The crimes and death of Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, have long fed conspiracy theories among some of President Trump’s most ardent supporters.
Their interest has reached a crescendo over the past week, after the Trump administration abruptly reversed course on its pledge to disclose previously unknown details about the investigation into Mr. Epstein. In an unsigned memo, the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said their investigation turned up no evidence that Mr. Epstein kept a “client list” or blackmailed notable people, and confirmed that Mr. Epstein died by suicide.
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Nearly all of the influential right-wing figures speaking out about the case seem to agree that more information needs to be released. Their demands are often accompanied by blame for mishandling the case, aimed at a wide array of figures they deem responsible.
Here is a breakdown of where the president and more than 30of his most prominent supporters have fallen on the issue, as of Wednesday afternoon.
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Viewpoint: The Justice Department’s investigation was complete, and no further action is necessary.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi
Deputy F.B.I. Director Dan Bongino
F.B.I. Director Kash Patel
President Trump
This is the official stance of the Justice Department itself — as well as the F.B.I., which falls under its purview — as indicated in the memo released last week. The memo was unsigned, but those who have been expected to answer for it have included Attorney General Pam Bondi, F.B.I. Director Kash Patel and his deputy director, Dan Bongino.
Last year, before Mr. Trump was re-elected, Mr. Bongino had cast doubt over the case, saying, “I don’t trust any story they tell me about Jeffrey Epstein. There is a reason this client list is hidden.” The Epstein case also gave rise to an angry confrontation between Ms. Bondi and Mr. Bongino, according to officials close to the situation.
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Mr. Trump himself has also attempted to turn down the volume on the topic, defending Ms. Bondi in a post on Truth Social that encouraged readers to “not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.” Many of the thousands of replies to Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post overwhelmingly disagreed with him — a rarity on the president’s own platform.
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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. For years, it’s Epstein, over and over again. Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration, who conned the World with the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, 51 “Intelligence” Agents, “THE LAPTOP FROM HELL,” and more? They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier that they used on me, and now my so-called “friends” are playing right into their hands. Why didn’t these Radical Left Lunatics release the Epstein Files? If there was ANYTHING in there that could have hurt the MAGA Movement, why didn’t they use it? They haven’t even given up on the John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King, Jr. Files. No matter how much success we have had, securing the Border, deporting Criminals, fixing the Economy, Energy Dominance, a Safer World where Iran will not have Nuclear Weapons, it’s never enough for some people. We are about to achieve more in 6 months than any other Administration has achieved in over 100 years, and we have so much more to do. We are saving our Country and, MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, which will continue to be our complete PRIORITY. The Left is imploding! Kash Patel, and the FBI, must be focused on investigating Voter Fraud, Political Corruption, ActBlue, The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020, and arresting Thugs and Criminals, instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same old, Radical Left inspired Documents on Jeffrey Epstein. LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB — SHE’S GREAT! The 2020 Election was Rigged and Stolen, and they tried to do the same thing in 2024 — That’s what she is looking into as AG, and much more. One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it’s the “HOTTEST” Country anywhere in the World. Let’s keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
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Despite the overall reaction to Mr. Trump’s post, at least one of his influential supporters seemed satisfied with the official narrative. Dinesh D’Souza, a right-wing commentator who directed a film that spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, agreed with Mr. Trump that it was “time to focus on more pressing matters.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump reiterated that he did not understand the fascination with Mr. Epstein, but also said Ms. Bondi should release “whatever she thinks is credible” on the case. On Wednesday, he went even further and said he no longer wanted the support of those who believed what he called the “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.”
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Viewpoint: The Trump administration is responsible for a perceived lack of transparency about the Epstein case.
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Representative Mark Alford
Glenn Beck
Representative Tim Burchett
Representative Eric Burlison
Representative Kat Cammack
Tucker Carlson
Mike Cernovich
Representative Eli Crane
Dinesh D’Souza
Michael Flynn
Representative Marjorie Taylor
Benny Johnson
Speaker Mike Johnson
Alex Jones
Senator John Kennedy
Charlie Kirk
Laura Loomer
Representative Anna Paulina Luna
Representative Nancy Mace
Rogan O’Handley (DC Draino)
Jack Posobiec
Chad Prather
Representative Keith Self
Matt Walsh
Liz Wheeler
The initial backlash among many of the MAGA faithful, including Republican elected officials and right-wing media figures and other influencers, focused primarily on Ms. Bondi, who had already lost credibility with the base after previously hyping a release of documents related to the Epstein case that ultimately revealed little new information.
