Public uproar and internal fighting in the Trump administration over the handling of documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein has put a spotlight on FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and his importance to members of President Trump’s base.

Bongino has been at the center of debate over the Epstein files after the Justice Department essentially closed the case in a joint memo with the FBI. The deputy FBI director has clashed with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the issue and reportedly weighed resigning.

The outrage on the right over the prospect of Bongino exiting underscored both his importance to the base and how central he had been to fueling the controversies and conspiracy theories that animate many Trump backers.

Sources close to the White House told The Hill that members of the MAGA movement view Bongino as one of their own. He has built a following over the past decade, and is considered a true outsider with a finger on the pulse of the base who was appointed to a position of power to act on issues they care about, including the Epstein documents.

“Dan is a brand of MAGA that is fiercely loyal to the president. But he’s also somebody who has made a heck of a media career going into depth about issues that the base cares about, whether it be things like Epstein or the assassination attempt at Butler,” said one source close to the White House.

“He is considered a trusted voice,” the source added. “I think this is someone who is honored to serve the Trump administration, but also put his brand on the line when it came to, ‘We’re going to get to the bottom of Epstein.’”

Bongino is a former New York City police officer and Secret Service agent who ran unsuccessfully for........

© The Hill