U.S. President Donald Trump addressed growing backlash from his political base regarding his administration’s decision to close the Jeffrey Epstein case, calling the controversy a "hoax" in a lengthy post on Truth Social Saturday morning.
In the post, Trump lashed out at critics within his MAGA movement who have turned on him and Attorney General Pam Bondi, stating:
“What’s going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals'? They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.”
Trump also dismissed interest in the Epstein Files, claiming they were manufactured by his political enemies:
“Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration… They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier…”
He reiterated his full support for Bondi, who had previously claimed to possess Epstein’s "client list," stating:
“LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB — SHE’S GREAT!”
Trump further stated that the FBI’s priorities should be focused on “stolen elections” and rooting out other forms of corruption.
FBI Director Kash Patel, who had once questioned the official story of Epstein’s 2019 death, as well as claimed that credible sources told him Epstein was working for the CIA, also attempted to calm down the voters on Saturday, posting on X (formerly Twitter):
“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.”
Patel’s remarks followed reports that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino walked out of a meeting with Bondi on Wednesday after a heated exchange over the decision to close the Epstein case. Bongino has not returned to work since, according to sources.
The fallout stems from the Department of Justice’s release last Sunday of its final report on Epstein’s death, which concluded that the disgraced financier committed suicide in his jail cell and acted without accomplices in his criminal activities. The decision has enraged many in Trump’s base, who believe Epstein was tied to intelligence services and was murdered to cover up for powerful elites, including Trump himself.
The backlash has exposed fractures within the MAGA movement, with some of Trump’s most loyal supporters calling for further investigations or even resignations within his administration. Saturday’s post appears to have been an effort by Trump to quell the unrest and reassert control over the narrative.
However, given the deep-seated suspicion surrounding Epstein’s death and connections, it remains unclear whether Trump’s defense will calm his increasingly skeptical base.