US Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks about recent drug enforcement actions during a news conference at the Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters in Arlington, Va., on Tuesday.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
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Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday refused to address questions about her handling of the Justice Department’s files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation or about her reported rift with FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
Bondi has come under intense criticism from many in the MAGA movement since the Justice Department released a memo last week detailing its review of the Epstein files. The two-page document said the department found no evidence of an Epstein client list and that no additional files from the investigation would be made public.
Those findings, which contradicted some of Bondi’s own past statements and promises of transparency, touched off fury among many supporters of President Trump. Some prominent figures in the MAGA faithful, including far-right activist Laura Loomer, have called for Bondi to resign.
At a news conference Tuesday at the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bondi was asked how she would respond to MAGA’s frustrations with her specifically.
“We’re going to fight to keep America safe again and we’re fighting together as a team. That’s what’s so important right now,” Bondi replied.
“We’ve got a war on drugs, we’ve got a war on human trafficking, we’ve got cartels in this country and we’ve got foreign adversaries around this world as well and we’re all going to work together as a team to fight to keep America safe again and I can tell you that’s what we’re all committed to.”
Despite Bondi’s efforts to move on, the Epstein matter does not appear to be going away. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a top Trump ally, threw his weight behind releasing the files.
“I’m for transparency,” Johnson told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson on Tuesday.
“It’s a very delicate subject but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it,” Johnson said. “The White House and the White House team are privy to facts that I don’t know. I mean, this isn’t my lane and I haven’t been involved with that, but I agree with the sentiment that we need to put it out there.”
A reported clash over personnel at the FBI
Bondi said she spent the morning working with FBI Director Kash Patel, but she would not address reports about a clash last week with Bongino, the FBI’s no. 2 official, over the Epstein files.
Asked whether Bongino should stay in his job, Bondi said: “I’m not going to discuss personnel matters.”
“I think we all are committed to working together now to make America safe again, and that’s what we’re doing,” she added.
All three top officials — Bondi, Patel and Bongino — have at one point or another stoked conspiracy theories about Epstein.
In February, Bondi said in response to a question from FOX News about Epstein’s client list that it was “sitting on my desk right now to review.” The department’s memo later contradicted her, saying there was no evidence of such a list.
Epstein died by suicide in a federal lockup in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death has been the source of conspiracy theories from the start, particularly on the far right, because of Epstein’s links to the rich and powerful.
Despite the calls from some in MAGA world for Bondi to step aside, she appears to continue to enjoy the president’s backing.
“The attorney general has handed that very well,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. “She’s really done a very good job. I think when you look at it, you’ll understand that.”
Trump spoke to reporters again later in the day, and said he didn’t know why some of his supporters were interested in the Epstein story and frustrated with how it’s been handled.
“He’s dead for a long time. He was never a big factor in terms of life. I don’t understand what the interest or what the fascination is, I really don’t. And the credible information’s been given,” he said.
“But I don’t understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody,” he added. “It’s pretty boring stuff, it’s sordid but it’s boring and I don’t understand why it keeps going. I think really only pretty bad people including fake news want to keep something like that going. But credible information—let them give it. Anything that’s credible, I would say let them have it.”
