Why MAGA is so obsessed with the Jeffery Epstein files – and so angry at Trump’s attorney general
Proudly holding their shiny binders titled “the Epstein files Phase 1” outside the White House, MAGA influencers believed they had the real deal.
Donald Trump’s new Attorney General ,Pam Bondi, had vowed to release the Epstein files after taking over the Justice Department, but the process has been hit with delays and excuses, including claims that she was “misled.”
In a possible bid to get MAGA off her back, Bondi invited right-wing personalities – including commentator Liz Wheeler, Chaya Raichik, who is the person behind the prolific “Libs of TikTok” X account, Republican activist Scott Presler and conservative commentator Rogan O’Hanley to name a few – down to the White House on February 27 to see the files for themselves.
They hoped that the files might shed light on one of the most sinister figures in American public life – and those who may have taken part in his crimes.
Jeffrey Epstein – a financier with a taste for the high life and his own private island – was once a friend to the rich, famous and powerful, counting presidents, royals, Hollywood stars and celebrity lawyers among his acquaintances. But he was also a child sex offender. In 2008 he was convicted in Florida of procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute. In 2019 he was being held on charges of sex trafficking minors when he died by suicide in a New York jail cell.
None of the Epstein “clients” suspected of taking part in the sexual exploitation of girls and young women with him have ever been brought to justice; only one person – his former confidante Ghislaine Maxwell – has ever been charged or convicted.
So hopes were high that Bondi’s release of the files would finally help expose a network of abusers who had so far escaped culpability.
It turned out to be nothing more than a PR stunt because the binders mostly contained information already in the public domain. The farcical episode ignited even more rage on the right – and some on the left – as prominent MAGA commentators furiously lashed out on Elon Musk’s X platform.
“There is one person who takes the blame for what happened today. It’s @PamBondi,” Laura Loomer fumed. “I think she should resign. She went on Fox News and said the files were on her desk. Then she went on Fox News last night and said we would have files today. She is a total liar.”
Bondi has since blocked Loomer on X, according to the right-wing activist.
“GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR instead of leaking old info to press,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna also demanded.
The saga of the Epstein files has captivated the MAGA movement and now President Donald Trump’s attorney general finds herself in the unenviable position of facing their wrath.
The Independent asked academics who have studied MAGA and conspiracy theories why the movement is so obsessed with the release of the documents.
“There are a couple of factors at play here,” said John Kane, clinical associate professor at NYU’s School of Professional Studies Center for Global Affairs, citing what scholars call a “conspiracy mentality.”
