Patriot Brief

  • What Happened: AG Pam Bondi accused Rep. Thomas Massie of having "Trump Derangement Syndrome" after he confronted her over Les Wexner's redacted name in the Epstein files.
  • Why It Matters: Massie ripped off a piece of paper showing Wexner listed as a co-conspirator for child sex trafficking and accused Bondi of a cover-up spanning decades.
  • Bottom Line: Bondi said Wexner's name was added back within 40 minutes, but Massie fired back that it only happened after he caught them red-handed.

Sparks flew Tuesday as Attorney General Pam Bondi and Rep. Thomas Massie tore into each other over redacted names in the Epstein files.

Massie confronted Bondi over Les Wexner, the billionaire former CEO of Victoria's Secret, whose name was redacted despite being listed as a co-conspirator for child sex trafficking. Massie ripped off a piece of paper to show Bondi exactly what the Justice Department tried to hide.

"Within 40 minutes, Wexner's name was added back," Bondi shot back, defending the DOJ's handling of the documents.

Massie was not buying it. "Within 40 minutes of me catching you red-handed," he fired back.

That is when Bondi went personal. "This guy has Trump derangement syndrome. You're a failed politician," she said, accusing Massie of grandstanding instead of working with the administration.

Massie did not back down. "This is bigger than Watergate!" he shouted. "This cover-up spans decades, and you are responsible for this portion of it."

The exchange exposed a massive rift between a Republican congressman demanding transparency and a Trump-appointed attorney general defending the Justice Department's handling of the most explosive documents in modern history.

Massie has been relentless in his criticism of how the Epstein files have been released. He and Rep. Ro Khanna spent two hours reviewing unredacted documents and found at least six names scrubbed from the public version. One of those names was Les Wexner, a man listed as a co-conspirator in child sex trafficking who somehow had his identity shielded until a congressman called it out.

Bondi says the name was restored within 40 minutes. Massie says that only happened because he caught them hiding it in the first place. Both things can be true, and neither one is acceptable.

The American people have been demanding full transparency on the Epstein files for years. Instead, they are getting redactions, excuses, and now a screaming match between a Republican AG and a Republican congressman.

This is bigger than politics. This is about justice for victims and accountability for the powerful men who enabled Jeffrey Epstein. And right now, nobody is delivering either.