Attorney General Pam Bondi, front, with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, back left to right, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Agriculture to rollout the USDA'S National Farm Security Action Plan and discuss actions being taken to protect American agriculture from foreign threats in Washington, Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Share this @internewscast.com

President Donald Trump sprang to the defense of Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday amid increasing criticism from far-right influencers and conservative internet figures regarding the Justice Department’s sudden decision not to release more documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking probe.

During a White House Cabinet meeting, when a reporter attempted to question Bondi about Epstein, Trump interrupted and reprimanded the journalist: “Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This topic has been covered for years.”

“I find it surprising that you’re asking about Epstein at such a time, when we’re witnessing significant achievements and, unfortunately, tragedy like what happened in Texas — discussing it now feels inappropriate,” he continued.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, front, with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, back left to right, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Agriculture to rollout the USDA'S National Farm Security Action Plan and discuss actions being taken to protect American agriculture from foreign threats in Washington, Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing mounting criticism over the Justice Department’s abrupt refusal to release additional documents from the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation. (AP)

The comments appeared to signal continued job security for Bondi and amounted to a striking rebuke of members of Trump’s base who have called for her resignation and mocked her for what they say is her failed commitment to release incriminating files from the Epstein investigation.

A supposed Epstein “client list” that Bondi once intimated was sitting on her desk for review does not exist, the Justice Department acknowledged in a two-page memo Monday that further riled conservative critics who’d been hoping for proof of a government cover-up.

Bondi has faced pressure after a first document dump she hyped failed to deliver revelations.

Far-right influencers were invited to the White House in February and provided with binders marked “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified” that contained documents that had largely already been in the public domain.

After the first release fell flat, Bondi said officials were poring over a “truckload” of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI and raised expectations of forthcoming releases.

President Donald Trump, center, speaking during a cabinet meeting with from l-r., Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of Housing, Eric Scott Turner, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright at the White House, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump, center, speaking during a cabinet meeting. (AP)

But after a months-long review of evidence in the government’s possession, the Justice Department said in Monday’s memo that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”

The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and “only a fraction” of it “would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.”

The only evidence disclosed as part of the memo was a video meant to definitively prove that the wealthy financier had taken his own life in jail in 2019.

Even that disclosure did little to quiet conspiracy theorists who believe he was killed.

It’s not a happy development for online detectives

The department’s client list revelation was especially dismaying for conservative influencers and online sleuths, given that Bondi in a Fox News interview in February had intimated that such a document was “sitting on my desk” for review.

Bondi insisted Tuesday that she had been referring to the Epstein case file as being on her desk, as opposed to a specific client list.

“That’s what I meant by that,” she said.

FILE - This photo provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein, March 28, 2017. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File)
This photo provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein. (AP)

She also defended her earlier public statements suggesting that the FBI was reviewing “tens of thousands” of videos of Epstein with “children or child porn.”

The Associated Press published a story last week about the unanswered questions surrounding those videos and the Justice Department’s refusal to provide clarity.

The memo Monday did not suggest that the videos in the government’s possession depicted Epstein with children, instead referring to images of Epstein as well as more than 10,000 “downloaded videos and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography.”

“They turned out to be child porn downloaded by that disgusting Jeffrey Epstein,” she said.

But she did not explain why the department could not release other files from the “truckload” of evidence she said was delivered to the agency months ago.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Minister for Communications and Minister for Sport Anika Wells during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday 10 November 2025. fedpol Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Minister Justifies $100K NYC Trip: Unveiling the True Costs and Benefits

Communications Minister Anika Wells spent almost $100,000 of taxpayer money on a…
This message will appear for Aussie kids under 16 from December 10 due to Australia's social media ban.

YouTube Set to Comply with New Regulations to Avoid Potential Social Media Ban

YouTube has confirmed it will adhere to Australia’s upcoming social media ban…
A skating rink was built around a statue honouring Italian singer Luciano Pavarotti. This file photo is from last month.

Outrage Erupts in Italy as Pavarotti Statue Frozen in Skating Rink Controversy

Italian officials have found themselves in a slippery situation following the installation…
Satellite photos reveal Chinese flotilla monitored by ADF has formidable firepower

Satellite Images Uncover Chinese Fleet with Significant Firepower Under ADF Surveillance

Recent satellite images have unveiled the formidable arsenal of a Chinese naval…

One Year After Assad’s Fall: How Life Remains Unchanged for Australians Stranded in Syria

A year since Syria’s regime was toppled by rebels, there’s been social…
Fresh search for wreckage of missing MH370 flight to resume within weeks

New MH370 Search Mission: Experts Gear Up for Promising Breakthrough in Weeks

The deep-sea search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which…

Australian eSafety Commissioner Rebuts U.S. Politician’s Allegations of Overreach in Global Content Regulation

Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant has rejected a US politician’s claim…
AFR 15 Minutes with Grant Hackett Thursday 27th March 2025

At 20, Grant Hackett Reached the Pinnacle of Success – Here’s What He Wishes He Knew Then

Exclusive Insight: In this engaging series by nine.com.au, we delve into the…
An inquest into the Sea World helicopter crash has been shown several videos of the moment the aircraft collided.

Shocking Revelations: How Drugs and Stress Contributed to the Sea World Tragedy

The tragic mid-air collision that resulted in the death of helicopter pilot…

Unveiling the Hidden Truths: Insights from 16,000 Australians on the Realities of Remote Work

The ability and option to work from home has become a necessity…

From Bus Driver to Controversial Leader: The Complex Journey of Nicolas Maduro Amidst Narco-Terrorism Accusations

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is leading his country at a tense time,…
Sydney's last dash of Summer at Bondi 14th March 2025 Photo: Steven Siewert

Debunking the Startling Myth: What 25% of Young Australians Mistakenly Assume

Approximately 25% of Australian children mistakenly believe that having a suntan offers…