Mr. Trump himself mostly dodged their opprobrium. (Last month, though, some renewed interest in the Epstein case came after Elon Musk’s messy falling-out with the president culminated in Mr. Musk accusing Mr. Trump, in a now-deleted post on X, of being named in the F.B.I.’s files.)
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In the days since, many of Mr. Trump’s supporters have remained quick to criticize the administration’s stance that there’s nothing left to uncover regarding the Epstein case while stopping short of calling out or blaming the president himself.
Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer, has long called on Ms. Bondi to resign while absolving Mr. Trump of any responsibility.
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Metadata Shows the FBI’s ‘Raw’ Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Was Likely Modified
More of a reason for Blondi to resign.
She should just be FIRED.
Trump can like her, but surely he knows she’s bringing him chaos.
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She is harming his spectacular image.
Charlie Kirk, Jack Posobiec and Benny Johnson, who host popular MAGA podcasts, have all pushed back aggressively on the official narrative, urging more transparency and casting doubt on the Justice Department memo’s contention that there is nothing left to release. Complicating matters, Mr. Kirk also caused a mini-uproar when he told listeners on Monday that he was done talking about the Epstein case and would “trust his friends in the administration.” He later said that his words had been misinterpreted and taken out of context and he has continued to discuss the matter.
Meanwhile, Mr. Johnson said on X that he, Mr. Kirk and other “powerful MAGA voices” should be credited with moving the administration to change its approach.
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Just got off the phone with top federal law enforcement contact. The change in approach to Epstein has been dramatic. Expect more disclosures. Some very powerful people inside Admin are now pushing for a Special Counsel and a full press briefing on Epstein findings.
Important to note, this drastic change happened after @charliekirk11 and a number of other powerful MAGA Voices pushed back on the handling of the Epstein case this weekend at the Turning Point conference. They were met with massive roars and applause from the 7000 gathered that could not be ignored.
In short: Our voices are being heard, power to the people 🇺🇸👊🏼
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Numerous Republican members of Congress have blamed or called for more transparency from Ms. Bondi or other members of the Trump administration, including Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, and Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Mark Alford of Missouri, Keith Self of Texas, Eric Burlison of Missouri, Kat Cammack of Florida, Eli Crane of Arizona, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Tim Burchett of Tennessee. Others in this group include conservative influencers like Rogan O’Handley, Matt Walsh, Glenn Beck, Liz Wheeler, Alex Jones, Chad Prather, Mike Cernovich, Tucker Carlson and Michael T. Flynn.
Viewpoint: Mr. Trump himself bears some share of the responsibility.
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Roseanne Barr
Tucker Carlson
Glenn Beck
Mike Cernovich
Michael Flynn
David Freiheit (Viva Frei)
Alex Jones
Elon Musk
Chad Prather
Wayne Allyn Root
Most of Mr. Trump’s biggest supporters are loath to raise questions about his actions, so it is notable that a number of them have called Mr. Trump out directly when it comes to the Epstein case.
Mostly, they have done so delicately and with respectful language, treating their concerns as appeals to the president rather than criticisms of him. For instance, Wayne Allyn Root, a conservative TV and radio host, posted an entreaty to “just release” the files, preceded by hyperbolic praise.
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Trump did something GREAT yesterday…but he still has to deal with Epstein. It’s clear Epstein is not going away. Best 6 months for any president in history. Everything he’s doing is fantastic. Why risk it all on this stupid file? Just release it.
Similarly, Michael T. Flynn, who served as national security adviser for a spell in Mr. Trump’s first administration and remains close to him, urged the president in a post on X to “get ahead of” the public interest in the case, but also assured him that “we want to support every bit of your fight to save America.”
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@realDonaldTrump this is why I said the EPSTEIN AFFAIR is not going away anytime soon. Get ahead of this. We want to support every bit of your fight to save America, none more than me.
CHILDREN WILL NOT BE ABUSED BY ANYONE.
No category nor any class of people should ever get away with abusing CHILDREN.
Enough is enough.
ACCOUNTABILITY is coming either here on earth or at the Gates of Hell, which is where I will be waiting for those who abuse a child.
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For @LeaderJohnThune @SpeakerJohnson Get your troops in line immediately!!!
Others were less measured. Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist and radio host, asked on X, “Why is 47 making the worst moves of his tenure in the last 9 years?” (Mr. Jones has also questioned the administration’s actions and blamed outside forces.) The actress Roseanne Barr, one of Mr. Trump’s most loyal supporters, told the president to “read the damn room.”
Those who have called out Mr. Trump personally also included Elon MuskandDavid Freiheit, an influencer who goes by the handle Viva Frei, as well as Glenn Beck and the right-wing commentators Mike Cernovich and Chad Prather, who also called for greater transparency from the Justice Department.
