Podcast Summary: The Briefing with Jen Psaki

Episode: Pam Bondi makes an absolute fool of herself frantically ducking Epstein questions
Date: February 13, 2026
Host: Jen Psaki (MS NOW)
Guests: Congressman Jamie Raskin, Governor Josh Shapiro, Congressman Chris D’Luzio

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the explosive and controversial congressional hearing featuring Attorney General Pam Bondi, focusing on her evasive and combative responses to pointed questions about the Jeffrey Epstein files and her management of the Justice Department. Jen Psaki provides sharp analysis, fact-checks Bondi's dodges, and draws out the significance with the help of guests including Congressman Jamie Raskin (who directly confronted Bondi during the hearing) and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. The episode covers Bondi's disastrous testimony, the apparent efforts to surveil congressional investigators, the exposure of Epstein victims, and the wider implications for Trump’s 2026 election strategy.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Pam Bondi’s Capitol Hill Meltdown

[00:50 - 07:20]

• Bondi’s Evasion and Non-Answers:
  Jen introduces the central theme: Attorney General Pam Bondi's disastrous performance at the congressional hearing on the Epstein files.

  • Bondi ducks direct questions about DOJ investigations into Epstein’s co-conspirators, instead praising Trump and referencing unrelated topics like the stock market.
  • Memorable moment:
    • Pam Bondi: “You know why? Because Donald Trump…the Dow right now is over…the Dow is over $50,000. I don’t know why you’re laughing.” ([03:58])
  • Jen Psaki’s reaction: “Pam Bondi was asked why she hadn’t investigated any of Epstein’s co-conspirators. And she basically said because the Dow is over 50,000… do we really want our Justice Department investigating an elite cabal of pedophiles at a time when stock portfolios are doing so well?” ([04:41])

• Deflecting Questions with Trump Praise:
  When pressed about DOJ failures, Bondi instead calls Trump “the greatest president in American history.” ([06:16])

  • Jen’s comment: “It’s like she was a social media bot…with the verbal version of [AI-generated Trump images].”

• Evading on Epstein and Trump Ties:
  When asked whether Trump attended Epstein parties with underage girls, Bondi refuses to answer, calling the question “ridiculous.” ([07:38])

  • Jen’s retort: “The question of whether or not the current sitting President…attended any parties with a sexual predator where underage girls were present is not ridiculous at all.” ([07:49])

• Refusal to Acknowledge Survivors:
  Bondi refuses to face or apologize to Epstein survivors present in the hearing, even as all raise their hands to indicate DOJ never met them. ([08:48-09:57])

2. Surveillance Allegations and Weaponizing Information

[09:57 - 18:17]

• Surveillance of Lawmakers:

  • A photo reveals Bondi’s binder includes Congresswoman Jayapal’s DOJ search history of the Epstein files. This raises concerns DOJ is surveilling members to gain a tactical edge for the hearing.
  • Jayapal (via Ali Vitale): “It’s totally inappropriate. Is this the whole reason they opened the files up to us two days early—so they could essentially surveil members?” ([10:25])

• Congressman Jamie Raskin’s Direct Experience:

  • Raskin describes entering DOJ offices to review 3 million pages of files—under restricted, monitored conditions with no personal logins or privacy. ([16:00])
  • “I couldn’t quite figure out what they were doing there, but then I figured they’re probably just monitoring me…They want to spy on us during the process.” ([16:31])

3. Handling of Epstein Files: Redactions, Victim Exposure, & Perceived Cover-up

[18:17 - 22:03]

• Massive Redactions & Withholding:

  • Raskin and others allege DOJ is deliberately withholding 3 million documents and heavily redacting names of co-conspirators/enablers, while negligently exposing over 100 Epstein victims’ identities, sometimes including nude photos. ([16:31], [17:30])

• Theory on Motivation:

  • Raskin: “It’s either spectacular incompetence and negligence or…a deliberate effort to intimidate people and to keep other survivors from coming forward.” ([21:05])

• Pattern of Intimidation:

  • Jen Psaki underscores DOJ’s “history of intimidating survivors,” suggesting this exposure was no accident.

4. Bondi’s Partisan Antics & Personal Attacks

[13:04 - 14:57]

• Personal and Unprofessional Attacks:

  • Bondi attacks Democratic members, throws out personal insults (“You’re a failed politician”; “You have Trump derangement syndrome”), and even accuses Becca Balint—a granddaughter of a Holocaust victim—of antisemitism when pressed about meeting Epstein survivors. ([12:20])

  • Jen Psaki reaction:
    “Pam Bondi just accused [Becca Balint] of being anti-Semitic instead of agreeing to meet with Epstein survivors. That’s what just happened there.” ([12:29])

  • General Tone:
    Jen characterizes Bondi’s style as “a grown up version of Regina George from Mean Girls,” focused more on putting on a show for Trump than answering substantive questions.

5. The Hearing as Cover-up for Trump and His Allies

[24:16 - 27:22]

• Raskin on Bondi’s Priorities:

  • Raskin: “She wasn’t answering [questions] like a prosecutor…She was answering it from the perspective of how’s Donald Trump, my client, gonna relate to my answer here?” ([24:16])

  • DOJ is “covering up the entire Epstein conspiracy… it’s not a coincidence she’s from Florida, that she was there with Alex Acosta. These people…have traveled through politics with Donald Trump, and now her job is to try to cover up everything that’s going on with the Epstein files.” ([24:16])

• Ongoing Investigation:

  • Raskin popularizes the idea that the DOJ, under Bondi, is stonewalling and redacting to protect Trump and allies by scrubbing names of potential perpetrators while exposing victims.

