Pam Bondi Faces Backlash on Fox News as Epstein Victim Testifies on Redactions, Sparking GOP Infighting

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files came under blistering scrutiny Friday during a live Fox News interview, where the typically poised Trump appointee appeared visibly rattled after a surprise video testimony from one of Epstein’s victims, who accused the Justice Department of delaying full disclosure to protect powerful figures — a moment that has fueled Republican recriminations and prompted insiders to whisper that the controversy is “just the beginning” of a broader unraveling.

The exchange, aired on “Hannity” at 9 p.m. Eastern time, marked a rare fracture in the conservative media ecosystem, as host Sean Hannity — a longtime Trump ally — pressed Ms. Bondi on her office’s redactions in the initial 20,000-page release last week, which omitted names of over 100 associates amid concerns for “ongoing investigations.” Midway through the segment, Mr. Hannity cut to a pre-recorded statement from Virginia Giuffre, the Epstein survivor whose 2015 lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell helped unravel the financier’s network. Ms. Giuffre, speaking from an undisclosed location, her voice steady but laced with emotion, said: “I trusted the Justice Department to finally tell the truth. But these redactions? They’re not protecting victims — they’re protecting the enablers who still walk free. Release it all, or admit you’re part of the cover-up.”

Ms. Bondi, 59, froze for several seconds, her prepared notes clutched tightly, before responding in a strained tone: “Ms. Giuffre is incredibly brave, and we honor her courage. But the law requires us to balance transparency with privacy and national security. We’re reviewing every page — it’s complex.” Her voice cracked on “complex,” and she paused to sip water, prompting Mr. Hannity to interject: “Pam, the base is furious. You said the ‘client list’ was on your desk in February. Now it’s November, and victims like her are still waiting. What gives?” Ms. Bondi’s reply — a halting defense of the department’s “exhaustive review” — faltered as she referenced an “active probe” into Epstein’s Democratic ties, a line that drew audible groans from the studio audience and immediate pushback from Mr. Hannity: “Democrats? Come on, Pam — this is about justice, not politics.”

The 12-minute segment, viewed by 3.2 million, has since exploded online, amassing 22 million clips on X and TikTok under #BondiBreaks, where users dissected her pauses and flushed cheeks as signs of a “total collapse.” Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel replayed the moment in his monologue, quipping: “Pam Bondi went from Florida tough to deer in headlights. If that’s the AG’s poker face, imagine her in court.” The victim’s testimony, coordinated by the House Oversight Committee’s Democrats, amplified calls for a special counsel, with Ranking Member Robert Garcia tweeting: “Bondi can’t hide behind ‘reviews’ anymore. Full release now — victims deserve it.”

Republicans, caught off-guard, scrambled into damage control. House Speaker Mike Johnson, facing a caucus revolt over the Epstein bill’s near-unanimous passage last week, held an emergency conference call Friday morning, urging members to “stand with Pam” while privately venting frustration, according to two attendees who spoke on condition of anonymity. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Trump confidant, appeared on Fox & Friends Saturday, defending Ms. Bondi as “under siege from the deep state” but conceding the optics were “brutal.” Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who co-sponsored the discharge petition forcing the bill’s vote, broke ranks further, tweeting: “AG Bondi promised transparency — victims like Virginia deserve better than excuses. #ReleaseTheFiles.” The infighting has deepened fissures in the GOP, with MAGA podcaster Benny Johnson accusing Ms. Bondi of “gaslighting” the base on his show, replaying her February Fox claim that the files were “sitting on my desk right now.”

At the Justice Department, the atmosphere is one of besieged fortification. Ms. Bondi, who directed U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton of the Southern District of New York to probe Epstein’s links to Democrats last Friday — hours after Mr. Trump’s urging — spent the weekend in closed-door sessions with FBI Director Kash Patel, sources said. The move, intended to refocus scrutiny on figures like Bill Clinton (mentioned 50 times in flight logs), has backfired amid bipartisan demands for unredacted disclosure. A federal judge in Florida denied the department’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts Thursday, citing secrecy rules, further fueling perceptions of foot-dragging. Insiders, speaking anonymously, described the episode as “just the beginning”: With the 30-day clock ticking on the Epstein Files Transparency Act — signed by Mr. Trump after initial resistance — more victim testimonies are expected, potentially including those from the 254 survivors Ms. Bondi herself cited in March.

Mr. Trump, whose name appears dozens of times in the files (mostly benign social references), amplified the chaos with a Saturday Truth Social post: “Fake News attacks great AG Pam Bondi over Epstein HOAX! She’s fighting for TRUTH — Democrats in panic. Full release soon — you’ll see! #MAGA.” Yet his approval ratings, mired at 39 percent per Quinnipiac, reflect the toll: Independents cite the controversy as a top concern, eroding support amid the government shutdown.

Democrats, led by Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, have subpoenaed the full files for a December hearing, arguing Ms. Bondi’s probe is a “smoke screen” to redact politically sensitive material. “This isn’t justice; it’s theater,” Mr. Durbin said on MSNBC. Even some Republicans, like Senator Susan Collins of Maine, called for “expedited transparency” in a statement Friday, signaling potential bipartisan pressure.

For Ms. Bondi, a former Florida prosecutor whose confirmation barely cleared the Senate amid Epstein ties questions, the Fox moment risks her standing as a Trump enforcer. Allies like Brian Ballard, her ex-lobbying boss, praised her “calm under pressure,” but critics within the base — including podcasters like Mr. Johnson — warn of a “MAGA mutiny” if redactions persist. As one GOP strategist put it anonymously: “Pam’s the fall guy here. Trump promised bombshells; now it’s backfire city.”

The drama, unfolding in real time across cable and social media, underscores the Epstein saga’s enduring toxicity: A web of elite connections that, even in death, ensnares the powerful. With more victims poised to speak and the 30-day deadline looming, insiders murmur of deeper revelations — from unredacted flight logs to Maxwell’s prison interviews. If Friday’s collapse is the opening act, Washington’s next scene may be its most explosive yet.