Because of course.
“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years. We have Texas, we have this, we have all other things, and are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable.” by Fox News Twitter/X is in the Public DomainSo, this is apparently a thing:
- Wired, “Metadata Shows the FBI’s ‘Raw’ Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Was Likely Modified”
- Fox, “MAGA world erupts over Trump’s defense of Bondi amid Epstein files fallout”
- NBC News, “Trump faces a revolt from his MAGA base over the Epstein files”
- Rolling Stone, “The DOJ’s Epstein Memo Is Tearing the Trump Administration Apart”
- NBC News, “Tucker Carlson leads MAGA’s worried warriors in questioning Trump”
- The Hill, “Bannon warns GOP could lose 40 House seats over Epstein files”
- Fox News, “Andrew Schulz turns on Trump over budget, wars, Epstein documents: ‘I voted for none of this'”
- Raw Story, “‘I don’t buy it’: Fox News turns on Trump over Epstein ‘ticking time bomb'”
- NY Post, “FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino weighs quitting over Trump admin handling of Jeffrey Epstein ‘client list’”
- David French, NYT, “MAGA Is Tearing Itself Apart Over Jeffrey Epstein”
- NYT, “Trump Pleads With Followers to Back Bondi in Dispute Over Epstein Inquiry”
- Rolling Stone, “Blaming ‘Obama, Crooked Hillary’: Trump’s Epstein Memo Meltdown Gets Even Worse”
The tl;dr version:
The fallout from newly released Jeffrey Epstein files has triggered a political earthquake within the MAGA movement, exposing a growing rift between Donald Trump and many of his most ardent supporters. As questions mount over Epstein’s client list, possible cover-ups, and Trump’s continued defense of controversial allies like Pam Bondi, a wave of backlash is emerging from both the conservative media and the grassroots. Critics are accusing Trump of betraying the movement’s core values—chief among them, fighting elite corruption—and instead engaging in the very cronyism he once railed against.
A major flashpoint is a Wired investigation that found likely tampering in surveillance footage from Epstein’s jail cell. Metadata from what the FBI labeled “raw” video suggests the files were modified after their creation, undermining the government’s claim that the footage is a complete and unaltered record. “The idea that the most high-profile prisoner in America’s custody mysteriously dies, and the footage just happens to be altered? It’s insulting,” said one digital forensics expert interviewed by Wired. For MAGA supporters who have long claimed Epstein’s death was part of a deeper conspiracy, this discovery validates their fears—and raises new questions about who had the power to suppress the truth.
Rather than capitalize on this distrust of elites, Trump has fanned outrage by defending Pam Bondi, Florida’s former attorney general, who was involved in early Epstein legal proceedings and is now a Trump loyalist. “Pam is a great person who did everything right,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “She’s being unfairly targeted by people who should know better.” But critics argue that Trump’s defense of Bondi appears more like an effort to shield his inner circle than to seek justice. “You can’t claim to be anti-establishment and then protect the establishment,” one MAGA influencer tweeted. “This is swamp behavior.”
NBC News and Fox News report that Bondi’s role in the Epstein scandal has become a major point of contention within MAGA ranks. According to NBC, one Trump campaign insider said, “There’s real concern this is going to fracture the base. People feel betrayed.” Trump’s pleas for unity are falling on deaf ears, with many conservatives openly questioning his priorities.
Tucker Carlson, a once-reliable Trump defender, has taken aim at Trump’s response. “The question is simple: if you say you’re for exposing Epstein and his clients, then why are you defending the people who failed to do just that?” Carlson asked on his show. “If Trump can’t give us the full truth, then what exactly is he protecting?” Carlson’s criticism highlights a growing sentiment among conservative media voices that Trump’s loyalty to personal allies is overtaking his commitment to transparency.
Steve Bannon echoed this concern in remarks to The Hill, warning, “If the GOP doesn’t take the Epstein files seriously, we could lose 30 or 40 House seats. People are watching. They want accountability—not excuses.” Bannon, who has positioned himself as a populist purist, emphasized that this issue cuts to the heart of MAGA’s identity. “This is the swamp. If we don’t drain it, we’re no better than the people we replaced.”
Public figures outside of traditional politics are also weighing in. Comedian and podcast host Andrew Schulz, who previously supported Trump, expressed his disillusionment bluntly on-air: “I voted for none of this. Not for the wars, not for the out-of-control spending, and definitely not for covering up Epstein’s client list. That’s not America First—that’s elite protection.” Schulz’s comments reflect a broader cultural shift, especially among younger conservatives who once supported Trump’s outsider appeal but now feel betrayed.
Even Fox News, long a stronghold of Trump loyalty, has begun airing dissent. In a segment flagged by Raw Story, Fox contributor Lisa Kennedy questioned Trump’s silence. “The Epstein documents are a ticking time bomb,” she said. “Why hasn’t Trump done more to release the full list? It’s a fair question.” Another Fox commentator added, “I don’t buy it. If Trump wanted transparency, we’d have it by now.”
The backlash has reportedly reached inside Trump’s own administration. According to the New York Post, Dan Bongino, FBI Deputy Director and a staunch Trump supporter, is considering resignation due to frustration over the administration’s handling of Epstein-related inquiries. “Dan’s loyal, but he’s not going to compromise his integrity,” a source told the Post. “He’s furious about how this is being handled.”
The broader picture, as painted by the New York Times and Rolling Stone, is one of unraveling unity. David French, in an op-ed for the Times, wrote, “The MAGA movement is tearing itself apart because it can’t reconcile its anti-elite rhetoric with Trump’s elite alliances.” He added, “There’s a reason why this scandal is resonating. It’s because it strikes at the very heart of what MAGA was supposed to stand for.”
In a separate NYT report, Trump was described as “pleading” with followers to support Bondi, framing the backlash as “a win for the Democrats.” But that framing appears to be losing traction. “We didn’t sign up to protect Epstein’s friends,” one Trump voter posted on Truth Social. “If Trump did, maybe he’s not the guy anymore.”
Rolling Stone further detailed how Trump, faced with escalating criticism, has reverted to old tactics—blaming “Obama,” “Crooked Hillary,” and “deep state operatives” for the scandal. But even some of his own supporters are no longer convinced. “The greatest hits aren’t working anymore,” wrote one conservative columnist. “We want accountability, not nostalgia.”
The Epstein fallout has created the most serious test of Trump’s hold over the MAGA movement since January 6. At the heart of the crisis is a simple but explosive question: Will Trump stand with the people—or with the powerful? For a movement built on exposing elite corruption, the answer may define its future.
The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Will Bunch, or at least his headline writer, captures my sentiment pithily in a paywalled column titled, “MAGA cares more about Jeffrey Epstein than dying without Medicaid, which explains everything.”
There are a hundred things that the administration has done in the last five months—yes, it’s only been five months—that concern me more than this. But I’m probably in the second percentile in my interest in celebrity gossip.
That said, there has been speculation for the last decade that, surely, This Thing is what will cause the MAGA faithful to turn against Trump. I am, to say the least, skeptical that this will finally be it.
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