Epstein files create rift as some Republicans turn on Trump

Following the Trump administration’s refusal to release documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, some Republicans and Trump’s “MAGA” base have turned against the President.

During a press conference in front of the White House on Tuesday, Trump was asked if US Attorney General Pam Bondi had told him that he was mentioned in the Epstein documents. He replied, “No.”

Trump stated that Bondi had only given him a very brief briefing on the “credibility of the different things they saw.”

“And I would like to say that these files were fabricated by Comey, fabricated by Obama, fabricated by the Biden [administration]. And for years, we have dealt with the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax, and all the things that have happened to us,” the President claimed.

Last week, the Department of Justice and the FBI issued a statement concluding that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide and effectively closed the case by confirming there was no “client list.”

Despite this, Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the files has drawn criticism from members of the Trump administration, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Dan Bongino, and Senator John Kennedy.

MAGA targets Pam Bondi

The criticism from Trump supporters has been largely aimed at Bondi. In February, Bondi boasted that she had “pulled back the curtain on the heinous acts of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators” by releasing a series of documents.

However, influential figures in the MAGA movement quickly realized that most of the documents were already public. Bondi had also claimed in February that Epstein’s “client list” was on her desk.

According to POLITICO, many MAGA supporters have always distrusted Bondi. Far-right influencers have not forgotten that Bondi did not openly defend those who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and they believe her career in Florida politics is tainted by her connections to the Republican Party establishment, particularly former state governor Jeb Bush.

As a private attorney, Bondi had even represented Pfizer, a company viewed with suspicion by some of Trump’s supporters due to the Covid-19 vaccine.

Mike Johnson called for the release of Epstein documents

House Speaker Mike Johnson also said that Bondi should release the files on Epstein.

In an interview on Tuesday with conservative influencer and commentator Benny Johnson, the House Speaker was asked about the possibility of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s ex-girlfriend convicted of trafficking underage girls, testifying before Congress or subpoenaing documents from the Department of Justice on the matter.

“I am for transparency. We are intellectually consistent on this. Look, [former President] Reagan told us to trust the American people, and I believe in that principle, and I know President Trump does. I trust him. So, he has put together a team of his choosing, and they are doing a great job. This is a very sensitive issue, but we should put it all out there and let the people decide,” Johnson said.

Johnson, who argued that the White House and its team “know facts that I don’t,” added that he was not involved in the matter but agreed that the documents “need to be put out there.”

Conservative commentators like Ben Shapiro have supported Trump, suggesting the Epstein “client list” is a fabrication and that Mossad has not spied in the US since 1987.

Conversely, commentator Megyn Kelly stated that sources confirmed to her that Epstein did not commit suicide but was targeted while working as an “agent” for the Israeli government. Shapiro countered that unnamed whistleblowers are not credible.

The missing 3 minutes in the Epstein video

Meanwhile, according to a report in WIRED, newly surfaced metadata reveals that approximately three minutes of footage were cut from the only working camera near Jeffrey Epstein’s prison cell on the night he was found dead. This video was described by the US Department of Justice and the FBI as “full raw” surveillance footage.

WIRED had previously reported that the video was assembled from two video files in Adobe Premiere Pro, contradicting the Department of Justice’s claim that it was “raw” footage.

Now, more detailed analysis shows that one of the source clips is about 2 minutes and 53 seconds longer than the portion included in the final video. This indicates that the footage may have been edited before its release. There is no information on what the minutes cut from the initial clip show.