by On Saturday, President Trump appeared to support his embattled attorney general, Pam Bondi, over Dan Bongino, the deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who has threatened to resign due to Ms. Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Attorney General Pam Bondi is doing an AMAZING JOB, and they are all after her! On his social media platform, Truth Social, Mr. Trump penned a long post. I don’t like what’s going on, and we’re on the same team, MAGA.
He continued by urging his fans not to waste time or effort on Mr. Epstein, the disgraced financier and registered sex offender with whom he had previously interacted and whom he had characterized in the post as a man who never dies.
According to officials, the post that Ms. Bondi welcomed was made public a day after she and Mr. Bongino got into a bloody altercation. Since Ms. Bondi accused Mr. Bongino of fabricating unfavorable news reports about her at a heated in-person meeting in the West Wing office of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who is an ally of Ms. Bondi, Mr. Bongino has not turned up for work. Mr. Bongino, who has complained about his workload and reminisced about his profitable previous career as a podcaster who spread conspiracy theories, has hinted to pals that he may quit his position.
The hard-right element of Mr. Trump’s coalition continues to vehemently criticize Ms. Bondi despite the president’s backing, accusing her of overhyping a small batch of fresh Epstein files as a shocking revelation shortly after she entered office in February. The outspoken activist Laura Loomer, who has a lot of clout with the president, has joined the rising clamor demanding that Ms. Bondi step down.
The supporters of Mr. Bongino had hoped that F.B.I. director Kash Patel, who has privately condemned Ms. Bondi’s Epstein ruse, would also think about resigning in protest. It hasn’t occurred.
Mr. Patel made his own social media comment a few hours before to Mr. Trump’s post endorsing Ms. Bondi, describing it as an honor to serve the President of the United States.
Mr. Patel wrote, “I’ll keep doing this as long as he calls on me.”
Mr. Bongino seems to be left behind by it. According to two people familiar with Ms. Bondi’s views, her administration friends feel he has destroyed his bridges and should step down.
F.B.I. and Justice Department representatives declined to comment.
