The Shadow Beneath the Carpet - How the Epstein Files Are Shaking the Trump Administration

It was one of those weeks when the facade begins to crumble. The Trump administration had hoped to keep the lid on the barrel with a brief memo, but what poured out was distrust, anger - and a deep fracture between the Justice Department and the FBI. At the center: the never-ending affair surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and what was never found - a so-called “client list” that, officially, does not exist. On Monday, the Justice Department and the FBI released a sober two-page statement. Conclusion: there is no Epstein client list. Nothing on Bondi’s desk. No secret name rosters. No document that would satisfy the conspiracy narratives of the far right. But with that, a structure that Trump had built himself - out of hints, promises, and political tales about the “deep state” - began to wobble. The reaction was not long in coming. Comments exploded on platforms like X. Activists, influencers, and right-wing opinion leaders who had spent months intoxicated by the vision of a massive revelation campaign now felt deceived. It was the same base that Trump had once fed with the promise that “all the names” would soon be exposed - and now, there was nothing. Or at least nothing new. The anger was great. Whether it should be understood or accepted is something each person must decide for themselves.

The situation escalated behind closed doors. On Tuesday, Donald Trump and his cabinet members met at the White House - but in the background, a storm was brewing. The next day, there was an open argument between Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. Bondi, who in February had boasted of having “tens of thousands of videos” in her possession, now stood as someone who had promised more than her agency could deliver - or wanted to. Bongino, once a staple of right-wing media himself, suddenly found himself cast as the scapegoat. The trigger was a questionable report by the network NewsNation. According to it, the FBI had wanted to release the Epstein files “months ago” but had been blocked by the Justice Department. The report cited no names, only a “White House insider.” Bondi, Todd Blanche (her deputy), and FBI Director Kash Patel denied the claim - but Bongino remained silent. And that, insiders say, pushed the situation over the edge. The confrontation between Bondi and Bongino was described by an allegedly anonymous government official as “confrontational and lastingly damaging.” But there is no evidence for this. It was not just about the memo, but about a loss of trust, personal slights - and a political base that was demanding justice and now felt betrayed.

Because what remained was little: a video recording from Epstein’s cell that is supposed to prove his suicide - but contains a mysterious missing minute. A file titled “Phase 1,” proudly presented to conservative influencers in February - but which contained only already known information. And a so-called “Little Black Book,” Epstein’s infamous address directory, which was originally supposed to include 97 pages - of which only 92 were actually released. Five pages are missing - and not at the end, but in the middle: gaps appear on pages 18, 36, 54, 83, and 91. No one comments on why these pages are missing. Officially, the reason given is victim protection - but in the eyes of many critics, it is precisely this lack of transparency that fuels the suspicion that powerful names are being deliberately withheld. Epstein’s butler, Alfredo Rodriguez, had allegedly marked certain pages specifically, which he believed could contain criminally relevant contacts. According to FBI reports from 2010, Rodriguez referred to the book as a “potential extortion list” - many names were underlined multiple times, circled, or annotated with margin notes. A government that had tried to satisfy expectations it never could have controlled now finds itself at the center of a new wave of mistrust. The public had expected full disclosure - and now finds itself confronted with a patchwork of omissions that raises more questions than it answers. On Friday, Blanche attempted to smooth things over. He wrote on X that there were “no differences whatsoever” between the FBI and the Justice Department - all involved had signed off on the memo, including Bongino. But the latter, usually omnipresent on social media, was conspicuously silent. According to far-right activist Laura Loomer, he had taken the day off Friday “to think about resigning.” The rumor mill is churning. The White House, meanwhile, appeared calm. The administration is working together in unity and determination, said spokesman Harrison Fields. “Any attempt to sow discord within this team is baseless.” Follow-up: We were told by very well-informed sources: FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino is reportedly considering resignation and has taken the entire day off. Whether that is truly the case remains to be seen in the coming days.

But the damage has long been done. And maybe it’s no longer just about Epstein. Maybe it’s about a system that has become entangled in its own narrative - and is now realizing that it has flung open the door to the basement, only to find that nothing lies there but questions.