President Donald Trump on Tuesday stated Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi ought to launch “no matter she thinks is credible” on Jeffrey Epstein as he faces stress from his MAGA supporters.
Trump, chatting with reporters as he left the White Home, stated he obtained a “very fast briefing” on the Justice Division and FBI evaluation of the Epstein recordsdata. The briefing befell earlier than the discharge of the DOJ and FBI memo final week.
The evaluation discovered no proof the deceased financier stored a “shopper listing” of associates and no additional prices are anticipated. The division additionally launched hours of footage as a part of its evaluation, which officers say additional confirmed Epstein died by suicide whereas in custody in his jail cell in Manhattan in 2019.
ABC Information’ Katherine Faulders requested the president what Bondi advised him concerning the evaluation, “particularly, did she let you know in any respect that your identify appeared within the recordsdata?”
“No, no, she’s — she’s given us only a very fast briefing,” Trump responded earlier than making baseless claims the recordsdata have been created by a few of his political foes.
“And when it comes to the credibility of the various things that they’ve seen, and I’d say that, , these recordsdata have been made up by Comey, they have been made up by Obama, they have been made up by the Biden — and , we and we went by way of years of that with the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax, with all the various things that we needed to undergo,” Trump stated.
“We have gone by way of years of it, however she’s dealt with it very effectively, and it may be as much as her,” Trump stated of Bondi. “No matter she thinks is credible, she ought to launch.”
Bondi, when requested about Trump’s feedback to ABC Information, stated she hadn’t but seen the president’s feedback however added that the DOJ and FBI memo “speaks for itself.”
Donald Trump speaks to reporters on his strategy to board Marine One on the South Garden of the White Home on July 15, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Jim Watson/AFP by way of Getty Photos
Trump is dealing with outrage amongst his MAGA base over the administration’s dealing with of the Epstein recordsdata. It is also led to some infighting inside his administration, as Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino had a fiery confrontation with Bondi over the matter, ABC Information reported.
Amid requires her resignation, Bondi stated defiantly on Tuesday: “I’ll be right here for so long as the president desires me right here, and I imagine he is made that crystal clear.”
When requested concerning the rift between her and Bongino, Bondi stated she would not talk about personnel issues.
“I used to be with [FBI] Director [Kash] Patel all morning and we’re dedicated to conserving America protected, making America protected, working with our unbelievable companions at DEA, FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals to do the whole lot we are able to to make America protected and that is what we’re targeted on,” she stated at an occasion on the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Trump sought to quiet the revolt over the weekend by posting a prolonged protection of Bondi and urging his administration to deal with different priorities.
However the feedback continued to pour in, together with warnings from a few of Trump’s prime defenders that the problem will not be going away and will have penalties in subsequent 12 months’s midterm elections.
Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law and a Fox Information host, advised MAGA influencer Benny Johnson on Monday that she believed there did have to be “extra transparency” relating to the administration’s dealing with of the Epstein case.
Trump was requested on Tuesday what he thought of her remarks.
“The lawyer basic’s dealt with that very effectively. She’s actually finished an excellent job,” Trump stated. “And I believe that while you have a look at it, you will perceive that. I want to see that additionally. However I believe the lawyer basic, the credibility is essential. And, you need credible proof or one thing like that. And I believe the lawyer basic has dealt with it very effectively.”
In the meantime, on Capitol Hill, some Republican lawmakers expressed curiosity in Epstein’s convicted affiliate, Ghislaine Maxwell, testifying earlier than Congress.
Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, stated he believed the whole lot on Epstein must be out within the open.
“I believe all these things should be public,” Hawley stated. “I imply, I believe all the all of the paperwork, ought to all be public. I believe we might all should be out within the open. I am an enormous fan of declassifying — I believe this is not technically categorised. It is simply, , shut maintain for prosecution, however I believe we should put all of it on the market.”
Although Rep. Jim Jordan, the chairman of the Home Judiciary Committee, advised ABC Information he had “whole confidence in President Trump and his crew” relating to the Epstein matter.
ABC Information’ Luke Barr, Lauren Peller and Isabella Murray contributed to this report.
