Pam Bondi to be thrown under the bus in Epstein cover-up, DC source alleges

Economic Times

5 days ago

etimes.in Pam Bondi at the center of Epstein cover-up controversy, as Trump administration faces backlash for withholding Epstein client list — reports suggest she may be fired to protect President Trump from political fallout.
Pam Bondi is in serious trouble, according to political insiders in Washington D.C., as she may be blamed for the backlash over the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Since becoming Trump's Attorney General, Bondi has been at the center of controversy, especially after the White House promised to release Epstein-related documents but then said there was nothing new to share, as per The Daily Beast report. Bondi was the one who announced that no more prosecutions would happen and that the 'client list' didn't exist—despite earlier claims it was on her desk. The release of an unsigned FBI memo, just before a holiday weekend, confirmed there would be no new revelations—angering many Trump supporters, as stated in the report by Independent.
Conspiracy theories exploded, especially in pro-Trump circles, about Epstein's death and his client list, which many believe includes powerful names. These theories were pushed by people in the current administration, including FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Dan Bongino, and Trump himself—who had a long friendship with Epstein. Many Trump fans don't want to blame him directly, so firing someone like Bondi could be his way to avoid taking responsibility. Michael Sozan, a governance expert from the Center for American Progress, said Trump treats the White House like a reality show where people get fired to save him, according to the report by Independent.
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Sozan also said that Bondi was the one who brought in conspiracy-pushers like Patel and Bongino to lead the FBI. Even if Trump pressured Bondi to hire them, she still holds the top decision-making role and likely can't escape blame. As of now, Bondi still has Trump's support, but that could change fast if things keep going badly. Another top official, Tulsi Gabbard, who is now the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), is also seen as vulnerable. Gabbard fell out of Trump's favor for making comments on Iran that went against his stance. She is now trying to win back support by pushing a 'phony treason case' against Obama and his team. The sudden release of the Obama 'treason' story surprised Bondi but made Trump happy, even though it didn't stop the outrage over the Epstein files. Bill Galston from the Brookings Institution said Trump is glad to see Bondi and Gabbard struggle because it makes them work harder to stay in his good graces, as stated by Independent report. If Bondi can't build a strong case against Obama, she may look weak, while Gabbard could appear as the one who delivered results—possibly saving her position. Any Obama-related investigation is likely to be long and pointless if it just rehashes past claims with no new proof. Bondi and Gabbard are in a tougher spot than Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has messed up multiple times but isn't directly tied to Trump's troubles. Hegseth is reportedly planning to run for Tennessee governor, using it as a way out of the mess, which Clift calls 'failing upwards.' But Bondi and Gabbard may not get a soft landing, especially if they don't succeed in pulling Trump out of the Epstein mess, as per the report by Independent.
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Q1. Why is Pam Bondi being blamed in the Epstein files case?
Pam Bondi is being blamed because she led the DOJ when Trump's team said the Epstein case was closed and no new client list would be released.
Q2. What did Tulsi Gabbard do in the Epstein cover-up controversy?
Tulsi Gabbard pushed a case against Obama to distract from the Epstein backlash and get back in Trump's good books.