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Vice President JD Vance tells Joe Rogan Epstein had ties to Israeli intelligence, says files were mishandled

cultureJul 16, 202616428

On The Joe Rogan Experience, Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration “absolutely” mishandled communications around the Jeffrey Epstein files, saying “we absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files. Like, we just did.” Vance pointed to former Attorney General Pam Bondi, noting her high-profile comment that an alleged “client list” was “sitting on my desk right now,” and referenced the Justice Department offering conservative influencers binders labeled “The Epstein files: Phase 1” and “Declassified.” Vance also told Rogan that Jeffrey Epstein had “connections” to Israeli intelligence and described himself as “one of the O.G. Epstein conspiracy theorists.” The controversy over the files prompted lawmakers to pass a measure compelling the release of a large trove of government documents; the Justice Department began releasing materials in late December that included photos, call logs, grand jury testimony and interview transcripts. Vance said he did not think the communications failures reflected a deliberate cover-up, saying Pam Bondi overstated what the administration had and people consequently mistrusted the administration’s transparency efforts. The dispute over the files continued to dog the administration into the following year and prompted ongoing congressional scrutiny.

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