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Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Trump calls for MAGA base to end ‘Epstein files' obsession
President Donald Trump urged his political base on Saturday to stop attacking his administration over files related to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a case that has become an obsession for conspiracy theorists. Trump's Department of Justice and the FBI said in a memo made public last week there was no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a 'client list' or was blackmailing powerful figures. They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his death by suicide at a New York prison in 2019, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe. The move was met with incredulity by some on the US far-right -- many of whom have backed Trump for years -- and strident criticism of Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. '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!' Trump said Saturday in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform. '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,' he added, referring to his 'Make America Great Again' movement. Many among the MAGA faithful have long contended that so-called 'Deep State' actors were hiding information on Epstein's elite associates. 'Next the DOJ will say 'Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed,'' furious pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Alex Jones tweeted after last week's move. 'This is over the top sickening.' Far-right influencer Laura Loomer called for Trump to fire Bondi over the issue, labeling her "an embarrassment.' But on Saturday, Trump came to the defense of his attorney general, suggesting that the so-called 'Epstein Files' were a hoax perpetrated by the Democratic Party for political gain, without specifying what benefits they hoped to attain. On Saturday, Trump struck an exasperated tone in his admonishment of his supporters. 'For years, it's Epstein, over and over again,' he said. 'Let' waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.' The US president called for Patel and Bondi to instead focus on what he terms 'The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020,' which Trump lost to Joe Biden. The Republican has repeatedly perpetuated unfounded conspiracy theories about his loss being due to fraud. He called for the FBI to be allowed to focus on that investigation 'instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same old, Radical Left inspired Documents on Jeffrey Epstein. LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB - SHE'S GREAT!' Trump, who appears in at least one decades-old video alongside Epstein at a party, has denied allegations that he was named in the files or had any direct connection to the financier. 'The conspiracy theories just aren't true, never have been,' said FBI Director Patel on Saturday, hours before Trump's social media post. Not everyone, however, seemed to be on the same page. US media reported that Dan Bongino -- an influential right-wing podcast host whom Trump appointed FBI deputy director -- had threatened to resign over the administration's handling of the issue.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump urges MAGA supporters to forget about Epstein files
US President Donald Trump has urged his supporters to stop attacking his administration over files related to late disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Trump administration faced backlash this week after the Justice Department and FBI said a client list related to Epstein never existed nor was there any evidence that Epstein may have blackmailed prominent people. "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 wrote in a lengthy post on his Truth social media platform on Saturday. Some people, including many supporters of Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, believe that the so-called "Epstein Files" include a list of clients he used to blackmail well-known individuals. The Justice Department's memo also confirmed prior findings by the FBI which concluded that Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell. It drew disbelief from far-right Trump supporters, with Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel coming in for sharp criticism. During the 2024 election campaign, Trump promised to release files relating to Epstein, who committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting prosecution on child sex-trafficking and conspiracy charges. But since he returned to office in January, some of his supporters have grown frustrated with his administration's handling of the case. Those frustrations have grown into rising anger after the FBI and the Justice Department decided this week to withhold records from the Epstein case. "Next the DOJ will say 'Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed,'" furious pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Alex Jones tweeted after last week's move. "This is over the top sickening." Much of the scrutiny has fallen on Bondi, who promised major revelations about Epstein, including "a lot of names" and "a lot of flight logs." "It's sitting on my desk right now to review," Bondi told Fox News in February when she was asked if the Justice Department would be releasing Epstein's client list. But Bondi walked that comment back this week, telling reporters that she was referring to the entire Epstein "file." "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!" Trump said in his post Saturday. . "For years, it's Epstein, over and over again," Trump wrote. "Let's … not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about," he added. Far-right influencer Laura Loomer called on Trump to fire Bondi over the issue, labeling her "an embarrassment." Although Trump appears in at least one video alongside Epstein at a party, the president has denied allegations that his name was in the files or that he had any direct connection to the disgraced financier. On Saturday, hours before Trump's Truth Social post, FBI Director Patel said the "conspiracy theories just aren't true, never have been." FBI deputy director Dan Bongino and Bondi reportedly clashed at the White House this week over the issue, with Bongino, a former influential right-wing podcast host, threatening to resign. In a bid to shift attention away from the Epstein controversy, Trump urged Patel and Bondi to focus instead on what he calls "The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020," which he lost to Joe Biden. Trump has insisted, without evidence, that he lost the election due to fraud, citing unproven conspiracy theories. He said the FBI should focus on that investigation rather than "spending month after month looking at nothing but the same old, Radical Left inspired Documents on Jeffrey Epstein." Edited by: Louis Oelofse
