bannon person clashed successful the past implicit the H-1B visa programme that brings overseas workers to the US.

Last month, the narration betwixt Musk and Trump nosedived implicit Trump’s tax-and-spending bill, referred to arsenic the “One Big Beautiful Bill”.

What was Trump’s narration with Epstein?

Trump’s sanction does look successful the Epstein files released successful January 2024, but helium is not accused of anything. Here is the context.

Johanna Sjoberg, 1 of the galore women who person accused Epstein of intersexual abuse, mentioned a 2001 incidental erstwhile she boarded a level with Epstein and a fewer others successful Palm Beach, Florida. Sjoberg said that Virginia Giuffre, different pistillate who sued Epstein for abusing her astatine his homes successful Florida, New York, the US Virgin Islands and New Mexico, was besides contiguous connected the plane. Giuffre aboriginal accused Epstein and Prince Andrew of the UK of intersexual maltreatment but died by suicide earlier this year.

The level was incapable to onshore successful New York owed to a tempest and was forced to onshore successful Atlantic City and visited 1 of Trump’s casinos. Sjoberg said that Giuffre was underage astatine the clip of this incident, and that Sjoberg was asked if she was allowed into the casino. “I did not cognize thing astir however aged you had to beryllium to gamble legally. I conscionable knew she could not get successful due to the fact that of an ID issue, truthful she and I did not gamble,” Sjoberg answered.