Kash Patel takes heat as Trump admin battles Epstein files firestorm

FBI Director Kash Patel has found himself under scrutiny after the Trump administration’s abrupt reversal on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files sparked rare criticism from the president’s own supporters.

The controversy revolves around thousands of pages of FBI documents concerning Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in federal custody in 2019 while facing sex-trafficking charges. Epstein was charged with trafficking dozens of girls — some as young as 14 — and engaging in sex acts with them through a network that included his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

The case has spawned years of conspiracy theories about a potential “client list” of prominent figures who allegedly participated in Epstein’s crimes. However, the Justice Department released a memo earlier this month stating that “this systemic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list’” and that investigators “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”

The ongoing political firestorm traces its roots to February when Attorney General Pam Bondi distributed what she termed “declassified” Epstein records to MAGA influencers, though she acknowledged most had been “previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity.” On March 14, Bondi told Fox News that the Epstein files were “sitting on my desk right now.”

The situation reached a breaking point on July 7 when the Justice Department quietly released a memo determining Epstein died by suicide and concluding that no client list existed. The memo included about 11 hours of footage from Epstein’s cell, but viewers quickly noticed about a minute of footage was missing, fueling further speculation.

The transparency problems deepened when Wired reported that as much as two minutes and 53 seconds was missing from the source file, and that the video had been edited with Adobe Premiere. This contradicted the administration’s initial claims that surveillance videos were not working, raising questions about why edited footage was presented as evidence.

Prior to becoming FBI Director, Patel was a strong advocate for releasing the Epstein files. In 2023, he told BlazeTV’s Glenn Beck that “one subpoena to the FBI” would force release of the alleged list, adding, “Put on your big boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are.”

During his January confirmation hearing, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) praised his nomination specifically because he would reveal Epstein details. Patel promised at the time, “I will do everything, if confirmed as FBI director, to make sure the American public knows the full weight of what happened.” In February, Patel pledged on X that “there will be no cover-ups, no missing documents and no stone left unturned” regarding the Epstein investigation.

By May, however, Patel defended the conclusion that Epstein killed himself, telling Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, “You know a suicide when you see one, and that’s what that was.” As reports circulated about potential resignations over the controversy, Patel — one of the administration’s top AAPI officials — posted on X on July 12, “The conspiracy theories just aren’t true, never have been. It’s an honor to serve the President of the United States @realDonaldTrump — and I’ll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.”

Trump, for his part, has grown increasingly frustrated with continued questions about the Epstein files, particularly as the video evidence controversy exposed transparency problems within his administration. On July 8, he called a reporter’s question about the disgraced financier a “desecration” while tragedies like Texas flooding were ongoing.

In a Truth Social post on July 12, Trump defended Bondi while expressing displeasure with his supporters: “What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’ They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB.” The president also blamed Democrats for creating the files, writing, “They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier.”

By Tuesday, Trump told reporters he did not understand continued interest in the files, saying “only pretty bad people” were keeping the backlash going. He escalated his comments in an interview with Real America’s Voice on Wednesday, calling the Epstein files controversy a “hoax” and describing Republican supporters questioning his administration’s handling as “stupid” and “foolish.” He also doubled down on Democrats and former officials supposedly doctoring the Epstein files, claiming, “I can imagine what they put into files.”

For now, the controversy shows no signs of abating as Democratic lawmakers have demanded congressional hearings featuring Patel and other top officials.