Kash Patel, Dan Bongino enrage conspiracy theorists with new take on Jeffrey Epstein suicide

FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy angered the conspiracy theorists who do not believe Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide when they shot down alternative explanations for the financier’s death during an interview that aired Sunday.

“Listen, they have a right to their opinion … but you know a suicide when you see one, and that’s what that was,” Patel, who was once among the skeptics that Epstein committed suicide, told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures.”

Added Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI who was seated next to Patel for the interview and also once believed Epstein did not commit suicide: “He killed himself. I’ve seen the whole file. He killed himself.”

Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.

The next month, he hanged himself in his jail cell in New York City.

Few of the cameras in the area where Epstein was housed were making recordings of the images they captured due to a mechanical failure July 29, which helped to fuel conspiracy theories.

The prison had contracted for a camera system upgrade three years before his death, but it had not been completed, in part due to serious staffing shortages.

Meanwhile, Epstein was alone the night of his death, even though the prison’s psychology department had informed 70 employees that he needed to be with a cellmate after his previous suicide attempt in July.

His cellmate was nevertheless transferred Aug. 9, with no action taken to replace him. He was also allowed an unmonitored personal phone call the night before he was found dead, a violation of BOP policy.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who has more than 4 million followers on X, reiterated his skepticism that Epstein committed suicide in response to Patel’s and Bongino’s interview.

“Overall, I think Kash Patel and Dan Bongino are doing a great job, but on this claim that Epstein’s death is not a cover-up I call bulls—,” Jones posted.

Conservative commentator Glenn Beck, who is also of the belief that Epstein did not kill himself, said he does not subscribe to the theory that Patel and Epstein themselves are part of the conspiracy.

“I tend to believe Patel and Bongino. I don’t believe there’s some sort of conspiracy inside MAGA. But I also believe that Epstein didn’t kill himself with a PAPER SHEET,” Beck posted.

“So, show us the facts. We must restore trust.”

 The Associated Press contributed to this report.