Even as Donald Trump goes from strength to strength, Pete Hegseth, his bequiffed defence secretary, frequently bears the haunted expression of a man who wants his old life back. At Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, he sat alongside his president staring vacantly through the conversation and perhaps just relieved he wasn’t in the public firing line, for once.
This time it was the turn of attorney general Pam Bondi.
President Trump’s July 4th glee over the passing into law of the sweeping tax cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill was quickly tempered by the news of the dreadful flooding in Texas, and the awkward questions over the efficiency and effectiveness of the response at federal, state and local level. By Tuesday the good vibes were further spoiled by a round of pesky questions about Jeffrey Epstein, the grotesque ghost at the banquet who will not go away.
Six years have passed since the billionaire died in Manhattan’s Metropolitan Corrections Center while waiting to stand trial on the sex trafficking of minors.
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Since his death, a growing number of Maga Republicans have become convinced that to release the full, unexpurgated Epstein files would be to substantiate their dearly held conspiracy theories that a cabal of hated Democratic figureheads were among Epstein’s prized clients.
So this week’s memo, released by Bondi, came as a nasty disappointment. The terse statement concluded that after an exhaustive review, the Department of Justice had found no incriminating “client list”. There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. The files “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged parties”. Furthermore, the review did not support the theories that Epstein had been murdered in his prison cell to prevent any trial taking place. He died by suicide.
In other words: nothing more to see here. The reaction was a combination of anger and dismay. Laura Loomer, the far-right activist, passed on a message to president Trump when asked for comment by Politico. “Blondi should be fired,” she texted in reply, referring to Bondi.
“I think she’s trying to protect herself from her own horrible record and Epstein’s crimes, which trace back to her time as AG of Florida.”
Loomer shared her repeated and caustic view of former national security adviser Mike Walz to president Trump shortly before he was removed from that role. Her criticisms of cabinet figures hold weight. Bondi may have reason to feel vulnerable. But on Tuesday, Trump moved to intercede on her behalf as she attempted to explain what seemed to be a complete reversal of intent. In February Bondi had appeared to indicate that the Epstein client list was awaiting her review. Now she was claiming it did not exist.
“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?” Trump asked, feigning incredulity at the reporter who asked Bondi about the report.
“This guy has been talked about for years. We have Texas, we have this, we have all of the things. Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable. I can’t believe you’re asking a question on Epstein at a time like this, when we’ve had some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas. It just seems like a desecration.”
The problem is that most of the talking about Epstein had been done by some of the president’s biggest supporters. The revelations contained within the Epstein files were to bring the liberal house of cards crashing down.
Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones were among those who expressed their deep dismay and disillusionment to their podcast loyalists during the week. On Thursday Bannon called for a special counsel appointment to release the evidence. There were conspicuous silences from the head offices of the FBI, whose director Kash Patel and deputy director Ban Bongino had both confidently asserted that the bureau had full access to the Epstein files back in the carefree days when they were machine-gunning their opinions and views of their political enemies. As recently as February, then White House legal counsellor Alina Habba told Piers Morgan the information they had on Epstein was “incredibly disturbing”.
“We have flight logs, we have information, names that will come out.”
And names – big, celebrity liberal names – are what the Maga world want. There are few issues on which Trump’s supporters would be willing to break from their devotion towards Trump. But this is testing their faith to the limits. The internet was busy this week with images of Trump socialising with Epstein decades ago, when the financier was insinuating himself into the lives of New York political and business elites.
Now Trump’s former “first buddy”, Elon Musk, was quick to add to the president’s discomfort: “How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won’t release the Epstein files?”
Trump ditched Musk in a heartbeat. But sometimes the dead are harder to shake off.
