KASSAM in Axios: MAGA Frustration ‘Understandable,’ But Kash, Bongino Deserve Time, Trust.

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PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Some MAGA supporters are frustrated with the Justice Department’s stance on Jeffrey Epstein’s death and other high-profile cases, but The National Pulse’s Raheem Kassam believes Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino deserve patience and trust.

👥 Who’s Involved: Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Raheem Kassam, Laura Loomer, and President Donald J. Trump.

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📍 Where & When: Washington, D.C., with Kassam’s comments to Axios reported on May 21, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Kash and Dan are bad-asses at the height of their efficacy. They deserve more time and more trust,” Kassam told Axios.

⚠️ Impact: Kassam’s defense of Patel and Bongino reemphasises that Trump’s DOJ can be a force for justice, urging the MAGA base to stay loyal as the administration tackles deep-state resistance.

IN FULL:

The National Pulse Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam has directly addressed heightened concerns from within the MAGA base on issues such as Jeffrey Epstein’s death, telling Axios that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) leaders Kash Patel and Dan Bongino deserve the base’s trust on this matter and more.

Kassam, a near-15-year-long veteran of populist-nationalist politics and co-founder of Steve Bannon’s popular War Room show, responded to a press enquiry from Axios reporter Tal Axelrod, with the comments published this week.

“The MAGA base’s frustration is understandable, but if they think people like Bongino or Patel have ‘gone native’ then they’ve gone nuts,” Kassam said, adding: “Pam Bondi’s early Epstein flub was a symptom of trying to do too much at once, and toss some meat to the base to keep them sated. That was silly.”

“But the underlying point remains, Kash and Dan are bad-asses at the height of their efficacy. They deserve more time and more trust.”

Disappointment–first explained by The National Pulse–arose when Attorney General Pam Bondi invited influencers to the White House earlier this year, promising new Epstein documents, only to deliver binders with little fresh insight. Investigative reporter Laura Loomer, appearing on War Room on May 19, vented, “We are months into the Trump administration… and Pam Bondi has failed to bring any real charges against anyone.”

Image via @FBIDirectorKash.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: An Israeli couple was fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening.

👥 Who’s Involved: Elias Rodriguez, 30, was arrested and accused of the murders of Yaron Lischinsky, 28, and Sarah Milgrim, 26.

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📍 Where & When: The shooting occurred outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., following an event on May 21, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence,” said Dan Bongino, Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

⚠️ Impact: The attack has caused shock and mourning in the Jewish community and raised concerns about Islamist ideologies and pro-Hamas violence in the U.S.

IN FULL:

A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the barbaric murder of an Israeli couple outside the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night. Elias Rodriguez, believed to be from Chicago, is accused of killing Yaron Lischinsky, 28, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, who both worked for the Israeli embassy.

Authorities say Rodriguez shouted “Free, free Palestine” as he was apprehended. Social media posts linked to him revealed extremist sentiments supporting Hamas and advocating for violence. One post on X (formerly Twitter) stated, “Don’t blame me, I voted for Hamas,” while another called for escalating violence in support of Hamas in Gaza.

Rodriguez’s alleged online activity also included a post referencing a truck bomb attack on The New York Times‘ headquarters, as well as messages featuring anti-American rhetoric and symbols associated with the Marxist-Leninist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

A manifesto, believed to belong to Rodriguez, calls for violent action against the Israeli and U.S. governments. “Public opinion has shifted against the genocidal apartheid state, and the American government has simply shrugged, they’ll do without public opinion then, criminalize it where they can, suffocate it with bland reassurances that they’re doing all they can to restrain Israel where it cannot criminalize protest outright,” he allegedly wrote. The document goes on to state, “An armed action is not necessarily a military action. It usually is not. Usually it is theater and spectacle, a quality it shares with many unarmed actions.” He also argued that he believes some Americans will see his actions as “sane.”

The victims, Lischinsky and Milgrim, were attending an event at the museum when the suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, according to Metropolitan Police (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith. Officials confirmed the couple was planning to become engaged on an upcoming trip to Jerusalem. The shooting occurred amid heightened tensions related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which began when Hamas terrorists murdered over 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023.

Dan Bongino, Deputy Director of the FBI, stated: “Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence.” On Thursday, the FBI raided Rodriguez’s home in Chicago’s East Albany Park neighborhood. Reportedly, the FBI has been interviewing the alleged shooter for over 12 hours as of the time of publication.

Rodriguez, who worked for a non-profit in the osteopathy field and held an English degree from the University of Illinois, was previously associated with the Party for Socialism. However, the group has distanced itself from him.

The American Jewish Committee, whose annual Young Diplomats reception appears to have been the target of the attack, expressed grief and solidarity with the victims’ families. Ted Deutch, the organization’s chief executive, remarked, “At this painful moment, we mourn with the victims’ families, loved ones, and all of Israel. May their memories be for a blessing.”