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The 8 MAGA Factions Duking It Out Over Epstein
The 8 MAGA Factions Duking It Out Over Epstein

Politico

time14-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Politico

The 8 MAGA Factions Duking It Out Over Epstein

It's been a contentious time inside the MAGA coalition. In the last month alone, competing factions of President Donald Trump's supporters have repeatedly squared off over the bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities, the 'big, beautiful' tax-and-spending bill and Trump's immigration crackdown. But no issue has exposed the underlying fault lines in the MAGA tent quite like the so-called Epstein files. The furor has centered on a new government review of the evidence surrounding the disgraced financier and convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein, who died in federal prison in 2019 after being arrested on child sex trafficking charges. The unsigned report, released jointly by the FBI and Department of Justice last Monday, found no evidence of an incriminating 'client list' or a wider blackmail ring surrounding Epstein, and it concluded the financier died by suicide in his prison cell. Those findings ran contrary to the numerous theories — many of them once endorsed by members of Trump's own administration — that Epstein kept a list of the many powerful people to whom he supplied underage victims and was murdered as part of a far-reaching government conspiracy The report has sparked furious backlash from various parts of the MAGA coalition, much of it directed toward Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had promised a comprehensive account of the Epstein case, and FBI Director Kash Patel, who helped popularize various conspiracy theories surrounding the Epstein case before joining the administration. Even Trump has faced some heat from former allies and supporters. On Saturday, Trump — who has long been referenced in documents released in court cases surrounding Epstein but is not accused of wrongdoing — tried to tamp down the intra-MAGA revolt with a post on Truth Social reiterating his support for Bondi and suggesting that the Epstein files had been manufactured by his Democratic opponents. Yet Trump's digital missive appears to have done little to quell the MAGA movement's fury over the controversy, which continues to dominate the discussion in conservative circles in Washington. The fallout over the Epstein report has been distinct from the recent skirmishes over Iran and immigration. Instead of neatly dividing Trump world into two opposing and mutually antagonistic camps, the debate has fractured the right into a kaleidoscopic mélange of competing factions, throwing into sharp relief the divergent — and often contradictory — ideological impulses co-existing within MAGA-world. These warring impulses are often subsumed by the right's overwhelming fidelity to Trump, but the controversy over the Epstein files demonstrates that these dissonant strands persist despite Trump's domination of the party. Meanwhile, the controversy has pushed the MAGA movement to the brink of its most serious political schism since Trump returned to office in January. The landscape of the controversy is still shifting, as different members of Trump's coalition either fall in line or fall out. But as it stands now, here is an as-comprehensive-as-possible taxonomy of the various factions duking it out over the Epstein files. The 'Nothing to See Here'-ers Several members of Trump's administration — including Bondi and Patel — entered their new jobs stoking suspicion about a government coverup of the Epstein files and promising to use their new power to get to the bottom of the case. But now that they're in the government, they're claiming that they've gotten to the bottom — and there's nothing much to see down there. That was the gist of the DOJ and FBI report, and the message has been reenforced by Bondi and Patel in the week since. 'The conspiracy theories just aren't true, never have been,' wrote Patel — who promoted theories about Epstein's 'black book' in 2023 — in a post on X over the weekend. Bondi, meanwhile, has walked backed previous comments suggesting that Epstein's client list was 'sitting on [her] desk,' claiming she meant all the files relating to the Epstein case. The leader of the 'nothing to see here' gang is, of course, Trump himself. 'One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it's the 'HOTTEST' Country anywhere in the World,' Trump wrote in his Truth Social post on Saturday. 'Let's keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.' The Deep State Haters Another group of Trump's supporters have revived a favorite MAGA leitmotif to explain the lack of disclosure in the Epstein case: that the 'deep state' is outmaneuvering Trump's deputies to thwart the democratic will and protect itself and its elites. This faction's most voluble mouthpiece is Steve Bannon, the de facto leader of MAGA's nationalist-populist faction, though his position received some qualified support over the weekend from other MAGA activists like Charlie Kirk and Jack Posobiec. (Kirk has since said that he's 'done talking about Epstein for the time being.' Speaking at the TPUSA summit this weekend, Bannon argued that 'you can easily fit in the Epstein situation' to the alleged history of deep state efforts to foil Trump. The lack of new information in the report, Bannon alleged, is proof that Trump's allies still do not have a sufficiently powerful foothold in the national security state and intelligence apparatus — a position that at once absolves Trump and his deputies of blame and simultaneously makes the case for extending the MAGA incursion deeper into government institutions. Notably, Bannon has trod lightly around other conservatives' demands that Bondi, Patel and other Trump appointees be fired or step down. 'You could have [Deputy FBI Director] Dan Bongino resign, or Pam Bondi resign … but what you're going to have is turmoil,' Bannon said this weekend. 'What we want to do is not upend FBI and DOJ. We need to get to the bottom of Epstein.' The Israel Skeptics A slightly distinct slice of the MAGA movement has zeroed in on Epstein's alleged ties to Israel, suggesting that Epstein's sex trafficking activities could have been part of a joint U.S.