President Donald Trump stewed all weekend over his hand-picked federal law enforcement officials as the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein case continues.
Deputy FBI director Dan Bongino skipped work again Monday and has been incommunicado with other bureau leaders since last Wednesday following a tense confrontation with attorney general Pam Bondi over her handling of the Epstein files, and sources told CNN that he suggested he could not continue in his position if she remained head of the Department of Justice.
"The threat infuriated Trump, who spent the weekend fuming over both Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel, sources told CNN," according to the network. "Most of his fury was directed at Bongino, causing aides to expect that the deputy director would depart his job in the coming days. But Vice President JD Vance spent the weekend attempting to mediate, at times fielding calls from Patel, Bongino and Bondi, sources said."
Bongino's relationship with the White House has become untenable, sources said, and some administration insiders said he can't remain deputy director for long even if he decides not to quit now, no matter what the White House says publicly.
“Attorney General Bondi, Director Patel, Deputy Director Bongino, and the countless other heroes of our law enforcement community are dedicated to executing President Trump’s agenda of protecting civil rights, safeguarding communities, holding criminals accountable, and defending victims. This work will continue in lockstep and with unprecedented success,” said White House spokesman Harrison Fields in a statement.
Frustrations over the Epstein case have mounted for months before Bongino clashed with Bondi after she asked whether he or Patel had leaked a story to a right-wing website claiming the DOJ had stopped the FBI from releasing more information about the disgraced financier and his alleged sex trafficking crimes.
Bongino denied leaking the story to NewsNation, but Trump has sided with the attorney general, who has been cast as a villain by his MAGA base, and officials said the deputy FBI director had miscalculated his own standing in the administration.
“Bondi is in a great headspace," said a DOJ official. "Her relationship with Trump is as strong as ever, and she looks forward to going on offense.”
