Right-wing influencers who have long promoted conspiracy theories about convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein are turning their ire on the Trump administration over a new Department of Justice memo seeking to debunk those theories.
The memo released Monday said there was no evidence Epstein kept a “client list,” nor that he sought to blackmail powerful figures implicated in his crimes. It also confirmed the notorious financier died by suicide, rebutting theories that he was secretly murdered.
Many of President Trump’s staunchest MAGA backers were not convinced, blasting Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino for the findings.
“This is the swamp winning. The question is, is Trump’s DOJ actually using this to control the deep state, or are they just so overwhelmed by it they are tapping out?” far-right radio host Alex Jones asked in a ten-minute reaction video that included him breaking down into tears.
The memo — first reported late Sunday night by Axios — came after Bondi had previously said the Epstein client list was on her desk. The White House said Monday she was referring more generally to paperwork about his crimes.
That did not stop MAGA influencers from suggesting Trump’s DOJ was participating in a cover-up they had previously pinned mostly on Democrats.
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command,” wrote Benny Johnson, a popular conservative commentator, quoting George Orwell.
“Please tell this is fake news,” pleaded user Catturd, a pro-Trump X account with millions of followers.
Trump ally Laura Loomer demanded Monday that Bondi resign, calling her an “abomination.”
“The American people and MAGA base will not tolerate being lied to,” the far-right influencer wrote in a Twitter post.
“Pam Bondi is just keeping the tens of thousands of child porn videos for herself,” right-wing podcaster Tim Pool wrote.
Billionaire Elon Musk also used Epstein’s client list as a cudgel against the president during their public Twitter spat in early June, alleging that Trump had ties to the convicted sex offender. He again trolled the president on Monday, posting an image of “The Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter,” set to “0000.”
Press Secretary Karoline Levitt defended the administration’s findings during a Monday press briefing.
“This administration wants anyone who has ever committed a crime to be held accountable,” she said. “They committed to an exhaustive investigation. That’s what they did, and they provided the results of that.”
The memo follows the February release of government documents on Epstein that Bondi trumpeted as increasing transparency. Those documents, which included flight logs and a redacted address book, did not include any significant revelations.
“We were all told more was coming,” lamented right-wing commentator Jack Posobiec. “That answers were out there and would be provided. Incredible how utterly mismanaged this Epstein mess has been.”
Blogger Mike Cernovich was one of few voices to go directly after the president.
“No one is believing the Epstein coverup, @realDonaldTrump,” he posted. “This will be part of your legacy. There’s still time to change it!”
