Vice President JD Vance, in a lengthy interview with podcast host Joe Rogan, admitted the White House mishandled its rollout of the so-called Epstein files.
The Epstein files
“We absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files. Like, we just did,” Vance told the host. “But do I think the reason we screwed up the comms is because we were trying to hide something? No.”
Vance pointed to comments former Attorney General Pam Bondi made publicly in a television interview in February of 2025 that Epstein’s client list was sitting on her desk, ready for her review and release.
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Bondi and the White House later walked back the comment, saying she was referring to the Jeffrey Epstein case files, not a specific client list.
Bondi also gave binders to conservative influencers invited to the White House, but they contained no new information on the Epstein case.
Vance told Rogan, “I don’t know what the purpose of it was, but I know that the effect of it was to make people mistrust the entire effort.”
Vance added that he likes Bondi and does not think she was attempting anything malicious but instead was responding to political pressure.
“I think she overstated what we had and what we didn’t have,” he said. “And I think that she, you know, got roasted for it publicly by a lot of people, including me.”
Vance questions some Israeli officials
Vance also made some surprising comments about the war in the Middle East and his belief that there are some in the Israeli government who want the conflict in Iran to keep going.
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The JD Vance interview with Joe Rogan on “The Joe Rogan Experience” lasted about 2 hours and 50 minutes.
“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there have been people within the Israeli government who are trying to, like, actually shift us away from (negotiations) because they want to continue the military campaign,” he said.
Vance did not identify anyone specifically but added: “There are some people within their system… who are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely.”
Vance said he does not believe Israeli pressure influenced President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran on Feb. 28, saying the president acted independently.
“I think the president, completely separate from any influence from Israel, believes very strongly, and again I agree with this, that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said.
Vance, who has at times been viewed as more cautious than other administration officials about U.S. involvement in the war, said he is proud of the role he has played in negotiations with Iranian officials.
“So, you’ve got to actually be willing to talk and to try to figure out the problem,” he said.
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