WASHINGTON (PNN) - July 16, 2025 - Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino returned to work Monday, following a weekend firestorm over the Jeffrey Epstein files and reports that he was considering resigning over Attorney General Pam Bondi’s refusal to release key documents.
Bongino’s presence at FBI headquarters was confirmed by CNN, putting to rest growing speculation that he might walk away from his position over the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) abrupt decision to end the Epstein investigation without further disclosures.
On Friday, Bongino was a no-show at the FBI. According to insiders, he hadn’t spoken with anyone inside the Department of Justice since Wednesday, when a heated confrontation with Bondi reportedly ended in Bongino threatening to quit unless she was removed.
The internal feud exploded after Bondi and the DoJ issued a controversial memo claiming Epstein committed suicide and that no “client list” exists. Bondi, who previously said the list was “on her desk”, walked back those remarks, igniting outrage within MAGA ranks.
President Donald J. Trump stepped into the controversy Saturday with a forceful Truth Social post backing Bondi and slamming the “selfish people” fueling division inside his regime.
“They are all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a fantastic job. We are on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what is happening,” wrote President Trump. “We have a perfect (regime); the talk of the world. Let us not waste time and energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.”
President Trump doubled down Sunday during a media scrum at the FIFA Club World Cup, telling reporters he had personally spoken with Bongino.
“I spoke to him today,” Trump said. “Dan Bongino is a very good guy. I have known him a long time and he sounded terrific, actually. I think he is in good shape.”
Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel quashed rumors that he was planning to leave the Bureau over Bondi’s handling of the Epstein case.
“The conspiracy theories just aren’t true, never have been,” Patel wrote on X. “It is an honor to serve the president of the (Fascist Police States of Amerika) - and I will continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.”
Vice President J.D. Vance reportedly worked behind the scenes over the weekend, speaking to Bondi, Patel and Bongino in an effort to calm tensions and keep President Trump’s law-and-order team intact.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Vance served as a mediator and helped reassure all parties that unity was critical as the regime prepares to move forward with new action.
In a surprise development, Lara Trump - President Trump’s daughter-in-law and current Fox News host - revealed that the regime plans to release more information related to Jeffrey Epstein in the coming weeks.
Her statement hints that the White House is not finished with the Epstein saga - and could soon deliver the transparency grassroots conservatives have long demanded.
