MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk spent the weekend letting speakers at his Turning Point USA summit blast the Trump administration over the unresolved Epstein scandal. By Monday, he had changed his tune — and so had Fox & Friends.
After a personal call from Donald Trump on Saturday, Kirk abruptly announced on his podcast that he’s “done talking about Epstein for the time being.”
“Honestly, I’m done talking about Epstein,” Kirk said. “I’m gonna trust my friends in the administration… the ball’s in their hands.”
That change in tone didn’t happen in a vacuum. According to CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Trump picked up the phone after watching clips of Kirk’s event, where attendees cheered FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and booed Attorney General Pam Bondi — a Trump loyalist at the center of the Epstein fallout.
Pam Bondi has faced heat for how she’s handled the latest revelations, including a newly unsealed FBI memo that concluded, without explanation, that Epstein had no client list. The memo ignited widespread outrage, especially among conservative influencers and MAGA supporters who felt betrayed.
At the Turning Point event, Fox News host Laura Ingraham was met with loud boos when she asked the crowd if they were satisfied with the results of Trump’s Epstein investigation. Comedian Dave Smith got applause for accusing Trump of “actively covering up a giant child rapist ring.”
But after Trump’s call, Kirk suddenly backed off. He told his audience:
“There was plenty of… speeches that were directed towards this topic this last weekend. So we don’t need to spend our valuable time on this program relitigating it.”
He added that he’d rather trust Trump’s allies — including Bondi — to handle it:
“I’m gonna trust my friends Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, my friend Pam Bondi… Ball’s in their court.”
Kirk has previously admitted he takes direct “marching orders” from the Trump White House. “I was just texting with the White House staff today,” he said in June. “I want to get my marching orders.”
Meanwhile, Fox & Friends, Trump’s favorite morning show, mirrored Kirk’s retreat. After a weekend where multiple Fox shows — including Fox News Sunday and MediaBuzz — covered the Epstein memo and public backlash, Fox & Friends went completely silent on the topic Monday morning. Not a single mention.
That silence stands out. Just days earlier, Fox & Friends Weekend had called the story a “ticking time bomb.” Now, nothing.
The timing raises obvious questions. Did Trump’s message to “move on” cause a coordinated pullback in coverage? On Saturday, Trump had posted:
“They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!”
So far, the MAGA base doesn’t seem ready to let go. The Epstein case — long a symbol of elite corruption and secrecy — has become a major issue for right-wing influencers and audiences.
