Trump ordered Pam Bondi to release grand jury testimony in the Epstein case
Although the testimonies the president referred to are confidential, he clarified that they will seek a judge's authorization to release them.
Trump and Bondi at the White House/ Andrew Caballero- Reynolds.
Donald Trump ordered Pam Bondi to release all "relevant" grand jury testimony in the Epstein case. The announcement came amid heavy pressure from the MAGA universe for the Trump administration to release more documents and information related to the mogul.
Although the testimonies Trump referred to are confidential, he clarified that they will seek a judge's authorization to release them. Earlier on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt advanced that Trump "would not recommend that a special prosecutor be appointed" to review the handling of the case against Jeffrey Epstein.
"Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!" the president wrote on his social media. The issue is the grand jury testimonies that convicted Epstein in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking of minors.
The attorney general responded to him just minutes later on her X account, "President Trump-we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts."
The president's release also came after The Wall Street Journal published an article claiming that, years earlier, Trump had written a birthday letter to Epstein that included a sketch of a naked woman.
Both Trump and Leavitt sharply criticized the media outlet. "The WSJ refused to show us the letter and conceded they don't even have it in their possession when we asked them to verify the alleged document they're basing their ENTIRE fake story on. When has President Trump ever spoken like the conversation alleged in the fake WSJ story? That's not at all how he speaks or writes," Leavitt noted on X.
The Epstein case and the MAGA universe
There was even speculation of a joint departure of Patel and Bongino due to differences over how Bondi handled the Epstein documents case. DOJ's conclusion on the Epstein case prompted a wave of criticism from some heavy hitters in the MAGA universe, including Laura Loomer, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mike Lindell, among others. They were joined by host Megyn Kelly, who held Bondi directly responsible for the handling of the case.
In the days that followed, tensions behind closed doors began to dissipate. The president publicly backed Bondi. In turn, both Patel and Bongino confirmed their continuity.
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