Vice President JD Vance has admitted that the Trump administration mishandled the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, telling podcast host Joe Rogan that “we absolutely screwed up the comms.” However, Vance insisted the failure was not due to an intent to conceal information.
Vance's Admission on Rogan Podcast
In a wide-ranging interview with the American podcaster and sports commentator, Vance acknowledged that the administration should have released all documents from the start, as promised. “We absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files. Like, we just did,” Vance told Rogan. “But do I think the reason we screwed up the comms is because we were trying to hide something? No.”
Vance also addressed comments from former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had claimed possession of Epstein's so-called “client list.” “I know Pam. I like Pam. I don’t think there was anything malicious going on,” Vance said. “I think Pam was trying to respond to the political moment. I think she overstated what we had and what we didn’t have.”
Bondi's Binders and Public Backlash
Bondi had given conservative commentators and influencers binders titled “The Epstein files: Phase 1” and “Declassified.” However, the documents were largely already publicly available, and she was publicly “roasted” for her efforts, according to Vance. This fueled public mistrust in Trump's transparency efforts, which had been a pillar of his election promise during his campaign for a second term.
The Department of Justice, under Bondi's leadership, repeatedly delayed the release of documents related to the disgraced financier. These delays drew widespread disapproval from both sides of American politics and around the world last year.
Congressional Pressure and Ongoing Issues
It took U.S. lawmakers passing measures that compelled the Trump administration to release a large trove of documents related to federal investigations of Epstein after months of delays. Despite this, the administration continues to face criticism for its approach.
The Department of Justice has refused to provide the state of New Mexico with unredacted files pertaining to Epstein to assist in investigations concerning a ranch owned by him. In a letter released last week, New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, a Democrat, accused the Trump administration of obstructing the state's investigation by refusing to release critical documents.
In a social media post on Wednesday, the DOJ argued that releasing the documents would violate existing law. “Federal law, court orders, and privacy protections for victims and witnesses do not allow us to release millions of unredacted documents,” the DOJ said.
New Mexico Investigation
The post came in response to pressure from New Mexico's Department of Justice as the state continues investigating activities at the ranch, including unconfirmed claims that Epstein ordered the bodies of two foreign girls buried on the property in 2019. New Mexico authorities searched Epstein's former ranch in March with cadaver dogs and drones after an anonymous email from 2019, published in a batch of Epstein files released by the DOJ, provided the tip-off.
