US Vice President JD Vance has acknowledged that the Trump administration mishandled its communication strategy regarding the release of files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Vance said the administration should have released all available information from the outset instead of creating confusion through its handling of the matter.
“I say this with all candor, like we absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files,” Vance said. “But do I think the reason we screwed up the comms is because we were trying to hide something? No.”
The vice president blamed part of the controversy on comments made by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had suggested that a purported Epstein client list was in her possession. He also noted that documents distributed to conservative social media influencers in early 2025 largely contained information that had already been made public.
According to Vance, the episode damaged public confidence in the administration’s efforts, although he insisted Bondi was not acting maliciously.
“I think Pam was trying to respond to the political moment. I think she overstated what we had and what we didn’t have,” he said.
Vance, who described himself as a long-time follower of theories surrounding Epstein, argued that investigators missed key opportunities to uncover the full scope of the case years earlier.
He also suggested there may have been a broader network connected to Epstein, while referencing unproven theories about possible intelligence links.
Despite the criticism, Vance defended President Donald Trump, rejecting claims that the president attempted to block the release of the files.
“If people want to say we mishandled the Epstein release, guilty,” Vance said. “I think that we should have just dropped everything at the very beginning.”
