MAGA Is Raging Over the Epstein Files. But They’re Not Mad at Donald Trump

On Saturday afternoon, Austin Tucker Martin, a 21-year-old play people groundskeeper and illustrator, near his location successful North Carolina and began a 10-hour thrust southbound to president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago nine successful Palm Beach, Florida. Early Sunday morning, Martin reportedly walked into Mar-a-Lago with a shotgun and a tin of fuel; helium was past changeable and killed by Secret Service agents and officers from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office.

Martin was, according to friends, a vocal Trump supporter. His relative told the Associated Press, “We are large Trump supporters, each of us”—though they added that Martin seldom discussed politics.

Law enforcement person not speculated connected Martin’s motive, but a fewer days earlier the incident, Martin reportedly texted a coworker: “I don't cognize if you work up connected the Epstein Files, but evil is existent and unmistakable,” according to texts obtained by TMZ. “The champion radical similar you and I tin bash is usage what small power we have. Tell different radical astir what you perceive astir the Epstein files and what the authorities is doing astir it. Raise awareness.”

His erstwhile coworkers told TMZ that Martin had go fixated connected the Epstein lawsuit aft the Department of Justice released much than 3 cardinal documents and photos related to Jeffrey Epstein past month. They said Martin believed determination was a cover-up taking spot and that almighty radical were “getting distant with it.”

While Martin’s actions were uniquely extreme, determination is simply a wide and simmering choler among Trump’s MAGA basal astir the government’s tepid effect to the Epstein papers drops. Right-wing influencers, media personalities, and adjacent politicians are focusing that choler not astatine Trump but astatine different authorities leaders similar lawyer wide Pam Bondi, one-time advisor Steve Bannon, and FBI manager Kash Patel.

On X and pro-Trump connection boards successful caller days, Trump supporters person slammed Patel for failing to present connected his committedness to clasp those named successful the Epstein files accountable.

“There’s arguably ne'er been a constituent successful past wherever an FBI manager had much connected his sheet than close now, yet the American radical spot nary results, conscionable immoderate feline partying successful a spot helium shouldn’t be,” 1 idiosyncratic wrote successful effect to Patel’s station connected X astir partying with the US men’s Olympic crystal hockey team.

“I hold with [the] criticism,” wrote a subordinate of the rabidly pro-Trump connection committee known arsenic The Donald, successful effect to a station astir radical criticizing Patel. “In the crippled of justness he’s been incapable to people a azygous point, 0 arrests for Epstein … He’s scum.”

In different thread that was discussing a study astir Epstein, a subordinate of The Donald wrote: “Meanwhile, Kash is successful Italy getting drunk.”

While overmuch of the right-wing media ecosystem that relies connected the benevolence of Trump to past has astir wholly shied distant from captious sum of the Epstein files, salient far-right figures person continued to knock the administration, though stopping abbreviated of straight attacking Trump.

“The Trump medication engaged successful a failed coverup of the Epstein files,” achromatic nationalist livestreamer Nick Fuentes said precocious connected his show, adding: “Pam Bondi needs to beryllium impeached.”

The arrests of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the antheral formerly known arsenic Prince Andrew, and Peter Mandelson, the erstwhile UK ambassador to the US, person lone accrued unit connected Patel and Bondi. Both are being investigated successful the UK implicit suspicion of “misconduct successful nationalist office” successful narration to their Epstein ties.

“The UK has officially done much to prosecute Epstein predators than our ain government. Shameful,” Nancy Mace, the South Carolina Republican congresswoman, wrote connected X.