A MAGA influencer went off on Wednesday after Attorney General Pam Bondi made some careful but frustrating comments during a press conference about the long-awaited Jeffrey Epstein files. The Department of Justice has faced months of pressure to release more information, and Bondi’s cautious tone did not exactly calm anyone down.
During the briefing, Bondi didn’t give a clear answer on when more of the Epstein files would actually be released. She said the administration plans to “continue to follow the law with maximum transparency,” a line that sounded reassuring on the surface but landed flat with analysts who have openly questioned whether the administration has really been transparent at all.
Those comments set off Benny Johnson, a MAGA personality who runs a podcast under his own name on YouTube. He reacted almost immediately on Wednesday night, telling his audience that Bondi’s remarks were anything but comforting.
“Christmas came early, or, well, right on time this year, because by Christmas, the DOJ has to now release all Epstein files by law passed by the Senate and the House,” Johnson said. “Overwhelmingly, President Trump said he’s going to sign this bill. And now the DOJ is going to have to answer for this letter, which is one of the most insulting documents I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Johnson wasn’t done. He flashed an image of an unsigned DOJ memo that had been released over the summer. That memo has been a sore spot among MAGA circles because it challenged several claims they have repeated for years. In the document, the DOJ said Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell and stated flatly that Epstein did not keep a “client list,” a phrase that has fueled endless speculation online.
The memo resurfacing only added more fuel to Johnson’s frustration. He told viewers something “astonishing” happened during Bondi’s remarks and accused her of trying to twist the narrative.
“Something astonishing just happened, by the way, live at the DOJ at a press conference with Pam Bondi,” Johnson said, adding that Bondi appeared to be “gaslighting.”
For many watching the back and forth, the entire episode highlighted how tense and emotional the fight over the Epstein files has become. With a legal deadline approaching and the administration promising transparency while offering few concrete details, the pressure is only rising.