Attorney General Pam Bondi abruptly canceled her appearance at CPAC’s Summit Against Human Trafficking on Wednesday, citing a torn cornea as the reason.
Bondi’s statement was read aloud by Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti, who said:
“Unfortunately, I am recovering from a recently torn cornea, which is preventing me from being with you. I truly wish I was able to join you and support all of the work being done on this critical issue.”
Her absence appeared to disappoint attendees, with several reportedly walking out after the announcement.
Timing Raises Eyebrows Amid Epstein Fallout
Bondi’s injury and withdrawal came just hours after the Wall Street Journal reported that she informed President Donald Trump in May that his name appears “multiple times” in sealed Jeffrey Epstein files.
Bondi had warned Trump that while the documents included ‘unverified hearsay,’ they also contained child pornography and sensitive victim information, the WSJ said.
This claim directly contradicts President Trump’s recent public denial that his name had come up during any briefing about Epstein files.
Trump (July 15): “No, no,” when asked if Bondi had told him his name appeared in the files.
White House and DOJ Responses
Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, dismissed the WSJ story as “fake news”, saying Trump “kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep.”
Bondi, in a July 8 cabinet meeting, defended withholding parts of the files, stating:
“They turned out to be child porn downloaded by that disgusting Jeffrey Epstein. Never going to be released, never going to see the light of day.”
Mounting MAGA Backlash
Bondi has faced increasing scrutiny from the pro-Trump base, who accuse her of backtracking on promises to release all Epstein-related materials.
The first phase of declassified documents yielded no major revelations, fueling claims of a cover-up.
Some prominent MAGA influencers are now calling for Bondi’s resignation.