-Israeli 'honeypot' operation designed to ensnare valuable intelligence targets. Last week, MAGA media megastar Tucker Carlson released a lengthy podcast interview laying out this theory with the conversative commentator Saagar Enjeti, who pointed to Epstein's relationship with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and past reporting suggesting that Epstein may have had ties to U.S. intelligence. The implication, left mostly unstated by its proponents, is that Epstein was either killed or coerced into killing himself to prevent details of a possible operation from coming to light. Notably, this line of critique is emerging from the members of the MAGA coalition who most vocally opposed the U.S. bombings of Iran and who have most openly criticized the U.S. relationship with Israel. Those views, as well as their continued skepticism over the Epstein case, have brought Carlson and his backers into more or less open conflict with Trump. 'I like Trump. I campaigned for Trump,' Carlson said in a recent interview with NBC News. 'But I've got my views.' The Loyalty Enforcers The Epstein files controversy has also become grist for the coterie of Trump's self-appointed loyalty enforcers, who have taken on the responsibility of separating the Trumpist faithful from the opportunistic hangers-on. Their leader is the MAGA activist Laura Loomer, who has repeatedly intervened in the administration to convince Trump to banish followers whom she deems insufficiently loyal — most notably several members of the National Security Council whom Trump fired in April after meeting with Loomer. Now, Loomer has set her sights on Bondi, whom she has been attacking relentlessly on social media. 'Pam Blondi is very damaging to President Trump's image,' Loomer wrote in a post on X. 'She drags the administration down and the base doesn't want her as AG.' Trump, of course, is not in the slightest to blame. Loomer has also seized on the controversy to take up some of her longstanding beefs with other prominent members of the MAGA activist class, including Tucker Carlson, Charlie Kirk and Matt Gaetz. In the meantime, she has called on Trump to appoint a special prosecutor to conduct an investigation into the files — a suggestion which, given his recent efforts to downplay the files, Trump is unlikely to follow. The Lukewarm Podcast Bros So-called podcast bros like Joe Rogan and Andrew Schulz jumped on the Trump train in 2024, but the Epstein files controversy — as well as Trump's other recent moves backing away from his more populist agenda items — seems to be giving them second thoughts. On a podcast this weekend, Schulz, wearing a tin-foil hat as a gag, accused Trump of covering up the facts of the Epstein case, saying the administration's recent report is 'insulting to our intelligence.' Rogan, meanwhile, posted this sardonic message: 'Shout out to all the people that still don't believe in conspiracies. Your ability to stick to your guns is inspiring.' Those comments come on the tail of a handful of other criticisms that the podcast bros have levied at Trump in recent weeks, suggesting that their flirtation with the MAGA movement may be coming to an end. Earlier this month, Rogan criticized Trump's 'insane' immigration crackdown for targeting non-criminal migrants, and Schulz has gone after Trump for reneging on his campaign promises by bombing Iran and adding to the federal debt with his megabill. Although Rogan and Schulz are, by their own admission, not diehard MAGA loyalists, their criticism could spell political trouble for Trump, whose ability to win over disaffected but not particularly ideological young men proved critical to his 2024 victory. But the honeymoon seems to be ending. As Schulz put it last week, 'Trump is doing the exact opposite of everything I voted for.' The Conspicuously Silent Crowd Another group of MAGA supporters have responded to the report with the most conspicuous response of all: silence. Chief among the newly silent crowd is MAGA-media-personality-turned-Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who entered the government vowing to get to the bottom of the many theories about Epstein that he once pushed, only to clam up since the report dropped. Bongino is now caught between his loyalty to Trump and his long-stated beliefs about the case, and he's gone AWOL in response: According to a report from Axios, he didn't show up to work on Friday, and CNN reported on Monday that Bongino has 'excommunicated himself from most of his colleagues after a major fallout with Attorney General Pam Bondi.' Bongino is joined in his awkward position by Vice President JD Vance, who has publicly cast doubt on the details of Epstein's death and called on the government to release Epstein's client list during the 2024 campaign. Vance has reportedly been playing the role of mediator in the intra-administration showdown about the recent report, but he has not spoken publicly about the controversy. The Plan Trusters Throughout the recent tumult for the MAGA coalition, a solid block of Trump's supporters has effectively coalesced around a new motto: 'Trust the plan.' You may not understand what Trump is up to, so the thinking goes, but Trump certainly does — and that should be good enough for the rest of us. In this case, the plan trusters concede that incriminating files might exist, but Trump and his team are justified in covering them up. 'Must be some juicy and dangerous stuff in those files. But I don't feel the need to be a backseat driver on this topic,' posted Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comics who has veered sharply to the right in recent years. 'Four leaders I trust said it's time to let it go. They want what is best for America and they have their reasons. I don't need to check their work.' There are some signs, though, that this argument is losing its hold over the MAGA base. 'We trusted the plan with Trump, but now Trump has become the deep state,' one young attendee at the TPUSA summit told Bannon this weekend. 'What is more deep state than covering up for pedophiles?' Team Elon Elon Musk, as a team of one, has not passed up on the opportunity to beat up on his ex-bestie as he tries to stake out a new political lane separate from Trump. 'How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won't release the Epstein files?' Musk posted last week. He added: 'Seriously. He said 'Epstein' half a dozen times while telling everyone to stop talking about Epstein. Just release the files as promised.'

Democrats put aside previous misgivings to hit Trump over Jeffrey Epstein files
Democrats put aside previous misgivings to hit Trump over Jeffrey Epstein files

NBC News

time14-07-2025

  • Politics
  • NBC News

Democrats put aside previous misgivings to hit Trump over Jeffrey Epstein files

Democrats are echoing criticism from the right of how President Donald Trump and his administration have handled case files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a change from Trump's first term, when Democrats swiftly condemned Trump's unfounded conspiracy theories about the investigation into the financier and his death. The party has spent days poking the bear after an administration memo knocked down conspiracy theories related to Epstein's past activities and his suicide in 2019. In Congress, Democratic committees and lawmakers are demanding that the Trump administration release more documents related to the investigation into Epstein, accusing the president and his allies of either a cover-up or a cynical ploy to exploit conspiracy theories about Epstein for political gain. And on the campaign trail, the Democratic National Committee and Democratic candidates — including ones running in places Trump won in 2024 — have been fanning the flames as some of Trump's most prominent right-wing supporters threaten a revolt over the issue. With MAGA-world seething, key members of his administration at odds, and Trump himself on the defense, Democrats are embracing the raw politics of the situation, despite their previous scolding. 'What is Trump hiding? Release the Epstein files,' the DNC's official X account posted last month. Last week, the DNC launched a new account on X that posts messages each day reminding its followers that Trump has 'not released the Epstein files.' The account has also reposted Trump-focused, Epstein-related criticism from key social media influencers. It also includes a header image of comments billionaire Elon Musk made after a spat with the White House — and without offering any evidence — in which Musk charged that Trump 'is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.' (Trump has described having had a warm social relationship with Epstein, but he long ago distanced himself from Epstein. There has never been any evidence connecting Trump to Epstein's criminal behavior.) Courts over the years have unsealed and released tranches of documents related to Epstein's case. Last week, the Justice Department and the FBI released a memo outlining that an 'exhaustive review' had found no client list for sex trafficking or evidence that would lead to additional charges being brought, and reaffirmed the finding that Epstein died by suicide in jail — validating the public material from previous document releases, testimony and media reports. The memo also added that it will be difficult to release more information because 'sensitive information relating to these victims is intertwined throughout the materials.' Asked by NBC News to discuss the strategy and how the party's messaging and tone has changed since Trump's first term, the Democratic National Committee provided a statement from Tim Hogan, its senior adviser for messaging, mobilization and strategy, who made an accountability argument about previous comments from Trump and administration officials on Epstein. 'Trump administration officials are either lying about the file and keeping it covered up to protect themselves, or they lied about its existence in a shameless political ploy to get elected. Either way, it is disgusting, and they have to be held accountable,' he said. Asked to respond to the Democratic criticism, White House spokesman Harrison Fields told NBC News in a statement: 'President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims. This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity.' 'Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all,' he added. Democrats in Congress latch on Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas announced over the weekend that he would introduce a resolution 'demanding the Trump administration release all files related to the Epstein case.' 'Either [Trump] and his acolytes fueled the rumors of the significance of these Epstein files to help his campaign, or something is there!' he posted on X, adding, 'Put up or Shut up.' Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who also announced a legislative push aimed at compelling the administration to release more Epstein information, questioned ' who are the rich & powerful being protected.' Rep. Jimmy Gomez, another California Democrat, who spent much of Friday tangling with the White House over his criticism of a recent federal immigration raid in his state, replied to the White House's criticism of him by telling them to ' release the Epstein Files. Your base wants to know. ' Fellow California members Eric Swalwell and Ted Lieu posted similar messages Friday, along with other Democrats. The attacks have hit the campaign trail — and not just in deep-blue areas. Wisconsin Democrat Rebecca Cooke used similar language to needle the Republican incumbent, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, she's challenging in a district that voted for Trump in 2024. And Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, the most vulnerable Democratic senator in next year's midterms, who is running in a state that voted for Trump last year, criticized Trump on the issue while invoking the sexual misconduct and abuse allegations against the president and his past social relationship with Epstein. (Trump has denied allegations of sexual misconduct and has denied any impropriety related to Epstein's crimes). 'President Trump promised to end the wars. He promised to release the Epstein files. Did anyone really think the sexual predator president who used to party with Jeffrey Epstein was gonna release the Epstein files?' Ossoff said at a rally in Savannah, Georgia. The attacks from Democrats are not likely to abate after Trump took to his Truth Social platform over the weekend imploring followers to stop attacking his administration over the case, writing: 'What's going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals?'' He went on to accuse Democrats of fabricating documents about Epstein and called the focus on Epstein a distraction from his successes. (Neither Trump nor his administration has ever presented evidence Democrats doctored files related to Epstein.) A major shift The message from Democrats is a shift in how they used to respond to Epstein-related conspiracy theories and to Trump's Epstein-related musings. After Trump shared an unfounded conspiracy theory on social media in 2019 that Democrats could be involved in Epstein's death, a parade of Democratic presidential hopefuls lambasted the president. Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas criticized Trump on CNN for 'using this position of public trust to attack his political enemies with unfounded conspiracy theories,' while Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey panned Trump's 'recklessness' in 'giving life to not just conspiracy theories but really whipping people up into anger' in another interview on the network. Now, Democrats are defending the messaging. Brian Beutler, an influential newsletter author and liberal journalist, wrote in the Friday edition of his Off Message newsletter that Democrats need to confront the 'tension' between the party's 'desire to contest elections on safe ground like health care policy' and 'the new consensus that reaching marginal voters will require engaging with the online influencers and pop-culture figures those voters admire.' 'Politicos love admonishing each other to 'meet people where they are,' but what if 'where they are' is in the intersection of a Pop-Wellness/Epstein Files Venn diagram?' he wrote. He added: 'It took until this week for Democrats to realize that the bugbear of 'the Epstein files' wasn't just dumb right-wing nonsense, but something tons of people (even people who aren't particularly committed to Donald Trump) actually care about.' The topic is back in the news because of a memo from the Justice Department and the FBI, released last week, which amounted to a stark change in tune from Trump and some key officials from over the years. In addition to Trump's comments about Epstein during his first term, both FBI Director Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, the deputy director, fanned similar Epstein-related theories during their own pre-administration media appearances; and Attorney General Pam Bondi played into the administration's hype about the files both in media appearances as well as by bringing conservative influencers to the White House to receive binders labeled 'The Epstein Files: Phase 1.' The debate over the 'Epstein files' has been a major topic of conversation on the far-right for years, particularly after his 2019 arrest and subsequent suicide in federal prison. In 2023, a Justice Department inspector general report highlighted misconduct, negligence and errors by Bureau of Prisons employees surrounding Epstein's suicide, but it found no evidence to undercut the finding he killed himself. And the more recent memo from the FBI and the Justice Department found no evidence of an 'incriminating 'client list'' or other evidence that could lead to additional prosecutions, findings that are in line with years of public reporting about Epstein's sexual abuse of underage girls.

With ‘Epstein list,' Trump is hoist by his own conspiracy-theory petard
With ‘Epstein list,' Trump is hoist by his own conspiracy-theory petard

The Hill

time11-07-2025

  • Politics
  • The Hill

With ‘Epstein list,' Trump is hoist by his own conspiracy-theory petard

If you live by the sword, you die by the sword — and if you live by conspiracy theories, you'll probably choke on them. So it should come as no surprise that President Trump and his administration now find themselves in the awkward position of having to play the grown-ups and talk their own base down from the ledge. Judging by his sour tone, it's a role that Trump loathes. At a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, a reporter asked Attorney General Pam Bondi about the Justice Department's claim that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide and, inconveniently, left no 'client list.' Trump, clearly annoyed, cut in: 'Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years. You're asking — we have [deadly flooding in] Texas. We have this. We have all of the things. And are people still talking about this guy, this creep?' Ah, yes. The man who built an entire political career out of winking at every fever dream about elites drinking baby blood now wants us to stop asking all those pesky questions so he can focus on serious matters. You don't have to be a genius to savor the irony, nor a sadist to enjoy the spectacle of MAGA-world being hoist by its own petard over the mythical 'Epstein list.' From the beginning, Trump's rise was powered by weaponized paranoia. His entry ticket into presidential politics was the racist birther lie about former President Barack Obama. Later, he gladly rode the wave of QAnon — a movement obsessed with Satanic pedophile rings and sex-trafficking cabals — and happily soaked up the support of every tinfoil-hatter who would have him. Naturally, these same people became convinced that the release of Epstein's 'list' would finally unmask the sinister elite cabal that has secretly ruled the planet since the dawn of time — with the added benefit of humiliating Trump's enemies. The fantasy went something like this: The Deep State was hiding the truth, but Trump (their glorious truth-teller) would win in 2024, root the traitors out of big government and jail the globalist cosmopolitan elites preying on our children. Instead? We got Bondi — who once boasted she had the files 'sitting on my desk right now' — suffering a sudden case of amnesia. Which raises some questions. Which Bondi was lying? Fox News Bondi, who claimed to have the goods? Or Cabinet room Bondi, who claims she's never seen such a list? Then there's Elon Musk — the richest man on earth and erstwhile Trump superfan — who not long ago tweeted angrily that Trump was on Epstein's client list, only to delete the post later. Was Musk lying? Is Trump really on the list? These questions aren't difficult to ask, although they are apparently difficult for Trump's supporters to answer. Either Bondi and Musk are outrageous liars (and should be fired or shamed out of polite society), or Trump is actually guilty of heinous crimes. It's not a logical leap to put these things together, so why do the MAGA faithful — who can somehow find hidden codes in the words 'cheese pizza' — now seem incapable of seeing the obvious contradictions? At some point, Democrats may need to get better at helping people connect the dots. Not that serious Democratic leaders should go full Q, but it wouldn't hurt to have a few shameless surrogates 'just asking questions' — like so many of Trump's MAGA influencers. After all, there are plenty of pictures of Trump and Epstein together looking chummy, and Trump himself once called Epstein a 'terrific guy' who 'likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' How hard could this be? Then again, most of the Americans open to conspiracy theories have sorted into the Republican Party, and there's not much hope of turning them against Dear Leader. Indeed, many of the same Republicans who screamed about Epstein when they thought the matter would take down former President Bill Clinton have now gone curiously silent. To be fair, a few conspiracy diehards — Alex Jones among them — have grumbled that Trump is hiding the truth. But most have simply invented elaborate rationalizations claiming that Trump is somehow both personally innocent and covering for others. In a sane world, such a cover-up would be outrageous, explosive and disqualifying. But we're not in a sane world. We're in a world where the same people who recently claimed Trump was about to start World War III when he bombed Iran are still making excuses for him. Whether Trump's name is on 'the list' — which likely doesn't even exist — is beside the point. What has been established, and what the Trump White House desperately wants you to ignore, is that once again the powerful are lying to you. Again. As always. Matt K. Lewis is a columnist, podcaster and author of the books 'Too Dumb to Fail' and 'Filthy Rich Politicians.'

Conspiracy Theorists Are Turning On the President
Conspiracy Theorists Are Turning On the President

Atlantic

time10-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Atlantic

Conspiracy Theorists Are Turning On the President

The Trump administration had promised a bombshell. Americans, many of whom had spent years wondering over the unknowns in the Jeffrey Epstein case, would finally get their hands on the secret files that would explain it all. What really happened when the accused sex trafficker died in jail back in 2019? And who was on his 'client list'—a rumored collection of famous and powerful people who participated in Epstein's crimes? In a September 2024 interview on the Lex Fridman Podcast, Donald Trump suggested that he would release the list if reelected. 'Yeah, I'd be inclined to do the Epstein; I'd have no problem with it,' Trump said. He indulged speculation about Epstein after his reelection as well. In February, the White House hosted a collection of MAGA-world influencers and gave them binders full of heavily redacted Epstein-related documents labeled Phase 1, suggesting more to come. The Trump administration has been unusually focused on messaging about such information, making a show of pulling the curtain back on supposed secrets. Trump similarly promoted the release of further documents related to the John F. Kennedy assassination, along with records on the killings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. In an executive order signed this January, the administration framed these efforts as 'PROVIDING AMERICANS THE TRUTH.' At an April hearing on those files, Nancy Mace, a Trump ally and representative from South Carolina, brought up the so-called Epstein list. In a meandering statement, she spoke about her desire to see documents regarding Epstein, as well as Hunter Biden's laptop and the origins of the coronavirus. All have been recurring internet fascinations among Trump's supporters. 'Sunshine literally is the best medicine,' Mace argued. A personal wish list of coveted secrets is not exactly the same thing as a principled call for government transparency. But the two are easy to conflate and can have some incidental overlap, which can be politically useful. The promise of previously withheld revelations has allowed Trump to frame himself as an outsider fighting on behalf of voters who have been kept in the dark by the establishment. The catch is that once he was back in office, he was put in the awkward position of having to deliver. On Monday, the FBI released a memo saying that it had reviewed all of its files on Epstein and that it does not plan to release more after all; there will be no Phase 2. According to the FBI, only a 'fraction' of the remaining material would have become public if Epstein had lived to go to trial, because it includes 'a large volume' of illegal content involving underaged victims of sexual abuse—in other words, material that cannot be released to the public. The memo also noted, in one breezy paragraph, that the bureau's review had uncovered neither a client list nor evidence 'that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions.' There will be no new investigation against 'uncharged third parties,' the memo said. This has come as a shock to a group of people who have long bought into the idea that Trump would one day unmask an evil ring of Democrats and liberal-coded celebrities. Anna Paulina Luna, a representative from Florida and the chair of the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, which facilitated the recent document releases regarding JFK, told me that she will be asking the Department of Justice to authorize the release of more Epstein details anyway. 'I think the American people still have questions and there is stuff that they can release,' she said. She didn't comment specifically on the existence of a client list and said she didn't yet know exactly what kind of documents the FBI might still have (clarifying that she agreed that the bureau should not release any private details about victims or child-sexual-abuse material). In the meantime, the about-face on the Epstein files is splintering MAGA world, and many Trump allies are feeling betrayed and unmoored. 'No one believes there is not a client list,' wrote Marjorie Taylor Greene, the representative from Georgia who has avidly promoted QAnon conspiracy theories. 