CNN
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President Donald Trump supplied a full-throated protection of Legal professional Common Pam Bondi on Saturday amid criticism from some in his base over the discharge of a memo about accused intercourse trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, writing on Truth Social that Bondi is doing “a FANTASTIC JOB” in her position.
“What’s happening with my ‘boys’ and, in some circumstances, ‘gals?’ They’re all going after Legal professional Common Pam Bondi, who’s doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote. “We’re on one Crew, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s occurring. We have now a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘egocentric individuals’ are attempting to harm it, throughout a man who by no means dies, Jeffrey Epstein.”
Privately, Trump has additionally doubled down on his help for Bondi. Members of the president’s inside circle have reached out to a few of Bondi’s most vocal critics to basically ask them to ramp it down, noting that Trump, at this second, was not eliminating his legal professional common. Sources cautioned that whereas Trump was presently nonetheless supporting Bondi, issues may all the time change.
CNN reported Friday that Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino has instructed individuals he’s contemplating resigning amid a serious conflict between the FBI and the Division of Justice over the fallout from the discharge of the memo, which concluded there isn’t a proof Epstein saved a “consumer record” or was murdered.
The memo’s release this week prompted fierce blowback from some Trump allies, together with right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who has known as for Bondi’s ouster.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon devoted a lot of his Monday “Conflict Room” podcast to the memo, questioning the administration’s dedication to transparency. Bannon later argued to CNN the federal investigation seems to have been mismanaged.
A Trump adviser known as the memo’s launch a “political nightmare” and urged it may’ve been printed earlier than the vacation weekend when fewer individuals may see it — or even perhaps after the 2026 midterm elections.
Former Fox Information host Tucker Carlson argued on his podcast that Bondi is “protecting up crimes, very critical crimes by their very own description.”
Epstein was a disgraced financier and convicted intercourse offender whose prison case has lengthy captured important public consideration, partially due to his ties to rich and high-profile individuals. In August 2019, whereas he was awaiting trial in a federal prison case, Epstein was discovered unresponsive in his New York Metropolis jail cell. He was taken to a hospital, the place he was pronounced dead. His demise was dominated a suicide.
The demise, although, was closely scrutinized, and through his 2024 marketing campaign, Trump mentioned he would take into account releasing extra authorities information on the case. Lots of the president’s supporters hoped that launch would implicate different high-profile figures, or undercut the notion that Epstein killed himself. However the Justice Department announced in a memo Monday that there was no proof he saved a “consumer record” or was murdered, fueling rage and suspicion amongst many in MAGA world.
Trump himself shrugged off questions in regards to the investigation into Epstein and the memo’s launch, telling reporters on the White Home on Tuesday, “I can’t consider you’re asking a query on Epstein at a time like this.”
The president repeated his frustration in his Saturday publish, writing, “For years, it’s Epstein, again and again,” whereas accusing a slew of political adversaries, together with former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, former CIA Director James Brennan “and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration” who he claimed “created the Epstein Recordsdata.”
“Why didn’t these Radical Left Lunatics launch the Epstein Recordsdata? If there was ANYTHING in there that might have harm the MAGA Motion, why didn’t they use it?” he mentioned.
However the federal investigation of Epstein that led to his indictment occurred throughout Trump’s first time period. And Epstein’s suicide in federal jail additionally occurred through the first Trump administration. Then-Legal professional Common Invoice Barr personally checked out video to verify there wasn’t proof of foul play, and the Division of Justice decided Epstein died by suicide.
And Trump urged FBI Director Kash Patel to show his consideration to the president’s personal priorities, writing, “Kash Patel, and the FBI, should be centered on investigating Voter Fraud, Political Corruption, ActBlue, The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020, and arresting Thugs and Criminals, as a substitute of spending month after month taking a look at nothing however the identical previous, Radical Left impressed Paperwork on Jeffrey Epstein.”
“LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB — SHE’S GREAT!” he added, calling Epstein “anyone that no one cares about.”
This story has been up to date with additional particulars.
CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Kaitlan Collins, Hannah Rabinowitz, Alayna Treene and Evan Perez contributed to this report.
