Right-wing influencers Megyn Kelly and Ben Shapiro locked horns over the Jeffrey Epstein investigation on Monday, as MAGA continues revolting over the Trump administration’s handling of the case.
Why It Matters
The administration ignited a firestorm of criticism from the president’s base when the Department of Justice (DOJ) said last week that Epstein, a financier and sex offender, died by suicide in 2019 in his Manhattan jail cell, confirming the findings of federal and local investigators. The department also said it would not release any more information regarding the Epstein probe to the public.
The memo infuriated Kelly and other high-profile members of Trump’s coalition, who for years have peddled conspiracy theories claiming Epstein was murdered and that the government covered up an extensive list of wealthy politicians and businesspeople who were involved with Epstein.
What To Know
Kelly has been among the most outspoken voices in the MAGA sphere—attacking Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DOJ—accusing them of engaging in a cover-up in connection to the Epstein memo.
She and Shapiro duked it out over Epstein when Shapiro appeared on the former Fox News host’s eponymous YouTube show Monday.
Kelly said she has her “own sources high up in the law enforcement” apparatus who believe Epstein was “an agent” and that he didn’t kill himself.
Shapiro pushed back: “I mean, that’s fine, then they should come out and they should say that. And then they should say who’s covering that up.”
“Ben, they can’t,” Kelly shot back. “I mean, there are a lot of people who say they can’t, right? They can’t because, let’s look at what the administration is saying right now, they don’t want to be the one to cross [President Donald] Trump.”
Shapiro countered that the public and Trump’s base should put more weight on the administration’s statements because Bondi, Trump, FBI Director Kash Patel and other high-ranking officials have signed their names to them.
Shapiro went on to say that Kelly’s sources should also go public, because “otherwise, we’re just in the realm of pure speculation and, frankly, I just don’t find that useful.”
“I can claim that [Epstein] was working for a cadre of space aliens who are blackmailing high-profile Americans in order to protect from a future invasion,” Shapiro said. “And there’s just about as much evidence for that as many of the claims that were being made on the other side.”
The money is super suspicious…”@BenShapiro and @MegynKelly debate whether Jeffrey Epstein was an intelligence asset for America or Israel.Watch and download:https://t.co/YO9IF6OZ2y pic.twitter.com/GMHCMDlOAA
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) July 14, 2025
Kelly isn’t the only faithful MAGA supporter clamoring for more details from the administration about the Epstein investigation, despite Trump and Bondi resisting those demands.
Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, has repeatedly called for Trump to appoint a special prosecutor to release all documents related to the Epstein investigation.
Laura Loomer, far-right commentator and one of the most influential voices in Trump’s political circle and in his broader MAGA coalition, warned on X: “People make their own choices and decisions, but mark my word, the lack of actual results at the DOJ and lack of transparency that translates into incompetence will cost the GOP House and Senate seats. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Kelly also continued hammering the attorney general, even after Trump rallied to Bondi’s defense in a Truth Social post on Saturday.
“What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’” Trump wrote. “They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening.”
“We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump continued.
Kelly took to X to air her grievances, writing: “I’m sure it’s a relief for Pam Bondi to hear the president is still in her corner. Unfortunately, huge swaths of the party are not. She repeatedly misled on Epstein. Then didn’t have the courage to explain herself. Suddenly, she’s camera shy & no Qs allowed. Good luck!”
Why Is MAGA Upset About the Epstein Files?
Last week’s memo from the DOJ undercut years of public statements from top Trump allies and administration officials.
The White House in February invited a group of far-right influencers for a visit and gave them binders marked, “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified.” The binders contained information that had already largely been in the public domain.
Bondi in May said there were “tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn,” which fueled a belief among some MAGA influencers that the government had intentionally suppressed details about powerful figures being linked to Epstein.
“It’s a new administration and everything is going to come out to the public,” Bondi also said. She later claimed that Epstein’s “client list” was “sitting on my desk” and waiting to be reviewed.
In addition to fueling a public revolt, last week’s Epstein memo created fissures within the top ranks of the DOJ and FBI, culminating in FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino reportedly fleeing Washington, D.C., and threatening to resign in protest over the memo and Bondi’s handling of the case. Bongino has spent years promoting the right-wing conspiracy theory that Epstein was murdered as part of a “deep state” cover-up.
Turning Point USA founder and right-wing podcast host Charlie Kirk also spent the weekend talking about Epstein and questioning why the administration hadn’t released more, though he later changed course, saying Monday that he’s “done” discussing Epstein. The reversal came after Trump and Kirk had a phone call over the weekend, multiple media outlets reported.
Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, also told MAGA influencer Benny Johnson in an interview Monday that she believes the administration will put out more information in connection to the Epstein case, a sign that Trump’s inner circle is taking public pushback over the investigation seriously.
Trump “hears all the noise” around the Epstein case and will “set things right,” the president’s daughter-in-law told Johnson.
“There needs to be more transparency” related to the government’s investigation into Epstein’s 2019 death, Lara Trump added. “I think that will happen. I know this is important to the president. He is frustrated.”
The White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on whether it plans to release more documents related to the Epstein probe.
What People Are Saying
Lara Trump also told Benny Johnson on Monday: “He is going to want to set things right. I believe there will be more coming and anything they are able to release, they will try to get out. They hear it and understand it.
“To anyone worked up out there, there is no plot to keep this information away. I’m sure we will know down the line.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday that the Trump administration should release all files related to the disgraced financier and alluded to speculation about Trump being in the files: “The American people deserve to know the truth. What, if anything, is the Trump administration and the Department of Justice hiding?”
Infowars host Alex Jones, who has espoused Epstein-related conspiracy theories for years, said on his show last 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.”
Loomer added 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.”
The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article.
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