Bongino Returns to FBI Amid Internal Clash Over Epstein Transparency—JD Vance Steps In as Mediator
Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino has resumed his duties following a brief absence spurred by a tense confrontation with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Bongino, a longtime Trump ally and former Secret Service agent, returned to his post Monday after taking personal leave on Friday, multiple sources confirmed to The Post.
The rift between Bongino and Bondi centers on the DOJ’s recent internal memo—leaked to Axios—that claimed Epstein’s death was a suicide and insisted there was no “client list” or blackmail operation involving high-profile individuals. The memo reignited grassroots fury across President Donald Trump’s base, who have long demanded full transparency regarding Epstein’s connections to the global elite.
Bongino, who has long questioned the official narrative surrounding Epstein, reportedly confronted Bondi behind closed doors, accusing the Department of a “lack of transparency” in its findings. According to Fox News, the clash was so severe that Bongino considered resigning—sending shockwaves throughout the Trump administration.
Sources indicate that Senator JD Vance (R-OH), a rising star in the GOP and trusted Trump confidant, has stepped in to mediate between the two high-ranking officials in an effort to restore unity within the President’s administration.
MAGA Base Demands Answers
The President’s supporters are not remaining silent. Grassroots conservatives and high-profile Trump allies have expressed outrage over the DOJ’s position. Many are not buying the official conclusion and are calling for Attorney General Bondi to step aside if transparency is not forthcoming.
“.@realDonaldTrump please understand the EPSTEIN AFFAIR is not going away,” retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn posted on X over the weekend. “If the administration doesn’t address the massive number of unanswered questions about Epstein, especially the ABUSE OF CHILDREN BY ELITES (it is very clear that abuse occurred), then moving forward on so many other monumental challenges our nation is facing becomes much harder.”
Schoen: “Trump Was Never on Any List”
David Schoen, the criminal defense attorney who represented Epstein just before his death, reaffirmed this week that President Trump was never involved with Epstein’s network.
“I was hired to lead Jeffrey Epstein’s defense as his criminal lawyer 9 days before he died. He sought my advice for months before that. I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitively that he had no information to hurt President Trump. I specifically asked him!” Schoen wrote on X.
Schoen also made it clear that there was no so-called “client list” intended to blackmail political or business elites, challenging the narrative long circulated by media and political operatives.
Pressure on Bondi Grows
The backlash is being fueled in part by Bondi’s own February comments on Fox News, where she claimed Epstein’s “client list” was sitting on her desk awaiting review. Now, after the DOJ’s internal memo essentially denies such a list exists, supporters feel betrayed.
President Trump, for his part, has urged calm, calling for the administration to focus on facts and due process. Still, the discontent lingers. Protesters at recent conservative gatherings have chanted for the release of Epstein’s records, arguing that accountability must extend to the elite circles who enabled the disgraced financier.
Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019. Though officially ruled a suicide, many in the America First movement continue to question that finding, citing the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, including broken bones in his neck and a conveniently malfunctioning camera system.
The Fight Isn’t Over
The DOJ and FBI released a joint memo last week stating that there would be no further disclosures regarding Epstein’s death or case records. But for Trump loyalists, that answer is far from sufficient. They see the Epstein saga not as a conspiracy theory—but as a critical test of whether the most powerful can finally be held accountable.
As JD Vance works behind the scenes to defuse the conflict, all eyes remain on President Trump’s next move. Will the administration double down on institutional secrecy—or side with the America First base that helped return Trump to the White House?
One thing is certain: the Epstein affair is far from closed.