6. Expanding Trump’s Election Intimidation Playbook: Focus on Pennsylvania

[28:39 - 38:29]

• Bondi’s Role in Election Interference:

  • Psaki connects Bondi’s history: “She drove from D.C. straight to Pennsylvania to claim that the mail-in vote…was riddled with fraud.” ([30:27])

  • Clips play of Bondi pushing election fraud narratives in Pennsylvania 2020 ([30:17-31:24]). Psaki notes the same Trump legal “operatives” are pushing strategies that threaten the 2026 elections.

• Governor Josh Shapiro on Election Security:

  • Shapiro recounts Trump’s 2020 challenges in PA (“they sued us 43 different times… I went 43 and 0, and Trump went 0 and 43” [33:06]), describes Trump team’s efforts to obtain personal voter info, and pledges to defend PA voters and fair elections in 2026—regardless of pressure from federal authorities or Bondi’s DOJ.
  • Quote: “The good people of Pennsylvania should know that I’m on it, I will stand up for them, and once again, we will have a free and fair…election here in Pennsylvania, no matter what Donald Trump tries.” ([35:00])

7. DOJ Weaponization & Failed Indictments of Lawmakers

[38:43 - 44:26]

• Discussion with Congressman Chris D’Luzio:

  • D’Luzio is one of several Democratic lawmakers the DOJ under Jeanine Pirro (D.C. US Attorney) tried and failed to indict for seditious conspiracy—a move widely condemned as politicized lawfare.
  • D’Luzio: “They have been crystal clear in their willingness to flout the law, to abuse the powers they have in the Justice Department…It’s not just Donald Trump’s personal vendetta machine…” ([41:17])

• Comparison with Military Ethics:

  • Raskin notes lawmakers’ video on obligation to reject unlawful orders is “almost exactly what [Trump ally] Pete Hegseth” has said. Points to clear hypocrisy and politicization. ([42:03])

• Possible Legal Response:

  • D’Luzio: “They should be preserving their documents, their communications…about this unlawful use of criminal justice against us. And they’re weaponizing the Justice Department. The bipartisan outrage…is pretty clear here.” ([43:28])

• Speaker Mike Johnson’s Response:

  • Johnson goes from supporting indictments to walking his position back, which guests note as a small but significant shift.

Notable Quotes & Highlights

• Pam Bondi (on evading Epstein investigations):
  “Donald Trump signed that law to release all of those documents. He is the most transparent president in the nation’s history. And…ask Merrick Garland… The Dow is over $50,000.” ([03:58])

• Jen Psaki (reacting):
  “Can you imagine Merrick Garland answering a question like that? Hell, can you imagine Bill Barr answering a question like that?” ([06:24])

• Congressman Jamie Raskin (on DOJ surveillance):
  “They want to spy on us during the process.” ([16:31])

• Governor Josh Shapiro (on defending elections):
  “So look, I am worried because we know what these folks are capable of trying to do, but the good people of Pennsylvania should know that I’m on it.” ([35:00])

• Raskin on Bondi:
  “She was answering as part of Donald Trump’s criminal defense team, not as a prosecutor looking for truth.” ([24:16])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Bondi’s hearing performance and evasions:
  [00:50] – [14:57]
• Surveillance of Congress members (binder revelation, Jayapal):
  [09:57] – [18:17]
• Raskin’s theories, redactions, and systemic cover-up:
  [16:00] – [22:03]
• Further fallout from Bondi’s behavior (personal attacks):
  [13:04] – [14:57]
• Pennsylvania & 2026 election security (with Gov. Shapiro):
  [28:39] – [38:29]
• Weaponized DOJ & failed indictments (with Rep. D’Luzio):
  [38:43] – [45:00]

Memorable Moments

• Fox News Refusing to Air Bondi’s Hearing:
  “Even Pam Bondi’s typical cheerleaders tried to literally look away…Fox News declined to carry almost all of the proceedings live.” ([00:50])

• Bondi Accusing Lawmakers of Antisemitism:
  Directing an antisemitic smear at Congresswoman Becca Balint, a Holocaust victim’s granddaughter, after being pressed on meeting Epstein victims. ([12:20])

• Burn Book/Binder with Opponent Oppo on the Desk:
  The viral moment when Bondi’s binder was caught open to a page listing Jayapal’s search terms in DOJ systems, raising surveillance alarms. ([09:57])

Tone & Style

• Jen Psaki: Characteristically sardonic, incisive, and direct; uses pop culture analogies (“Regina George from Mean Girls”) to highlight absurdity.
• Congressman Raskin & Guests: Clear, determined, sometimes incredulous at the spectacle, but intent on explaining the big stakes (justice, democracy, transparency).
• Bondi in the Clips: Aggressive, defensive, partisan, and often unprofessional—offering non-sequiturs and refusing meaningful answers.

Conclusion

This episode of The Briefing provides a vivid play-by-play of Pam Bondi’s unraveling at the congressional hearing, revealing the depth of dysfunction within the Justice Department under Trump’s influence. Through Jen Psaki and her expert guests, the show spotlights Bondi’s refusal to answer basic, critical questions, her attacks on lawmakers, and alarming evidence of DOJ surveillance and intimidation tactics. The lens then widens to Trump’s broader electoral strategies for 2026, with Pennsylvania highlighted as a key battleground. The commentary is sharp, the stakes are high, and the message is clear: democratic accountability is under threat, and so is the pursuit of justice for Epstein’s victims.