Bannon confronted over Jeffrey Epstein at MAGA event

Justin Baragona, The Independent

MAGA world remains in a state of chaos over the Trump administration's Jeffrey Epstein memo, if the events of Friday are any indication. While the FBI's deputy director was taking a mental health day and considering resigning amid the continued fallout over the handling of the Epstein files, Steve Bannon got an earful from attendees at a MAGA youth event who declared that Donald Trump "has become the deep state" because he is "covering up for pedophiles."

Nearly a week after the Department of Justice released an unsigned two-page letter concluding that Epstein committed suicide and the disgraced financier had no "client list" to blackmail prominent figures who took part in his underage sex trafficking, the administration is still facing fury from MAGA supporters who feel betrayed by the about-face. Much of that anger has been directed at Attorney General Pam Bondi, who breathlessly hyped the release of explosive evidence in the Epstein case and even said the long-fabled "client list" was on her desk, only to release binders of already-public documents and later put out a letter claiming the list never existed.

Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, the FBI's top two leaders who spent years as right-wing podcasters who trafficked in Epstein conspiracy theories, have also taken heat from Trump fans for backing the memo. The pair had already come under fire in recent months for reversing course on claims Epstein was murdered in his jail cell - a theory they'd long promoted — and insisting the convicted sex offender killed himself. Amid the continued fallout over the Epstein memo, Bongino and Bondi were involved in a heated argument this week that resulted in Bongino taking the day off on Friday and threatening to quit. At the heart of the clash was Bondi's "publicly overpromised and underdelivered disclosures" about the "client list," and accusations that Bongino leaked a story about the FBI being held back on releasing more Epstein information.

While this was going on within the Trump administration, MAGA youth organisation Turning Point USA was holding its Student Action Summit in Florida, which featured Bannon recording his War Room podcast from the lobby. Throughout the MAGA meltdown over the Epstein fiasco, the former Trump adviser has tried to thread a very fine needle due to his own personal connections with Epstein, which has featured former "first buddy" Elon Musk — who has long feuded with Bannon — claiming "Bannon is in the Epstein files." The world's richest man, who has called the Epstein memo the "final straw" regarding his support for Trump, did not elaborate on how he knew this was the case.

Bannon has since reacted by calling for a special prosecutor to review "all" Epstein documents while urging Bondi to step aside. At the same time, much like the majority of MAGA media, he has largely steered clear of directly laying the blame at Trump's feet. That was put to the test, however, on Friday morning. A group of self-described "young right-wing men" who were attending SAS had gathered near the broadcast and were approached by War Room reporter Jayne Zirkle to chat with Bannon, only for them to complain that they were being "lied to" by the administration. "Yeah, we're getting lied to. The pedophiles aren't getting rounded up. The people aren't getting deported. We're not getting what we asked for," one attendee, who said his name was Julian, exclaimed. Asked by Zirkle what he would recommend, Julian added: "I would have ICE go into every house, kick them out. Release the files that we know exist. Maybe the guy with the computer implants turned them off!"

Bannon would go on and ask the group what the "top three things" they would tell the president he should do right now, if they could currently speak with him. Another attendee, who identified as Blue Jackson, asserted that the Epstein case was at the top of the list. "There's no better question than who rules America. It's not the people. So we obviously need the declassification of the Epstein files," Jackson said, prompting Bannon to interrupt and wonder if he would really question if Trump was in charge of the nation.

"I definitely would because it's a blackmail ring," Jackson responded. "And anybody who wouldn't isn't paying attention. Simply put, Epstein himself said he was best friends - on the stand - with Donald Trump. So anybody who thought these files were going to get declassified because we pressured him enough, or you voted hard enough, is just lying to yourself!" While Jackson said he agreed with Bannon that a special prosecutor was needed and that the DOJ and FBI had no credibility to investigate the matter anymore, he went beyond just blaming Bondi, Patel and Bongino.

"In 2016, we trusted the plan with Trump, but now Trump has become the deep state," Jackson declared, leading Bannon to ask him to explain why he was going directly after the president. "What is more deep state than covering up for pedophiles? Why would you go to that island?" Jackson added, referencing Epstein's private resort. "Why? Tell me, why would you go to that island? Why would you go on the plane? Why are his top donors neighbours with Epstein?"