Donald Trump loves to fan the flames of a conspiracy theory, even more than he loves summoning Diet Cokes with the press of a red button. Barack Obama not having been born in the United States; Ted Cruz’s dad having been in cahoots with JFK’s assassin; the Clintons having multiple people murdered; “they’re eating the dogs…they’re eating the cats”—you name it, he’s spread or amplified it. So it was in no way surprising that Trump latched on to the idea that (1) disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein had a “list” of powerful people who’d been implicated in his crimes, and (2) one or more of those powerful people had Epstein killed in order to keep the guy quiet. Hell, he even gave people who’d publicly endorsed conspiracy theories about Epstein extremely high-powered roles in his second administration, and he did not appear to dispute his attorney general’s claim, back in February, that she literally had Epstein’s “list” on her desk.
Unfortunately for Trump, he did not think several steps ahead on this one, and when his DOJ and FBI wrote in a memo that they had no evidence implicating other people in Epstein’s crimes, and no evidence that he had been killed, the anger out of several corners of the MAGA world appeared to catch him by surprise. If you’re just tuning in, here’s where the MAGA-Epstein drama stands.
What are people mad about?
A number of individuals who have, to date, only been unflaggingly loyal to the president are pissed that the administration is saying there’s no dirt coming on Epstein/the powerful people they were hoping would have been taken down by association with Epstein. They refuse to believe that there isn’t more to this story and, given that none other than the current president and vice president previously suggested as much, you can’t really blame them.
Who is Pam Bondi?
Pam Bondi is Trump’s attorney general who, in February, said that Epstein‘s “list“ was literally sitting on her desk waiting to be reviewed, on Trump’s orders. That the Justice Department would assert just a few months later that no list ever existed has put Bondi in a position wherein a number of people have called for her firing. (Thus far, Trump has defended her.)
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Who is Kash Patel?
Kash Patel is the director of the FBI. Like Trump, he also previously amplified the idea that the government was covering up for powerful people who’d committed Epstein-connected crimes. Last week, it was reported that Patel and his deputy (more on the latter later) were “furious” with the way Bondi had handled the Epstein case. But on Friday, Patel wrote on X: “The conspiracy theories just aren’t true, never have been. It’s an honor to serve the President of the United States @realDonaldTrump—and I’ll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.”
Who is Dan Bongino?
Dan Bongino is a former podcaster turned deputy director of the FBI. Like Patel, he previously fanned the flames of the Epstein conspiracy theory, saying in 2023: “Listen, that Jeffrey Epstein story is a big deal, please do not let that story go. Keep your eye on this.” Bongino took work off on Friday and reportedly threatened to quit, but Trump later told reporters that he spoke to Bongino, calling him a “very good guy.” According to Axios, “administration officials expect Bongino to return to work, at least for a short time.” (An administration official familiar with the situation also told Axios: “Dan has made it clear he can’t stand Pam [Bondi]. And Pam has made it clear that she can’t stand Dan. So here we are.”)
Who is Laura Loomer?
In the words of The New York Times, Laura Loomer is a “right-wing agitator” who wears her “Islamophobia” proudly on her sleeve and appears to, at least on some occasions, have the ear of the president. She is very, very angry with Bondi, and wants the AG to resign.
Where does Elon Musk figure into all of this?
Musk, too, is unhappy about the government saying there’s nothing else to be said about Epstein, and has posted a number of memes about the situation. Also! During his first big feud with Trump, Musk wrote on X: “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!” Musk later deleted that post, and nonspecifically apologized for some of the things he said.
Has Trump posted anything weird on Truth Social about this?
Has he ever! On Saturday, Trump shared some thoughts on Truth Social that began, “What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’” and the continued:
