A rift is widening inside the MAGA movement as conservative firebrand Megyn Kelly and a growing chorus of Trump-aligned influencers are calling for the ouster of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the long-awaited Jeffrey Epstein files — putting them at odds with President Donald Trump, who remains firmly in Bondi’s corner.
Speaking at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa, Florida on Friday, Kelly delivered a scorching critique of Bondi’s credibility, accusing her of misleading the public about the contents and status of the Epstein files.
“She has never missed an opportunity to go on television and dangle sweet nothings,” Kelly said, accusing Bondi of baiting the base for headlines. “Try to lead you to believe that she’s got it. It’s on her desk. It’s coming tomorrow.”
In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump fiercely defended Bondi, calling her “FANTASTIC” and blaming “Obama, Crooked Hillary, and the Biden Administration” for creating the Epstein controversy in the first place.
“We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening,” Trump wrote. “We have a PERFECT Administration. Why are we giving publicity to files written by losers and criminals?”
“I’m sure it’s a relief for Pam Bondi to hear the president is still in her corner,” Kelly posted later on X. “Unfortunately, huge swaths of the party are not.”
The outrage centers on Bondi’s February 2025 claim during a Fox News appearance that she was reviewing a “client list” tied to Epstein, which she said was “sitting on her desk.” That moment fueled hopes among Trump’s base that a bombshell release was imminent. But when the Department of Justice released what it called “phase one” of the Epstein files, many were disappointed to find little new information — much of it already publicly available.
Further skepticism was fueled by a recent DOJ memo stating that no formal Epstein client list exists, a position at odds with years of speculation and alleged leaks. Surveillance footage near Epstein’s cell around the time of his 2019 death — which the DOJ also released — was found to be missing a minute, only intensifying alternative theories.
“There are really only two options,” Kelly declared on X. “Either Bondi misled the public to get on TV, or there is a cover-up happening — and it’s happening at Trump’s direction.”
If the Turning Point USA event was any indicator of where the movement stands on the issue, the administration faces an uphill battle. Speakers including Steve Bannon, Dan Bongino, Charlie Kirk, and Tucker Carlson all voiced frustration — not necessarily with Trump, but with Bondi and the DOJ’s opaque handling of the files.
Bannon added that Epstein “is the key that picks the lock,” and that “we need to get to the bottom of Epstein,” even if that means shaking up the Justice Department. Meanwhile, Kirk accused Bondi of “humiliating” influencers like Jack Posobiec and Libs of TikTok by inviting them to a DOJ event and handing them heavily redacted binders that failed to deliver on Bondi’s previous insinuations.
The Epstein controversy is exposing a rare disconnect between Trump and his most passionate supporters, many of whom feel betrayed by the lack of transparency — and are no longer afraid to say so. While Trump remains loyal to Bondi, the same cannot be said for large portions of the grassroots coalition.
As Kelly noted during her remarks at TPUSA: “This is the first big scandal of the Trump administration that’s not a fake media scandal — it’s one of the right’s making. And it’s not going well.”
As MAGA leaders and influencers grow louder in their criticism, and Bondi stays mostly silent, the fracture within the movement may widen — unless Trump chooses to respond more directly to the rising frustration within his own ranks.
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Trump has awesome instincts and judgement. This is the first situation I feel he is making a mistake . I won’t accept covering up for child molesters because they are wealthy or powerful. This has the potential to break apart the MAGA coalition. I don’t know exactly why Trump and Bondi don’t want these sick perverts revealed but they should reverse course.
I stand with Dan Bongino. The Epstein files are not going away. MAGA folks want answers.