The White House reacted on Friday to multiple reports of escalating tensions between Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino over the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein memo.
The Context
The memo, released earlier this week, said Epstein, a financier and sex offender, died by suicide in 2019 in his Manhattan jail cell, confirming the findings of federal and local investigators.
This week’s memo infuriated some in President Donald Trump’s base, which has spent years peddling conspiracy theories claiming the government covered up an extensive list of wealthy politicians and businesspeople who were involved with Epstein.
What To Know
Bongino—one of Trump’s allies—who suggested Epstein’s death was part of a government cover-up—is considering resigning over the handling of the Epstein memo, according to sources cited by CNN and NBC News.
“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,” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told NewsNation.
Reporters pressed Trump administration officials this week about the Justice Department’s memo and how it contradicted Bondi’s previous statement that an Epstein “client list” was “sitting on my desk” and waiting to be reviewed.
“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?” Trump said when a reporter asked about the memo at a televised Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, during which administration officials discussed the devastating floods that struck Texas over the July Fourth weekend. “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?”
“Do you want to waste the time,” he asked, adding: “I mean, 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. It just seems like a desecration.”
What People Are Saying
Infowars host Alex Jones, who has espoused Epstein-related conspiracy theories for years, said on his show this week: “This is over-the-top sickening. Next they’ll say Jeffrey Epstein never even existed. This is the swamp winning. No one is buying this.”
Far-right influencer Laura Loomer said during a livestream: “Pam Bondi is a coward. She didn’t even sign her name to the memo. This isn’t transparency—it’s a cover-up.”
What Happens Next
Trump has given no indication that he intends to appoint a special prosecutor or that the full trove of government files related to Epstein will be released.
Update 7/11/25, 7 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and context.
The post White House Responds to Reported FBI-DOJ Epstein Files Clash appeared first on Newsweek.
