Democratic strategist David Axelrod suggested Sunday that President Trump is to blame for Attorney General Pam Bondi’s “180” when it comes to releasing files related to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“I’ve said this from the start: Anyone who thinks Pam Bondi decided on her own to do a 180 and inflame MAGA on the Epstein file release hasn’t been paying attention,” Axelrod said in a Sunday post on the social platform X.
“There’s only one guy who could have ordered it–and had a motive to–but it’s sacrilege on the Right to say it!” he added.
Right-wing influencers who have long promoted conspiracy theories about Epstein recently turned their ire towards the Trump administration, especially Bondi, due to a recent Justice Department memo seeking to sink those theories.
The Monday memo said there was no evidence that Epstein kept a “client list” or that he attempted to blackmail powerful figures implicated in his crimes. It also concluded Epstein’s death was due to suicide, pushing back against theories that he was secretly murdered.
Bondi in February said an Epstein client list was on her desk to be reviewed. The attorney general said Monday she had been referring to a variety of files related to the Epstein case, not a specific list of names.
Trump has faced rare criticism from his base over the memo, angrily saying during a Cabinet meeting that people should not waste their time talking about Epstein.
Bondi has reportedly clashed with deputy FBI director Dan Bongino, who regularly pushed for the release of Epstein evidence as a conservative media figure, over the handling of the case.
The president praised Bondi on Saturday for doing a “FANTASTIC” job amid the uproar.
“What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’ They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Trump told reporters on Sunday evening that Bongino was in “good shape,” adding they spoke this weekend.
“Dan Bongino, very good guy. I’ve known him a long time. I’ve done his show many many times. He sounded terrific, actually. No, I think he’s in good shape,” Trump said.
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
The White House on Sunday denied any rifts within Trump’s “highly qualified and experienced law and order team.”
“This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity. Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all,” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in an emailed statement to The Hill.
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
Updated: 10:50 p.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