'This is a shameful coverup to protect the most heinous elites,' one of the influencers who went to the White House in February, Rogan O'Handley (who goes by 'DC Draino'), told his more than 2 million X followers on Monday. Longtime Trump loyalists, including the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, started sharing a meme on Monday that depicted a bunch of cartoon lizard people laughing about having pulled one over on the unsuspecting public yet again. Strange—some readers may be old enough to remember when it was Hillary Clinton and other Democrats who were the shadowy reptilian elite, secretly shedding their human skin whenever out of public sight. Significant ire has been directed at Attorney General Pam Bondi, who responded to a question about a client list in February by saying it was 'sitting on my desk right now to review.' During a press conference on Monday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Bondi had actually been referring to 'the entirety of all the paperwork' on Epstein and not to a specific document. Shortly thereafter, the online crowd began questioning why Leavitt had not been wearing her usual cross necklace at the briefing—a sign, perhaps, that she was lying and didn't want to do so in front of God (to paraphrase the posts, which were mostly ruder than that). When I asked Luna if Trump's supporters had a right to feel frustrated, she deflected the question, saying, 'I can't speak for people on the internet or the president. What I can say is President Trump is on the cusp of negotiating a permanent cease-fire with Israel and Hamas in Gaza. This is overshadowing the amount of success the administration has had in that sense.' Yet this is undeniably a turning point for the highly online among Trump's base. The story of the client list had effectively morphed into a more palatable and plausible version of the QAnon conspiracy theory. As does QAnon, it features a secret ring of evildoers, though it doesn't have certain ostentatious elements of that conspiracy (no harvesting blood). But both theories encourage people to disbelieve everything the government tells them. Until now, Trump and his appointees were positioned as exceptions to that rule—the deal was that if they got back into power, they would reveal all. From the June 2020 issue: The prophecies of Q Mark Fenster, a professor at the University of Florida's law school who has written about government transparency and conspiracy theories, observed to me that, with his administrative appointments, Trump had made implicit promises to his supporters. 'He specifically nominated people for high-level positions who have been engaged in conspiracy theories for the past five-plus years,' Fenster pointed out. For instance, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino have offered wild theories about the Epstein case in the past—Patel once suggested that the FBI may be covering up evidence to protect unnamed elites, while Bongino said he'd heard a rumor that Epstein was a foreign intelligence agent. Now the conspiracy is mutating again to fit the administration's reversal. 'To hear Pam Bondi and to hear Kash Patel and Don Bongino saying there is no list—you're going to say, 'Well, they must be part of the conspiracy too,'' Fenster suggested, which is certainly one avenue people have gone down. Because the FBI's memo coincided roughly with a diplomatic visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, others have started suggesting that Epstein was secretly a Mossad agent (a claim often expressed with anti-Semitic rhetoric). Alex Jones, who was initially furious about the FBI memo, has since speculated that Trump has actually taken 'control' of the alleged list and is using it to blackmail the 'deep state' behind the scenes. Of course, some have started picking apart the FBI memo itself. It concluded with links to two videos of a hallway in the Metropolitan Correctional Center where Epstein had been held, showing that nobody went into his cell the night of his death. Viewers quickly noticed that the clock in the corner of the video skips from 11:59:00 to 12:00:00, which suggested to them that a minute of footage was missing. On Tuesday afternoon, when a reporter attempted to ask Bondi about the foreign-intelligence theory and the video-clock issue, Trump cut in. 'Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?' he asked incredulously. 'This guy's been talked about for years. You're asking—we have Texas, we have this, we have all of the things, and are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable.' Bondi said she didn't mind answering the question, but Trump went on. 'I can't believe you're asking a question on Epstein at a time like this where we're having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas,' he said, referring to the flooding that has killed at least 120 people. Eventually, he waved for Bondi to go ahead. She told the reporter she had no knowledge of Epstein being an agent, then explained that the video hadn't been doctored and that the clocks on the outdated cameras in the Metropolitan Correctional Center always jump ahead as they approach midnight. From what I saw, hardly anyone online was buying this explanation, which comes as no surprise. Trump and his administration invited conspiracy theories into the White House. Now they're going to have a hard time getting them out.

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