Kyle Seraphin, a former FBI agent and federal whistleblower, predicts that the Bureau will have a major shake-up in the coming year, due in part to how Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino have dealt with the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"I think Bongino's gone at the end of the year," Seraphin told Infowars' Alex Jones on Monday. "I think that was true before this. I think that Patel doesn't make it past midterms if they decide to switch over."
Newsweek reached out to Seraphin via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Backlash against the Trump administration has intensified among supporters and critics alike this week following a two-page Department of Justice memo of investigative findings into Epstein's death and a supposed list of his criminal associates, many of them allegedly influential figures.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has found herself in the middle of the controversy due to remarks she made in February, stating that the Epstein list was "on her desk." Now, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI say that there was no evidence of an incriminating client list.
The backlash has thickened since the weekend after Bondi newly addressed reports of a missing minute in security camera footage from the night of Epstein's death by suicide, saying the gap was due to an outdated video system.
What To Know
Critics seized upon Bondi's previous statements, which had suggested an Epstein client list might be reviewed for release, fueling theories of a cover-up inside the administration.
She clarified earlier remarks she made during a Fox News interview, in which she stated that the client list was "sitting on my desk for review." She later explained she had been referring to all files, not a specific list.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump publicly defended Bondi at a White House event, signaling support despite rising skepticism.
Seraphin, who has stated he voted for Trump, referred to Patel as "useful" to the FBI, assumedly sarcastically, in his interview with Jones.
"He's actually kind of fit into the role of FBI director, which is a guy who flies around on a jet and defends the FBI vigorously," Seraphin said. "[Patel] doesn't do anything in particular that we're hoping he does, and takes credit for things the FBI always does...The whole idea was to decentralize [the FBI] out of D.C."
Discontent in Trump's base has been amplified by prominent personalities and social media activists demanding full transparency.
After the administration released video footage and a DOJ memo that reasserted the death was a suicide and denied the existence of a blackmail "client list," posts criticizing both Trump and Bondi proliferated on social media.
Some users accused officials of misleading the public and denounced the lack of new prosecutions or unredacted disclosures.
The administration's stance was reinforced by White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, who said, "there was material they did not release because it was incredibly graphic and contained child pornography," but insisted the administration had delivered a thorough review. Nonetheless, the debate and distrust within MAGA ranks appear set to persist as expectations of accountability in the Epstein case remain unfulfilled.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump on Tuesday at the White House, to a reporter: "Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? I can't believe you're asking a question on Epstein at a time like this where we're having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas. It just seems like a desecration."
Conservative commentator Dana Loesch, on X (formerly Twitter): "So with the Epstein files, one of two things is true: 1) We were lied to from the beginning to be manipulated by people running for office; 2) We are being lied to now to protect people in office. Either way, we are being lied to, but which?"
"The Lectern Guy" (who was imprisoned for his actions on January 6, 2021), on X: "I can't believe I served more time in federal prison for moving a lectern than any of Epstein's clients."
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck, on X: "Pam Bondi said the Epstein client list was on her desk to review for release to the public just a few months ago. Now the DOJ she leads claims that there's no Epstein client list. Sorry but this is unacceptable. Was she lying then or is she lying now? We deserve answers."
What Happens Next
The memo said that "no further disclosure" of records related to Epstein would be "appropriate or warranted."