Trump praises Patel and Bongino as they receive ire over Epstein memo
President Trump praised FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino for going “back to the basics” in a Truth Social post, as the two men have come under fire from right-wing influencers over a report disproving several conspiracy theories about disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
“We have the Greatest Law Enforcement professionals in the World, but 'Politics' and Corrupt Leadership often prevented them from doing their job. That is no longer the case, and now, they have been unleashed to do their jobs, and they are doing just that,” Trump wrote alongside an article from a conservative outlet claiming the United States is on track for its lowest murder rate ever.
The report from the FBI and the Department of Justice released Monday said there was no evidence that Epstein blackmailed powerful global figures or kept a comprehensive “client list” of influential politicians and businesspeople to whom he trafficked underage girls. The report also said that Epstein died by suicide, a statement consistent with previous assessments of his death.
The findings — or lack thereof—have been disappointing for some on the online right, who hoped that the Trump administration would vindicate conspiracy theories that Epstein was linked to a nefarious child trafficking plot.
“We will NEVER listen to anything Dan Bongino, Kash Patel, or Pam Bondi says ever again,” wrote Philip Anderson, a Texas man who was arrested for his participation in the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol, wrote on X.
Trump notably did not offer support in his post for Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has also drawn ire from the online MAGA-verse, including from close presidential ally Laura Loomer. Loomer has demanded that Bondi resign.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the memo’s findings at a press briefing Monday, calling the investigation “exhaustive.”