Top Trump officials discussed Epstein at White House meeting Wednesday night
A much-anticipated meeting between U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance and others was moved from Vance's residence to the White House Wednesday night after intense media coverage, a source familiar with the logistics told CNN.
They discussed a number of topics, including the Jeffrey Epstein case and potential next steps, the source said.
The meeting was originally planned to take place at Vance's D.C. home and was also supposed to include White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, CNN previously reported. The administration's handling of the Epstein case, as well as the need to craft a unified response, was expected to be a main focus of the dinner.
Trump administration officials are weighing whether to publish an audio recording and transcript of Blanche's recent conversation with Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, CNN previously reported.
The meeting was also seen as a potential chance for Bondi and Patel — who have clashed over the Epstein case strategy, including in a contentious meeting with Wiles and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino — to clear the air. Vance had tried to play peacemaker between Bondi, Patel and Bongino previously.
Vance and his office denied on Wednesday that a meeting on Epstein was taking place.
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