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Viewpoint: Forces outside the administration are responsible for gaps in public understanding of the Epstein case.
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Steve Bannon
Roseanne Barr
Representative Tim Burchett
Dinesh D’Souza
Tucker Carlson
Representative. Marjorie Taylor Greene
Alex Jones
Jack Posobiec
Roger Stone
President Donald J. Trump
Some of Mr. Trump’s supporters have looked further afield for explanation, opining that Mr. Trump and his administration are not (or are not solely) responsible for the unmet public interest in Mr. Epstein’s case. In many instances, these statements began to look like new conspiracy-theory threads.
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Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to Mr. Trump, said without evidence on Sunday that the Justice Department under the Biden administration had destroyed evidence relating to the case.
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When Kash Patel, our FBI Director, tells us there are no Epstein records — even though we saw with our own eyes that DVDs and hard drives were seized from Epstein’s properties — he’s telling us the truth.
I believe that evidence was destroyed by Christopher Wray and Biden’s DOJ.
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Some influential figures blamed both Mr. Trump or his administration and others outside it. Tucker Carlson, for instance, has been critical of Ms. Bondi’s handling of the case and has pushed back against Mr. Trump’s efforts to tamp down on questions. At a public appearance over the weekend, he also strongly implied Mr. Epstein was engaged in spycraft on behalf of the Israeli government. (Naftali Bennett, the former Israeli prime minister, called Mr. Carlson’s claim “categorically and totally false.”)
Mr. Trump himself has also been pushing unfounded theories about the Epstein files, including saying that they were a fraudulent creation by former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other liberal figures.
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Others advancing theories about entities outside of the administration include Stephen K. Bannon, the Trump adviser turned influential podcast host; Marjorie Taylor Greene; Tim Burchett; Roseanne Barr; Jack Posobiec; and Dinesh D’Souza.
The F.B.I. and prosecutors shared on Thursday new footage of the man charged with trying to assassinate President Trump during the White House correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton last weekend, leading up to when shots were fired.
The video contains more than five minutes of edited and annotated surveillance footage that is sped up and slowed down in parts. It was shared on social media by the F.B.I. and Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
In her post on Thursday, Ms. Pirro asserted that the video resolved uncertainty about whose gunfire had struck a Secret Service officer, who was protected by his bulletproof vest. The video, she wrote, showed that the man charged in the case, Cole Tomas Allen, had shot the Secret Service officer, and that there was “no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly fire.”
President Trump shared similar footage on Saturday, showing the assailant running through a magnetometer beforelaw enforcement officers drew their guns. He was brought down and disarmed at the top of a staircase leading down to the floor where the dinner was being held, and officials said they recovered a shotgun, a handgun and knives from him.
Law enforcement and administration officials had previously stopped short of definitively saying whose gunfire had struck the officer’s vest, and the charges lodged against Mr. Allen on Monday, including attempted assassination, did not include shooting a federal officer, only with firing a weapon. In a court filing on Wednesday, prosecutors said they believed that the Mr. Allen fired his shotgun down the staircase.
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Most of the newly released video is focused on other elements of Mr. Allen’s actions. It opens with footage the authorities have time-stamped as occurring on April 24, the day before the episode, and shows him walking through the hotel corridor and entering the gym.
In the segment showing Mr. Allen running through the magnetometer, officers appear to be breaking down the security station. He raises the shotgun as he races past them and aims it at security officers. The video has no sound, and it is unclear whether he discharges a shot.
The video then replays the footage at a slower speed, pausing and placing a circle around Mr. Allen as he runs through the magnetometer, then pausing and placing circles around officers’ guns as they appear to fire them.
A frame-by-frame analysis suggests Mr. Allen may have fired his 12-gauge shotgun during that confrontation. The clue is in the dust in the ceiling lights unsettled by the gunfire. In the frame after Mr. Allen aims at the security officers, the video shows that dust resting in two ceiling lights has been disturbed and is drifting downward. It is possible that this was caused by a muzzle blast from Mr. Allen’s shotgun. It is not until the next frame in the video — after the dust has been unsettled — that a Secret Service agent returns fire.
Public defenders for Mr. Allen argued in a court filing that there had been contradictions in the description of the shots fired, and that the video evidence did not show a muzzle flash from his shotgun.
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Prosecutors have countered that the evidence showed Mr. Allen fired the shotgun at least once as he ran past the magnetometers and that one spent shell was found in the recovered weapon.
FIRST ON FOX: Minnesota Republican lawmaker Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, announced on Friday she is ending her gubernatorial campaign to replace embattled Gov. Tim Walz.
