The controversy arose on Wednesday when the government retracted its claims about Epstein, concluding that the convicted sex offender did not possess a celebrity ‘client list’ and was not murdered in his New York City prison cell in 2019.
Bongino was absent from work on Friday, leading some insiders to speculate that he had resigned. However, sources within the administration believe he is still employed, despite ongoing internal conflicts related to the Epstein matter.
The administration showcased a security video from outside Epstein’s cell as evidence that no one entered the room prior to his suicide.
The 10-hour footage contained a ‘missing minute,’ which sparked conspiracy theories within the MAGA online community regarding a potential cover-up surrounding Epstein’s death.
Investigators explained that the ‘missing minute’ resulted from an outdated surveillance recording system that shuts down daily at midnight to reset and begin recording anew. This process takes one minute, meaning that 60 seconds of footage each day are not captured.
Bongino, who had previously advocated for Epstein conspiracy theories as a MAGA-aligned podcast host before being appointed by President Trump to lead the FBI, discovered the video and promoted it both publicly and privately as evidence that Epstein had not been murdered.
This assertion, backed by FBI Director Kash Patel, another individual who transitioned from conspiracy theorist to insider, infuriated many within Trump’s MAGA movement, and criticism intensified after Axios first disclosed the release of the video along with an accompanying document.
According to two individuals familiar with Bongino’s stance, he grew increasingly frustrated with Bondi’s management of the Epstein case as she publicly made promises and failed to deliver on disclosures regarding an Epstein ‘client list’ that seemingly never existed.
MAGA influencer Laura Loomer, a critic of Bondi, stated on Friday via X that both Bongino and Patel were “furious” regarding Bondi’s management of the situation.
Some aides to Trump have criticized Bondi; however, a senior official from the White House remarked that the president “adores Pam and believes she is exceptional.”
Among those who observed the confrontation between Bondi and Bongino at the White House on Wednesday were Patel, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich.
During the conversation, Bongino was asked about a report from NewsNation that suggested he and Patel had sought further information about Epstein in the past but were hindered. Bongino denied any acknowledgment of such a request.
“Pam expressed her views. Dan shared his perspective. The discussion did not conclude amicably,” stated an individual informed about the intense exchange. According to the source, Bongino departed in anger.
“The reality is that Dan supported the release of the information along with the video and had no objections until he faced backlash online,” a senior administration official conveyed to Axios.
“Bongino discovered the video that had a missing minute. He endorsed it following a ‘thorough review,’ he claimed, believing this would resolve the issue. When that failed, he became extremely upset and left D.C.,” said a source supportive of Bongino. “Dan is not the villain in this situation. He should not be blamed.”
On Friday morning, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche commented on X, indicating that he “collaborated closely with @FBIDirectorKash and @FBIDDBongino on the joint FBI and DOJ memo concerning the Epstein Files. All of us approved the memo’s content and the conclusions it presented.”
“The assertion by anyone that there was any discrepancy between the leadership of the FBI and DOJ regarding the creation and release of this memo is unequivocally false,” Blanche further stated.