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Trump tells MAGA base to stop calling for Epstein list, says ‘nobody cares' about sex offender's death
WASHINGTON, July 13 — President Donald Trump urged his political base yesterday to stop attacking his administration over files related to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a case that has become an obsession for conspiracy theorists. Trump's Department of Justice and the FBI said in a memo made public last week there was no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a 'client list' or was blackmailing powerful figures. They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his death by suicide at a New York prison in 2019, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe. The move was met with incredulity by some on the US far-right — many of whom have backed Trump for years — and strident criticism of Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. '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!' Trump said Saturday in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform. '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,' he added, referring to his 'Make America Great Again' movement. Many among the MAGA faithful have long contended that so-called 'Deep State' actors were hiding information on Epstein's elite associates. 'Next the DOJ will say 'Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed,'' furious pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Alex Jones tweeted after last week's move. 'This is over the top sickening.' Far-right influencer Laura Loomer called for Trump to fire Bondi over the issue, labelling her 'an embarrassment.' But on Saturday, Trump came to the defence of his attorney general, suggesting that the so-called 'Epstein Files' were a hoax perpetrated by the Democratic Party for political gain, without specifying what benefits they hoped to attain. On Saturday, Trump struck an exasperated tone in his admonishment of his supporters. 'For years, it's Epstein, over and over again,' he said. 'Let' waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.' The US president called for Patel and Bondi to instead focus on what he terms 'The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020,' which Trump lost to Joe Biden. The Republican has repeatedly perpetuated unfounded conspiracy theories about his loss being due to fraud. He called for the FBI to be allowed to focus on that investigation 'instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same old, Radical Left inspired Documents on Jeffrey Epstein. LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB - SHE'S GREAT!' Trump, who appears in at least one decades-old video alongside Epstein at a party, has denied allegations that he was named in the files or had any direct connection to the financier. 'The conspiracy theories just aren't true, never have been,' said FBI Director Patel on Saturday, hours before Trump's social media post. Not everyone, however, seemed to be on the same page. US media reported that Dan Bongino — an influential right-wing podcast host whom Trump appointed FBI deputy director — had threatened to resign over the administration's handling of the issue. — AFP
Reuters
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Senate Democrat requests probe into FBI Director Patel's use of government plane
WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters) - The top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday asked a congressional watchdog to scrutinize FBI Director Kash Patel's use of a government airplane, amid questions about his frequent personal travel and whether he is reimbursing the government. As FBI director, Patel is required to fly on a government plane for all his travel for security reasons. If such flights are used for personal travel, the director is required by federal regulations to reimburse the government at the rate of a commercial flight. The request from Senator Dick Durbin to the Government Accountability Office came the day Patel was slated to appear in the first of two congressional appropriations hearings where he will face questions about how he has been running the bureau and press Congress to give the FBI more money. An FBI spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Durbin's letter or answer questions on whether Patel had reimbursed the government for any travel that has been personal in nature. Patel, unlike most of his predecessors, has embraced the limelight as FBI director. His social media account on X is flooded with photos of him attending NHL games and Ultimate Fighting Championship matches, where he has posed for pictures with celebrities including legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky and actor Mel Gibson. Public flight-tracking data shows that an FBI plane made at least three trips out to Nashville, where Patel's girlfriend and country singer Alexis Wilkins resides. On at least one of those trips, Patel met with Governor Bill Lee and Republican Senators Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn, according to his social media posts. Public flight records also show several FBI planes took trips to Las Vegas, where Patel maintains a residence, as well as to New York City. The timing of the New York flight coincided with an appearance by Patel at an Islanders hockey game. The New York Times previously reported on some of the flights. "Some of these flights appear to coincide with official business, but it is not clear whether all travel was mission-related or personal in nature," Durbin wrote in his letter. Durbin added that public reporting on the flights "underscores the need for clarity on whether DOJ executives—including the FBI Director — are complying with applicable regulations and reimbursement requirements for nonmission-related travel." Last week, Reuters reported that the White House is asking Congress to consider cutting the FBI's budget by about $550 million, from its current spending level of $10.6 billion. In prepared testimony on Wednesday before a U.S. House appropriations subcommittee, Patel urged Congress to give the bureau the funds it needs to combat violent crime and terrorism. "Without the funds to get ahead of our adversaries, we risk making tradeoffs that will jeopardize the safety of all Americans," he said in prepared remarks.
