During a casual meeting arranged through the dating app Hinge, a senior Justice Department official was secretly recorded in what is being called a “honeytrap,” boasting about a plan to help shield Republicans from impending backlash over Jeffrey Epstein’s client files.
But instead of engaging with the claims in the secretly recorded clip, many Donald Trump’s supporters dismissed it as “fake news” and turned their attention to mocking the staffer himself.
The DOJ has since gone into damage-control mode, scrambling to contain the fallout, with the episode highlighting how the fight over the unreleased files has become entangled in political theater.
At the center of the controversy is Joseph Schnitt, an acting deputy chief under Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was secretly recorded on two dates set up through Hinge by a woman reportedly working with James O’Keefe’s conservative media operation.
In edited footage released Thursday, Schnitt can be heard claiming the department planned to “redact every Republican or conservative person in those files” while leaving Democrats exposed.
“They’ll redact every Republican or conservative person in those files, leave all the liberal, Democratic people in those files, and have a very slanted version of it come out,” Schnitt said in the video. He also claimed that Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a minimum-security facility violated Bureau of Prisons policy, suggesting it was a move to “keep her mouth shut.”
The remarks sent shockwaves across social media, with watchdogs and transparency advocates framing Schnitt’s remarks as evidence of partisan interference. The DOJ, however, moved quickly to reject the video.
In a statement posted on X, the department said, “The comments in this video have absolutely zero bearing with reality and reflect a total lack of knowledge of the DOJ’s review process.”
O’Keefe’s loyal following and Trump supporters were not on board with his latest bombshell reveal.
One user shared under O’Keefe’s video post, “Just trying to impress his “date” with all his supposed insider knowledge. I’m not really focused on whether what he said was true, I just can’t believe he’s enough of a moron to say it. He should certainly be fired.”
Another added, “I’m not feeling this guy is being honest, it’s like he knew he was being recorded. This guy doesn’t seem legit to me for some reason…..sorry, just speaking MY truth”
Some wondered if this was the ploy to get rid of Trump, “So this is how the deep State plans to get rid of Trump?” Added another, “James O Keefe doing stings on the Trump admin, it’s so over 😭”
When the criticism of O’Keefe’s investigative journallism wasn’t enough, some turned to personal insults. Even zoomnig in on the staffer’s appearance.
One user noted, “How pathetic is this 60 year old with a diamond earring using work to impress someone his daughters age.”
Another added with disgust, “What a Loser. Resign DOJ Deputy Chief and .. the earrings 🤮 . Where have all the MEN gone”
Another committed themselves to watching the clip several times only to wrap with personal insults. “I watched it 3 times. He didn’t release any new or shocking info. I heard all of that weeks ago…in the media. He has an earring in his ear and he thinks he’s cool. Don’t buy any of it”
The link to the O’Keefe Media Group also underscored how the Epstein files controversy has become increasingly politicized, with Trump at the center of the debate.
O’Keefe built his reputation on hidden-camera stings targeting government agencies, labor unions, and mainstream news outlets, often presenting selectively edited footage to cast political opponents in the worst possible light. His group frames the work as a bid to expose corruption, though critics say the tactics are aimed more at fueling partisan narratives that benefit Trump and his allies.
But this time, it appears O’Keefe’s group turned the tables and orchestrated the encounter with Schnitt to capture incendiary statements about Epstein, which were then released publicly.
Schnitt himself confirmed he had been recorded but insisted the remarks were personal and taken out of context.
“I met a woman named Skylar on Hinge, a dating app, in July 2025, her profile is no longer findable. We had two dates (August 4 and August 16). She gave no clues that she was a reporter or recording our dates. Had I a clue, the first date would have ended immediately and there never would have been a second one,” he wrote. “The comments I made were my own personal comments on what I’ve learned in the media and not from anything I’ve done at or learned via work,” he added.
The recording has also potentially shed light on internal conflict at the DOJ, with Schnitt describing a clash between Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who he said pressed for full disclosure of Epstein’s client list. “Second-in-command [Bongino] at the FBI has been causing problems, because he’s like, ‘No, these [Epstein files] have to be released,’” Schnitt told his date. He described Bondi as a “yes person” who “wants whatever Trump wants.”
The administration’s handling of the Epstein files has divided Republicans, with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie joining Democrats like California Rep. Ro Khanna to demand the release of the documents. Greene has even offered to read the names of Epstein’s associates on the House floor, invoking the speech-or-debate clause for protection.
In a move to quiet the critics, the DOJ recently published more than 33,000 documents related to Epstein, though lawmakers acknowledged that 97 percent were already publicly available.
The continuing fallout underscores both the partisan tension surrounding Epstein’s files and the challenges DOJ faces in maintaining credibility while under intense public scrutiny.
For weeks, Trump has brushed off demands to release the Epstein files, casting them as a partisan attack.
“I think we should talk about the greatness of our country and the success that we’re having. That’s what we should be talking about, not the Epstein hoax,” he told reporters last week in the Oval Office, again comparing it to lingering demands for unreleased Kennedy assassination records.
Observers on social media suggested Trump’s dismissiveness revealed his growing unease.
The honeytrap was yet another irony amid rising criticism that Trump is trying to deflect attention from his close friendship with Epstein. While Trump has denied wrongdoing, his playbook for distractions were at play with unhinged social media posts and manufactured controversies.
Trump’s critics accuse him of obfuscating his ties to the deceased sex offender while refusing to release the entirety of the FBI files on the case — documents that legal experts say Trump has the authority to declassify and disclose at any time. Trump, Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel all previously vowed to release the entirety of the Epstein-related files but have since drawn criticism for not following through.
