MAGA is recoiling at President Trump's increasingly personal attacks on his followers over Jeffrey Epstein, opening the most bitter divisions yet between the president and the GOP base.
Why it matters: MAGA has at times grumbled over Trump's handling of foreign affairs, immigration and other sporadic issues. But the president's growing irritation with his supporters' Epstein theories and his adamant insistence that they're illegitimate is widening the most significant rift yet.
Attorney General Pam Bondi dodged questions on the Jeffrey Epstein files and on any clashes with FBI deputy director Dan Bongino during a Tuesday news conference.
Why it matters: The MAGA faithful have been unhappy with Bondi's handling of the case since a Justice Department and FBI memo concluded there's no evidence that convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Epstein kept a "client list" or that he was murdered.
![Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news conference at the DEA headquarters on July 15, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. ]](https://images.axios.com/O1lrs1J5fMOmj5AQUK_pDy5iTsw=/0x143:5495x3234/1920x1080/2025/07/15/1752617288426.jpg?w=3840)