MAGA fissure widens from Trump’s refusal to release Epstein files

The Justice Department’s refusal to release additional files related to sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein has created one of the most expansive splits within President Trump’s MAGA base since he returned to office in January.

On one side are Trump supporters who insist Epstein was killed in his jail cell and that the disgraced financier kept a juicy list of high-profile clients who engaged in sex with underage girls. On the other side are the Justice Department and FBI, which insist there is no evidence that any of that is true.

Caught in the middle are administration officials such as FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who spent years peddling Epstein theories that were embraced by the MAGA base.

Before joining the Trump administration, Mr. Bongino and Mr. Patel used their considerable media platforms to tell their followers that the government was covering up parts of the Epstein case to protect powerful political figures.

Adding to everyone’s frustration are the public promises of Mr. Trump during the 2024 campaign and Attorney General Pam Bondi in February that the Epstein client list would be made public. They reversed course last week.

A Republican political strategist said privately that the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files is a problem because the lack of forthrightness has left Americans to imagine the worst.

“You can’t let Americans fill in the blanks, which is what Trump is doing,” the strategist said. “We’ve seen pictures of Trump and Epstein together. That, coupled with Trump’s over-the-top reaction at the White House, is leading Americans to believe the worst. I don’t believe the administration is covering up for Trump or anyone else, but it’s a situation where the cover-up makes things look worse than it probably is.”

Mr. Trump erupted this month at a reporter who asked Ms. Bondi about the client list.

“Are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable,” he said, adding that it was “a desecration” for the reporter to ask about Epstein. He called the reporter’s question a “waste of time.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump backed his embattled attorney general as calls for Ms. Bondi’s firing increased among his base. He suggested that the materials Ms. Bondi possesses may not include credible evidence.

“She has really done a very good job, and when you look at it, you’ll understand it,” he said, adding that “whatever she thinks is credible, she should release.”

The Epstein flap is the latest in a series of fissures between Mr. Trump and his most dedicated supporters, who have become uncomfortable over what they see as the president’s broken promises.

Mr. Trump pledged to stop U.S. aid to Ukraine but announced Monday that America would continue to send weapons to help Kyiv in its war against Russian invaders. He promised to keep America out of foreign conflicts but ordered airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities at the behest of Israel. The president also flip-flopped on the scope of his crackdown on illegal immigration by deciding farming and hospitality workers would be spared from raids.

However, withholding the Epstein documents has disappointed his supporters the most.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said Tuesday that he is for “transparency.” In a break with Mr. Trump, he said Ms. Bondi must better explain how the Epstein case file doesn’t include a client list.

“She needs to come forward and explain that to everybody,” Mr. Johnson said on conservative commentator Benny Johnson’s YouTube show.

Over the weekend, MAGA influencers at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit lashed out at the administration over its handling of the Epstein files.

“It’s deeper than Epstein,” Steve Bannon, Mr. Trump’s former White House strategist, told the crowd.

“For this to go away,” he said, “you’re going to lose 10% of the MAGA movement. If we lose 10% of the MAGA movement right now, we’re going to lose 40 seats in [2026], we’re going to lose the presidency.”

Democrats are fanning the flames tearing through the MAGA world.

“What, if anything, is the Trump administration and the Department of Justice hiding?” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat. “If you are not hiding anything, prove that to the American people, and if you are trying to hide something, as many of Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters apparently believe, then the Congress should actually work hard to try to uncover the truth for the American people.”

White House spokesman Harrison Fields defended the administration: “President Trump has assembled an incredible team of Law and Order patriots who are committed to making America safe again and restoring the integrity of our criminal justice system. Attorney General Bondi, Director Patel, Deputy Director Bongino and the countless other heroes of our law enforcement community are dedicated to executing President Trump’s agenda of protecting civil rights, safeguarding communities, holding criminals accountable and defending victims. This work will continue in lockstep with unprecedented success.”

Mr. Trump sought to douse the MAGA rebellion with a lengthy social media post Saturday evening that dismissed the importance of investigating Epstein’s actions.

He told his base not to “waste time and energy on Epstein.”

“For years, it’s Epstein over and over again,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Why are we giving publicity to files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan and the losers and criminals of the Biden administration.”

Mr. Trump’s supporters pushed back. They accused the president of undermining them and said he has become out of touch with his base. One supporter noted that Ms. Bondi, Mr. Patel and Mr. Trump had promised to release the files.

“Now it’s our fault bc we want that promise fulfilled and call Pam out every time she lies? What else has she lied to us about?” one disappointed Trump fan responded on social media.

“My wanting pedophiles to be punished for their crimes doesn’t make me less of a patriot, but more. I don’t understand the reason for your current attitude and frankly, I’m beyond the point of caring. I do care about justice, whether you approve or not,” wrote another.

The Justice Department said last week that it would not release any additional files related to the case of Epstein, a convicted sex offender. He died in 2019 while in custody in a New York jail facing sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. The medical examiner ruled his death a suicide.

Ms. Bondi last week released a two-page memo saying the department’s review turned up no “client list” of powerful men who allegedly participated in Epstein’s schemes. It also said there was no “credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.”

The comments mark a sharp departure from February, when Ms. Bondi released some of the Epstein files, calling it phase one. During a Fox News interview that month, Ms. Bondi was asked about Epstein’s client list and said it was on her desk and ready for her review. Ms. Bondi later said she was referring to some of the Epstein case files, not specifically a client list.

The rupture is also within the administration. Mr. Bongino spent years pushing Epstein conspiracy theories and clashed with Ms. Bondi over how the files were handled.

“He is miserable. He is alone. His staff is sabotaging him,” a source familiar with Mr. Bongino’s situation told The Washington Times.

Mr. Bongino didn’t show up for work Friday and threatened to quit unless Ms. Bondi was fired.

Asked by reporters Sunday whether Mr. Bongino would stay in his position, Mr. Trump said, “I think so.”

“I spoke to him today. Dan Bongino, very good guy. I’ve known him for a long time. I’ve done his show many, many times. He sounded terrific, actually.”

• Kerry Picket contributed to this report.