California Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t just mock Donald Trump — he turned one of the president’s strangest public moments into a political trap that left Attorney General Pam Bondi with nowhere to hide. What started as another awkward Trump spectacle quickly morphed into a viral pressure point , putting Bondi squarely in the crosshairs as questions swirl about what she hasn’t done — and what Trump might do next. California Gov. Gavin Newsom takes shot at AG Pam Bondi (Credit: Getty Images) The episode landed at a moment when Bondi is already under growing pressure, not just from Democrats and transparency advocates, but from the president himself over the Justice Department’s continued failure to release the entirety of the Epstein files. Behind the scenes, Trump has repeatedly complained to aides that Bondi is weak and ineffective at enforcing his agenda, according to a Wall Street Journal report, citing people familiar with his remarks. ‘Is This His Resignation?’: Trump Drops a Bizarre New ‘Role’ for Himself, But He Clearly Didn’t Get the Memo — This Power Move Comes With Blowback He Wasn’t Ready For Trump’s frustrations have boiled over in recent weeks, driven in part by what he views as her mishandling of the Epstein files, which officials say has caused months of political headaches and failed to shift attention away from the scandal. Trump has also bristled at the slow pace of investigations targeting his perceived enemies and has floated the idea of appointing special counsels to bypass Bondi altogether. “Listen pam bondi, trump is going to be pissed at you no matter what you do so just release the epstein files and resign,” one observer noted on Threads. The discontent has filtered through Trump’s inner circle and MAGA allies. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles privately described Bondi as having “whiffed” on the Epstein matter, a view Trump later told staff he shared. View on Threads Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon said Bondi is now “bleeding support” among the president’s most loyal backers, who are demanding faster, more aggressive prosecutions tied to the 2020 election and past investigations of Trump, drawing further criticism online. “He really doesn’t want or care about maintaining any appearance of separation or independence,” another critic said. “The reputation of DOJ will never recover.” It’s unclear where Bondi’s future stands with Trump, but the growing turbulence in the administration gave added bite to the moment Newsom seized on Friday during a roundtable between Trump and global oil executives. Pam Bondi is going down big time! #PedoPresident is not happy with her. One million new Epstein files discovered he’s incriminated in them! Conservatives are not happy with her calling for her resignation! Democrats hate her for the blatant coverup redactions of the files pic.twitter.com/Ar6h6JmXYK— Annie (@AnnieForTruth) December 28, 2025 As cameras rolled, Trump abruptly paused the discussion, stood up, and walked toward a window overlooking the White House grounds. The East Wing had recently been razed to make room for a planned $400 million ballroom personally championed by the president. “Wow, what a view,” Trump said, gazing at the construction site. Within days, Newsom’s press team repurposed the clip. The edited version replaced the view outside the window with footage from 1992 showing Trump socializing at Mar-a-Lago with the convicted sex offender. The video ended with a blunt message directed at the attorney general: “PAM BONDI, RELEASE THE FILES!” View on Threads The post ricocheted across social media, where users praised the edit for reframing a moment of self-indulgence into a reminder of unresolved questions surrounding Epstein and Trump’s past. One user described the meme as “Top tier online f—kery.” Another person invoked one of Epstein’s alleged victims, adding, “DJT is guilty!” Newsom’s edit reignited public anger toward Bondi, who has repeatedly promised transparency while presiding over a Justice Department that has released only a fraction of the Epstein records required by law — keeping the story in the headlines. “It’s not hyperbole but At this point she and her co-conspirators are actively committing endless crimes forever tarnishing shredding to bits whatever credibility the DOJ or the legal system has left or will have for generations to come!” one person wrote on Threads. A separate commenter added, “I made a list of what I have. It’s pretty clear there was a cover-up.” On X, another critic said: “Pam still has to redact the remaining 99% of the TrumpStein files.” AOC isn’t mincing words:“The Trump administration, Donald Trump, JD Vance, Pam Bondi, are engaged in one of the greatest cover-ups we’ve ever seen around Jeffrey Epstein, protecting people in and close to power.” pic.twitter.com/T6210qbPfw— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 11, 2026 Trump, who socialized publicly with Epstein for years, later distanced himself while simultaneously amplifying conspiracy theories popular within his political base, including claims that Epstein was murdered by powerful enemies. Those theories boomeranged after the Justice Department and FBI concluded last year that Epstein took his own life and that he had no formal “client list.” Bondi had previously claimed that such a list was “sitting on my desk.” Meanwhile, the Justice Department has only released roughly 1 percent of the files. The American people are angry that Donald Trump continues to lead a White House cover-up.Pam Bondi and the DOJ have only released ONE PERCENT of the files.What are they hiding? pic.twitter.com/MDD0p5GrGO— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) January 14, 2026 One online critic saw Newsom’s clip as a sharp commentary on how quickly public attention has waned due to Trump’s constant distractions on the world stage. “The Epstein Files seem to be far away in the rear view mirror,” he said. Bondi, meanwhile, has remained largely out of public view, leading to further criticism on X. One user asked simply, “Where is Pam Bondi?” Reaction to the Daily Beast’s report echoed the same frustrations. “Conspicuously absent Bondi … undoubtedly, Trump wrote Epstein birthday card. Release the files like you’re obligated to do!!” one person wrote. How horribly disappointed you must be that there’s no implication of any wrongdoing from Trump in any document.— Todos Libtardos (@OoohNoMrBill) January 12, 2026 Another added: “Can’t wait til the next administration exposes and holds her despicable maga ass accountable for her role as US AG. Confident that her LAW license will go BYE BYE !!!” Last week, Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee demanded a hearing with Bondi over what lawmakers called the DOJ’s illegal delay. “Let’s be clear: Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice are breaking the law every single day the Epstein files are kept from the public,” Garcia said in a statement. “Pam Bondi must face Congress for questioning now. We will use every tool at our disposal to fight for justice and transparency.” Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna have taken the extraordinary step of asking a federal judge to appoint a special master or independent monitor to oversee compliance, citing wildly inconsistent DOJ claims about the number of documents still under review. “The conduct by the DOJ is not only a flagrant violation of the mandatory disclosure obligations,” they wrote, adding that the delays have caused “serious trauma to survivors.” ‘He’s Going to Be Pissed!’: Newsom Flips One of Trump’s Most Bizarre Moments Into a Problem Bondi Can’t Escape — But Trump’s Next Move Could End Her on the Spot ...read more read less