🌊 The Conspiracies That Weren’t

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By Max Towey

It was day two of CPAC – conservative Comic Con, essentially – in Washington, DC, this February when Kash Patel was confirmed as the new FBI director.

Upon the news, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) asked the crowd, “What do you think about Kash Patel?” It erupted in applause, as if he just announced the name of a rockstar.

Kash had the blessing of leading MAGA podcasters Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, and Candace Owens, who hailed him as “a great pick.” His confirmation sent X into a frenzy: @Breaking911 announced, “BREAKING: Kash Patel CONFIRMED as FBI Director. Swamp drain is imminent!👀”. Dave Smith – an influential libertarian comedian – wrote, “Kash Patel is an amazing pick for FBI director!! Great choice President Trump!!”

But Trump wasn’t done. Three days later, he tapped Secret-Service-agent-turned-podcaster Dan Bongino to be deputy director of the FBI. Like Kash, Bongino has made his bones going after the Deep State and calling on politicians to “drain the swamp.” Boom, Avenger number two. MAGA Twitter erupted yet again.

“HOLY SH*T 🚨 IT’S OFFICIAL Kash Patel and Dan Bongino are now working with each other 🔥 Say Goodbye to the Deep State,” @MAGAVoice wrote. Congressman Josh Brecheen (R-OK) posted, “Pam Bondi is Attorney General. Kash Patel is FBI Director. Dan Bongino is Deputy FBI Director. It’s time to Drain the Swamp!” 

Hopes were high for a DC purge. After all, the bulls weren’t just in the china shop; they were running it. Patel promised to move out of FBI headquarters and turn it into a “museum of the deep state.” MAGA celebrated the dawn of a new era in which Epstein’s list would be publicized, Russiagate conspirators would be arrested, and the Deep State would wither and perhaps die.

Or so they thought.

Nearly four months into their tenures, both Patel and Bongino have lost the MAGA base – and seemingly their grandiose ambitions. And nothing has made this clearer than their investigation into what happened to Jeffrey Epstein.

After reviewing the FBI’s Epstein file, Patel and Bongino publicly affirmed the very narrative they used to cast doubt on – that Epstein did, in fact, die by suicide in his jail cell. In a Fox News interview last month, Patel stated flatly, “You know a suicide when you see one, and that’s what that was.” Bongino, sitting next to Patel, added, “He killed himself.”  

In a subsequent interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Bongino reiterated: “There is nothing in the Jeffrey Epstein file indicating he died by any other way than suicide.” He described evidence from security cameras: “The video does show… you’ll see nobody really comes out of that bay… There’s nothing there… that indicates anything other than, in fact, a suicide,” Bongino explained, noting 12 hours of surveillance showed no one entering Epstein’s cell block except Epstein and the guards. He concluded unequivocally, “He killed himself.” 

This pronouncement – essentially closing the book on the Epstein conspiracy – was a stunning reversal of their prior insinuations.

“What was that?” said a laughing Tucker Carlson about the declaration from Patel and Bongino. Top podcaster and former Navy Seal Shawn Ryan, his guest that day, shook his head, too. Candace Owens’ replacement host, Ian Carroll, posted an episode titled, “Everything In The Epstein Files Kash Patel Is Missing.” But Patel had only just started.

Days after going on Fox, Patel appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience – for an interview that we highlighted in a recent We The 66 newsletter – and doubled down on his assertion that Epstein didn’t kill himself. 

Patel stated that there were no videos of Epstein having sex with underage girls, drawing a stark contrast to his 2023 appearance on influencer Benny Johnson’s show in which he challenged the FBI: “Put on your big boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are.” 

Patel also said there was no indication of foul play in Epstein’s death. When Rogan asked him about the unusual circumstances – including the guards being asleep and the cameras failing to work – Patel said he had no idea about that. 

“If I had a shred – me, Kash Patel – had a shred of evidence – the Russiagate guy, the Jan Six guy, the Covid origins guy – had a shred of evidence that this guy was murdered, I would be the first guy to bring this case hard and fast. And I would even be doing press conferences every week on it,” Patel said.  

Between his Rogan appearance and refutation of Epstein’s murder, MAGA world hasn’t been thrilled with Patel’s pivot, to say the least. "People are pissed. They feel like Dan and Kash aren't doing the job, that they're beholden to some unseen powers," MAGA podcaster Tim Pool said recently. Some have speculated if both Patel and Bongino are even compromised. 

Garnering thousands of likes, @sovereignbrah posted, “Bongino and Kash Patel are clearly compromised and were probably threatened and/or blackmailed. Sad to see, but it really exposes how tight the grip on power is in DC.” Conservative podcaster Clint Russell posted, “Hate to say it but if Dan Bongino and Kash Patel really believe that Epstein killed himself they are either compromised or not doing their jobs. His cellmate was removed, he had three neck fractures, the guards fell asleep and the cameras didn't record. Not buying it. Never will.”

Months ago, Patel was promising to release Epstein’s “black book,” which allegedly includes addresses and personal information of his closest associates. Now he’s telling the public to look away, and closing the book on theories from Epstein’s death to the Butler, PA assassination attempt ("That’s a great example of people looking for things where things don’t exist"). 

Why?

Editor’s Note

We’re curious to hear what you think about Patel and Bongino: To what do you attribute their shift in messaging? For those who were initially optimistic about Kash Patel’s nomination: How are you feeling now? Let us know by replying to this email.

And for anyone who wants to dive into more stories, find our latest here:

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Thanks for reading. See you again tomorrow.

–Max and Max