President Donald Trump’s weekend defense of Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case has triggered a rare wave of backlash—so intense that it marked the first time he’s been “ratioed” on his own platform, Truth Social.
The term ratioed refers to a post receiving more replies than likes or shares, a common signal of widespread disagreement or criticism online.
The Post That Sparked It
In a Truth Social post Saturday evening, Trump lashed out at critics of Bondi, describing her performance as “FANTASTIC” and brushing off renewed scrutiny of Epstein as a distraction.
“We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening,” Trump wrote. “Let’s not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.”
But that message didn’t land. As of Sunday morning, the post had more than 36,000 replies, compared with only 32,000 likes and 11,000 re-truths, according to engagement data from a public Truth Social archive.
Why It Matters
The backlash is significant not just for its volume but for where it occurred. Truth Social was designed to be Trump’s digital stronghold—an echo chamber of support. But the response to this post reveals growing fractures within his MAGA base, especially over unmet expectations related to the Epstein investigation.
Trump and his allies, including Bondi, had long teased the existence of secret Epstein files or a so-called “client list” implicating high-profile figures. But a Justice Department memo released last week said no such list exists and reaffirmed that Epstein acted alone before dying by suicide in 2019. That conclusion infuriated activists and influencers who had rallied behind the narrative of a coming exposé.
What’s Behind the Fallout
At this weekend’s Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Florida, chants calling for Bondi’s resignation echoed through the venue. Trump’s post defending her appeared aimed at quelling that dissent—but instead amplified it.
Among the top responses:
- Mother Rosie, a Trump voter and mother of four: “This statement breaks my heart, Mr. President… These victims were someone’s daughters, sisters, nieces, grandchildren. Please reconsider, sir. I voted for everything you are doing! Accountability was not something negotiable.”
- Crissy, wearing a MAGA beanie in her profile photo: “We want the ELITE PEDOS exposed! You promised us that. Pam promised us that… Now it’s OUR fault for wanting those promises fulfilled?”
- Dewayne Sykes wrote simply: “This is going to cost you so many supporters. I being one of them.”
Supporters still chimed in, including Robby F, a Navy veteran:
“We all want to know. But President Trump only has the evidence that these criminals left for him to find… If he gets his hands on anything useful, we will know.”
Data Confirms the Unrest
An open-source GitHub project that tracks Trump’s Truth Social engagement confirmed this was the first and only post where replies outnumbered both likes and shares—a sign of deep dissatisfaction even among Trump’s core supporters.
Broader Reaction
The incident also sparked commentary from other political figures and Trump-world insiders:
- FBI Director Kash Patel: “The conspiracy theories just aren’t true, never have been. It’s an honor to serve the President.”
- Laura Loomer, far-right activist: “President Trump says he thinks Blondi [sic] is ‘doing a Fantastic job’….”
- Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA founder: “President Trump supports Pam Bondi as AG. He says the Epstein files are untrustworthy and wants DOJ focused on voter fraud, ActBlue, and crime.”
What’s Next?
Trump clearly hoped to shift attention away from the Epstein firestorm. But the backlash shows his base isn’t ready to move on—especially with the 2026 midterms on the horizon.
The administration now faces a growing challenge: regaining the trust of a movement that feels burned by broken promises—and, perhaps for the first time, is openly pushing back.
