Trump May Need to 'Throw MAGA a Bone' to Put Cap on Epstein Files Outrage, Conservative Columnist Suggests

President Donald Trump may need to "throw MAGA a bone" to contain growing outrage over the Justice Department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, conservative commentators warned this week.

Tensions flared after the DOJ announced there was no Epstein "client list," triggering rare backlash from Trump's base. MAGA influencers, typically in lockstep with the president, openly questioned the findings and accused the administration of hiding names. Trump urged supporters to stop fueling the conspiracy, but critics say the unrest hasn't fully subsided.

The revolt marked one of the few times Trump has faced sustained pushback from inside his own movement.

"This is actually the first time that I've seen this sort of civil war actually erupting to this degree," said conservative columnist Matt Lewis on MSNBC's "Morning Joe, according to Raw Story. "It's not Stormy Daniels, it's not storming the Capitol, you know, it is this Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theory."

While prominent allies like Charlie Kirk and Laura Ingraham have since backed off, some hardline MAGA supporters continue to demand more transparency. "I don't think that Trump is out of the woods yet," Lewis added, warning that many see this as a betrayal of the anti-elite ethos that fueled Trump's rise.

Axios reporter Mike Allen echoed that view, calling the backlash a product of the MAGA movement's deep-rooted "siege mentality."

"MAGA came to power based on suspicion, right, of elites, of globalists, of the deep state," Allen said. "So they're always going to listen to Trump, and Trump can tamp it down, but that's the reason that this erupted so ferociously."

Inside the White House, aides have floated a few possible "off-ramps" to calm the base without fully reopening the case. Ideas include appointing a special counsel, unsealing certain court documents, or releasing portions of redacted records. But officials say those options are fraught, especially since some of the files involve minors.

For now, Trump's aggressive messaging has quieted much of the noise. But analysts warn that without a more concrete gesture, internal pressure could continue to simmer.