“It was not a tough decision to get into the race 10 months ago,” Robbins exclusively told Fox News Digital. “We could not allow Tim Walz to have a third term in Minnesota. He’s destroyed our state, and we had to stop him, and so, I think I made a great case for that, and because of all my work on the fraud committee he got out nine months ahead of schedule, which is great.”
Robbins continued, “Once Senator Klobuchar became sort of the anointed candidate to replace him, I just think the establishment kind of circled the wagons and, you know, it became a challenging endeavor, and I’m a realist, and I am a numbers person, and when I look at the math, I don’t see a path for me to win.”
Weeks after Walz dropped his re-election bid in January amid a massive fraud scandal that unfolded during his watch, Sen. Amy Klobuchar jumped into the race, bringing her deep political backing and name recognition with her as the presumptive nominee for the Democrats.
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MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS UNLOAD ON WALZ’S ‘LEGACY’ AFTER HE TOUTS FRAUD RECORD IN FINAL ADDRESS: ‘RIDICULOUS’
Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks to reporters after announcing he will not seek re-election at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul on Jan. 5, 2026.(Reuters/Tim Evans)
Robbins told Fox News Digital she determined it was better to “bow out” and find a “new way to contribute” due to love of her state and the realization that there are “many ways to serve.”
In terms of what’s next, Robbins says she hasn’t had the time to give that much thought but said she is focused on closing out the current legislative session and said “there’s a lot of big things going on in the front committee.”
“I know where the bodies are buried,” Robbins said about the fraud situation, pointing out that there is much more work to be done to get answers on how the billions of dollars in fraud was allowed to go unchecked for so long.
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MN LAWMAKER TAKES ACTION TO GET ANSWERS ON OMAR’S ALLEGED FRAUD TIES AFTER SHE SKIPS KEY HEARING: ‘GHOSTED US’
With Robbins exiting the race, the Republicans vying to win the gubernatorial primary include Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, healthcare executive Kendall Qualls, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and several other lesser known candidates.
Robbins told Fox News Digital she will “not be endorsing anyone.”
“That will be up to the voters to decide, and I wish all the other candidates well,” Robbins said.
Ultimately, Robbins says her “overwhelming thought” is “gratitude” when she looks back on her campaign.
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Minnesota State Rep. Kristin Robbins testifies before Congress during a hearing.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“I am so grateful for the last ten months of going all over the state meeting Minnesotans from every walk of life and to have had the privilege to run for governor and meet all these amazing people and hear their stories, be inspired by what they want for Minnesota,” Robbins said. “I am just so grateful and so privileged.”
Robbins says that going forward, the “answers” are not going to come from the capitol in St. Paul, but rather “from the communities and from the people” and she “looks forward to plugging into that.”
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Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.
Across the country, debates over voter identification laws have become a flash point in broader fights about election security and voting access.
Supporters of voter ID laws say they are needed to prevent election fraud and ensure only eligible voters cast ballots. Critics argue there is little evidence of noncitizens voting and say the requirements instead would reduce voter participation in elections.
Under California law, voters in the state are not required to show or provide identification when casting a ballot in person or by mail. The state does require ID when registering to vote, and residents must swear under penalty of perjury that they are eligible to vote and they are a U.S. citizen.
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Weber has opposed proposals that would require voters to show identification in order to cast a ballot. She and many Democratic leaders argue that voter ID laws can create barriers for eligible voters, particularly those who may not have easy access to government-issued identification.
Weber believes Voter ID efforts are meant to sow doubt in the integrity of the elections system.
“When you really get to it, Voter ID is a smoke screen for trying to create the idea that this is a corrupt system,” she said.
Weber instead supports policies aimed at expanding participation among eligible voters, including vote-by-mail ballots and automatic registration.
Conversely, Wagner wants the state to require voters to show ID at the polls. He argues that requiring identification would strengthen public trust in election results and align California with practices used in many other states. He said it’s patronizing to minorities when critics argue it’s hard for them to get identification.
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“You need an ID to drive,” he said. “You need an ID to fly in a plane. You need one to buy alcohol. You need it to buy tobacco.”
Wagner has been working with proponents of the Voter ID ballot measure to raise money and helped gather signatures. That statewide ballot measure would require state or local elections officials to verify that Californians registering to vote are U.S. citizens by “using government data,” which according to supporters could include information in the federal Social Security Administration database, jury summons information and other government records.
“What I’m pledging the people of California is that if they pass voter ID, I will protect it. I will sue if I have to,” Wagner said. “If I am secretary of state, I will implement it and hold the registrars accountable and hold my office and myself accountable for doing the will of the people.”