TAMPA, Fla. — On the weekend President Donald Trump decided to pick his biggest political fight to date with the MAGA base he created in his own image, thousands of his adherents were gathered together.
And all they wanted to talk about here at the Student Action Summit hosted by the conservative activist group Turning Point USA was the “Epstein files.”
“I think that these people — and I don’t know, for whatever reason, there could be reasons — but I don’t think they’re telling us the truth about Epstein,” podcaster Brandon Tatum told the assembled crowd at the Tampa Convention Center. “I think that that guy was involved in something nefarious that implicates a whole lot of people. And my guess is that a whole lot of people may happen to be some of our allies and some people that we don’t want to have a bad relationship with.”
Trump pulled the rug out from his base Saturday evening when he released a lengthy social media post that completely dismissed the importance of the issue, which has consumed the right for the past week — and longer.
“For years, it’s Epstein, over and over again,” Trump posted on Truth Social, blaming the files on Democrats. “Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden administration.”
Trump’s supporters have gone along with him through every scandal and policy shift. When he made a decision, his base backed him. But the Epstein issue is challenging this alliance like never before.
This week, the Justice Department said it would not release any additional files related to the case of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein died in 2019 while in custody, and a medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. He was facing sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
Attorney General Pam Bondi released a two-page memo saying that the department’s review turned up no “client list” of powerful men who allegedly participated in Epstein’s schemes, and there was no “credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.”
The memo enraged Trump supporters, who quickly turned on Bondi, a sentiment clearly felt at the Student Action Summit. For years, some top figures in the Trump administration had pushed unfounded theories about the Epstein files, and Bondi herself told Fox News in February that the Epstein client list was “sitting on my desk right now.” Trump also repeatedly said he would release the Epstein files.
And in February, Bondi kept the issue alive by bringing right-wing influencers to the White House and giving them Epstein documents. But even that release wasn’t enough, as the influencers — and even Bondi herself — insisted that the FBI had more documents that it wasn’t sharing.
There was no escaping the topic of the Epstein files this weekend in Tampa, with many attendees and speakers calling for Bondi to be fired — even as Trump sent the clear message that he wants his supporters to move on.
“It’s not even about Pam Bondi to me. It’s like, look, Trump, we elected you because you were supposed to be different,” said Sharon Allen, a 24-year-old attendee. “So you have to prove to us you’re different. … You can fire her [Bondi], do whatever, but at the end of the day, Trump, you are president. We trusted you to get rid of these people and expose these people.”
Former Florida state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, who was among Trump’s biggest supporters when in the state Legislature and was in attendance at the event, called Trump’s Truth Social post “out of touch.”
“Trump is losing his touch,” Sabatini said. “Bad personnel are undermining him left and right. We need a full reset.”
Trump’s message on Truth Social also defended Bondi. Summit attendees almost universally sided with FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, both of whom, NBC News and other outlets reported, were frustrated with Bondi’s handling of the Epstein documents.
Bongino and Patel used their considerable conservative media platforms prior to joining the Trump administration to amplify the idea that the Epstein case was part of a government-orchestrated cover-up to protect powerful political players.
“What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’” Trump wrote Saturday evening. “They are all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!”
But it’s not clear that Trump’s post will be enough to quell the furor.
On the main stage at the Student Action Summit on Friday night, Megyn Kelly, a high-profile conservative commentator and Trump supporter, asked crowd a simple question: Bondi or Bongino?
“Bongino!” the crowd screamed in unison Friday night.
“It’s 7,000 to 0,” responded Charlie Kirk, prominent conservative activist and the head of Turning Points USA, who was the master of ceremonies for the weekend.
Trump’s post came after a day of attempts by the White House to tamp down simmering rage from the base.
Patel posted Saturday on X that rumors of him considering resignation were “conspiracy theories.” The White House also issued a statement Friday saying all the players involved continue to have Trump’s support.
“President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims,” White House spokesman Harrison Fields said. “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.”
These attempts did little to lower the temperature in Tampa.
“Epstein is a key that picks the lock on so many things, not just individuals, but also institutions, intelligence institutions, foreign governments and who was working with him on our intelligence apparatus and in our government,” Steve Bannon, a vocal Trump supporter, told a crowd at the summit.
Bannon said he is advocating for the Trump administration to appoint a special counsel to handle the matter.
“I support Pam as AG but think a Special Counsel has to be named to take the Epstein case over; however audience sentiment during our live shows at the conference are running 100% against Bondi remaining as AG — never seen anything like it,” he told NBC News in a statement.
Other prominent MAGA world influencers also continued to hammer the issue Saturday afternoon, even as the White House was trying to project unity.
“I will not rest until we go full Jan. 6 committee on the Epstein Files. Every single client involved should have an FBI agent at their door going after them the same way they went after the Jan. 6ers,” Jack Posobiec, a vocal Trump supporter, told the conference Saturday afternoon. “That’s how we should go after everyone on the Epstein client list.”
