JD Vance hit with 'emasculating' Epstein attacks as he faces mounting pressure to defy Trump and expose truth
Vance, who has been silent on the Epstein controversy since the Justice Department released an unsigned memo about it earlier this month, made the comment during an appearance with comedian and podcaster Theo Von during the 2024 campaign.
'Release the list,' Von says with a smile, prompting a belly laugh from Vance.
'Seriously, we need to release the Epstein list. That is an important thing,' Vance replied said in his interview.
Von, whose audience includes many conservatives and younger male listeners, revisited the exchange, posting about it Wednesday.
'Yeah what changed?' Von asked, in a post that picked up 9 million views. A clip of the exchange Tuesday by the progressive 'Call to Activism' account that Von linked to on X drew 10 million views. That poster had posted the question: 'Hey JD, what changed?'
The exchange has now been viewed 10 million times on YouTube.
That is the same posture that many prominent Trump supporters and MAGA members adopted.
But on Wednesday, Trump furiously attacked Republicans still asking questions about the Epstein matter as being 'weaklings' who were being 'duped' by what he called a Democratic 'hoax.'
'Some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into that net, so they try and do the Democrats' work,' Trump said.
Vance had called for bringing daylight to the matter on other occasions, and suggested people who weren't asking questions about it were complicit in a cover-up.
'What possible interest would the US government have in keeping Epstein's clients secret? Oh…,' he wrote on December 30, 2021 on X.
He also tore into reporters who weren't pursuing the matter.
'If you're a journalist and you're not asking questions about this case you should be ashamed of yourself,' he said.
'What purpose do you even serve? I'm sure there's a middle class teenager somewhere who could use some harassing right now but maybe try to do your job once in a while.'
The difficult position in which the Epstein affair places Vance, 40, has not escaped Democratic attention.
Vance is considered a top GOP contender to try to take the reins of the MAGA movement when Trump leaves office.
'Trump doesn't have to run again, but [Vance] does,' said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). Rep.
He said in comments to Politico that the situation must be 'emasculating' for Vance.
Trump's efforts to shut down the story haven't persuaded some of his most fervent supporters.
Right-wing Trump loyalist Laura Loomer told Politico Trump's handling of the matter threatens to 'consume his presidency.'
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