Tucker Carlson said FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino got “completely shafted” by the Trump administration’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, saying it dinged Bongino’s image among the former podcast host’s fans.
President Donald Trump sought to quell rumblings that the FBI deputy director could leave the administration over the weekend, as reports stated Bongino was considering a resignation after the FBI and the Department of Justice determined Epstein had no “client list.” The president said Bongino is “in good shape” and is a “very good guy.”
Carlson, however, was greatly critical of the administration’s handling of the investigation, specifically over comments made by Attorney General Pam Bondi. He also said “of course” Bongino was upset over his fans questioning his integrity, saying the former podcast host took a pay cut to serve in the FBI.
“And you’re there a few months, and all of a sudden, everybody thinks you’re covering up Epstein’s crimes! And it kind of wrecks Dan’s career, like, he can’t go back … it’s going to be very hard at this point,” Carlson said on the Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark podcast on Sunday.
“I mean, things may change, but as of today, [it’s] pretty hard for Dan to go back to his podcast audience and be like, ‘I’m telling you the truth,’ when they all think he’s covering up for Epstein! Who did that? Pam Bondi did that!” Carlson said.
Carlson believes the Trump administration knows it needs to “do something” about the concerns about Epstein. He also said it is “absolutely fair to ask” to what extent Epstein was involved in a “foreign intelligence operation” within the United States.
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FBI Director Kash Patel denied rumors he plans to leave the agency over reported dissatisfaction with the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein investigation. The director said on X, “the conspiracy theories just aren’t true,” and it is “an honor” to serve the president.
Trump defended Bondi in a statement on Truth Social, accusing “selfish people” of trying to affect his administration. He also said his attorney general would focus on election fraud and not “waste time and energy” on Epstein, claiming “nobody cares about” the latter topic.