Attorney General Pam Bondi’s sudden absence from a major anti-trafficking summit has ignited a firestorm of speculation, fueled by a bombshell report tying her to President Trump and the Jeffrey Epstein files. Her cancellation, attributed to a torn cornea, as the Daily Mail reports, came in the wake of a Wall Street Journal exposé claiming she briefed Trump on the presence of his name in Epstein-related documents. The timing couldn’t be worse for conservatives fighting the progressive narrative machine.
Bondi was set to headline CPAC’s Summit Against Human Trafficking on Wednesday but pulled out due to a medical emergency. The event, a key platform for conservative voices combating exploitation, lost some attendees when her absence was announced. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti stepped in, reading Bondi’s statement to a disappointed crowd.
“I’m sorry to miss all of my CPAC friends today,” Bondi said, citing her torn cornea. Her words rang hollow to some, as whispers of political damage control swirled. The left’s relentless push to smear conservatives with Epstein’s shadow looms large.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Bondi told Trump in May his name appeared multiple times in the Epstein files. She described the documents as a mix of “unverified hearsay,” child pornography, and sensitive victim information, advising against their public release. This revelation has progressives salivating, eager to paint Trump as complicit in Epstein’s crimes.
Trump, however, denied the briefing ever mentioned his name. On July 15, he dismissed questions about it, saying, “No, no.” His team insists this is another liberal media witch hunt, akin to the debunked Russia collusion hoax.
“The fact is that the President kicked [Epstein] out of his club for being a creep,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s spokesperson. Cheung’s defiance exposes the media’s tired playbook: sling mud, hope it sticks. Yet the Journal’s report persists, muddying the waters for MAGA supporters.
The Journal report contradicts Trump’s claim that his briefing with Bondi was a “very quick” affair with no mention of his name. This discrepancy has fueled accusations of a cover-up, with critics demanding transparency. The DOJ’s silence on Bondi’s condition only adds to the suspicion.
Bondi herself has downplayed the Epstein files’ significance. At a July 8 cabinet meeting, she called them “child porn downloaded by that disgusting Jeffrey Epstein,” unfit for public view. Her stance aligns with protecting victims but raises questions about selective disclosure.
A leaked DOJ-FBI memo further complicates the narrative, stating no “client list” exists in agency files. This undercuts Bondi’s earlier Fox News claim that she possessed such a list. The left pounces, framing this as evidence of conservative duplicity.
Last week, the Journal reported that years ago, Trump sent Epstein a 50th birthday card with a hand-drawn naked woman and a note: “May every day be another wonderful secret.” Trump vehemently denied this, saying, “I never wrote a picture in my life.” His outrage underscores what he says is the media’s obsession with tarnishing his image.
“I don’t draw pictures of women,” Trump insisted, calling the report fake news. His threat to sue the Journal and Rupert Murdoch signals a fight against what he sees as libelous attacks. Legal experts, however, warn that defamation suits are tough to win, especially against an established media giant.
Galeotti, filling in at CPAC, tried to lighten the mood: “We appreciate the applause for her and not boos for me.” His quip fell flat as attendees grappled with Bondi’s absence and the Epstein fallout. The conservative base deserves better than this distraction.
The Epstein files, riddled with hearsay and horror, are a convenient cudgel for the woke media. Bondi’s caution against their release protects victims but invites scrutiny from those itching to link Trump to Epstein’s crimes. The double standard is glaring -- where’s the outrage over other elites named in those files?
Trump’s team remains defiant, framing this as another Democrat-manufactured scandal. Cheung’s comparison to the Russiagate fiasco resonates with supporters tired of endless investigations. The MAGA movement rallies behind Trump, seeing through the media’s tired tactics.
Bondi’s torn cornea may have sidelined her, but the real injury is to conservative momentum. As the left amplifies this story, the fight against human trafficking -- CPAC’s focus -- gets drowned out. It’s time to refocus on policy, not progressive gotcha games.
