This week’s congressional showdown over the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files quickly escalated into one of the most combative hearings of the year, drawing sharp partisan clashes and renewed scrutiny over how sensitive records were released.
At the center of it all was Attorney General Pam Bondi — and by Wednesday morning, President Donald J. Trump had made it clear exactly where he stands. In a post on Truth Social, Trump forcefully defended Bondi’s performance before the House Judiciary Committee, where she faced hours of questioning over the department’s release of millions of pages of Epstein-related documents.
“AG Pam Bondi, under intense fire from the Trump Deranged Radical Left Lunatics, was fantastic at yesterday’s Hearing on the never ending saga of Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump wrote. He said the hearing once again proved he has been “100% exonerated” from what he described as “ridiculous Russia, Russia, Russia type charges.”
Wednesday’s hearing centered on criticism from Democrats over the department’s redactions in the Epstein files. Lawmakers argued that potentially significant names were blacked out while some victims’ personal details were insufficiently protected, in some cases including identifying information and photographs.
Bondi defended the Justice Department’s actions, insisting her office complied with the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act and worked “very hard in the time frame allotted” to balance transparency with legal obligations.
She said she was “deeply sorry” for what victims endured but dismissed Democratic attacks as political “theatrics,” at one point calling Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin a “washed-up loser lawyer.”
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Republicans largely backed Bondi, framing the hearing as another attempt by Democrats to damage Trump politically. Trump echoed that view in his Truth Social post, arguing that “nobody cared about Epstein when he was alive” and that the issue resurfaced only when critics believed it could create political harm for him.
Trump also turned his fire on Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, calling him a “Sanctimonious RINO Congressman” and claiming his approval numbers are falling in the state. He pointed to a primary challenger, Ed Gallrein, whom he described as a “Military Hero Opponent,” and said Massie is drifting into “Wacky Liz Cheney territory,” referencing the former Wyoming congresswoman who broke with Trump and later lost her primary.
The controversy over the Epstein files has once again exposed deep divisions in Washington over transparency, accountability and the protection of victims in high-profile investigations. Since the start of President Trump’s second term, Attorney General Bondi has become one of the most prominent and polarizing figures in his administration, largely due to renewed scrutiny over the Justice Department’s management of the Epstein files.
Trump has publicly and forcefully backed Bondi throughout the controversy, framing Democratic criticism as politically motivated and portraying the renewed focus on Epstein as an attempt to damage him and derail his administration’s agenda. Together, Trump and Bondi have presented a united front, with the president consistently defending her leadership and casting the department’s actions as part of a broader effort to move the country forward despite ongoing political attacks.
For Trump, the issue appears to be less about document management and more about political warfare. His message has been unmistakable: Bondi has his full support, and the renewed attention on Epstein is, in his view, simply the latest partisan offensive in a long-running battle.
