Vance calls out Democrats over Epstein files, reignites push for transparency
Alejandra Jaramillo
, CNN
US Vice President JD Vance speaks at the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2025. The visit is viewed by Copenhagen and Nuuk as a provocation amid President Donald Trump's bid to annex the strategically-placed, resource-rich Danish territory. (Photo by Jim WATSON / POOL / AFP)
Photo:
JIM WATSON
Vice President JD Vance pushed back against criticism of the Trump administration's handling of the
Jeffrey Epstein files
, accusing Democrats of political opportunism and failing to act when they held power in an interview released on Sunday.
"President Trump has demanded full transparency from this. And yet somehow the Democrats are attacking him and not the Biden administration, which did nothing for four years," Vance told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," defending the administration's approach to the unreleased documents.
"I laugh at the Democrats who are now all of a sudden, so interested in the
Epstein files
. For four years Joe Biden, the Democrats did absolutely nothing about this story," Vance added.
"We know that
Jeffrey Epstein had a lot of connections
with left-wing politicians and left-wing billionaires," he claimed, adding that Democratic political leaders "went to Epstein Island all the time." Vance did not give more details or provide evidence of that allegation.
Vance's comments come amid renewed public pressure to unseal documents related to the Epstein case after the Justice Department announced in a memo last month that there was no evidence the accused sex trafficker kept a "client list" or that he was murdered.
After the Fox News interview aired, clips of Vance's remarks gained traction across social media, with users across the political spectrum posting: "Release the Epstein files!"
The vice president reiterated that full disclosure remains a goal of the administration.
"The president has said very clearly, because we've had other meetings about that, is that he wants us to be fully transparent," Vance said. "So we're working to compile the thousands and thousands of documents that are out there for full transparency," he said.
The Justice Department told two federal judges Friday it wants to release grand jury exhibits in Epstein case, in addition to transcripts, with "appropriate redactions of victim-related and other personal identifying information." However, it's unclear how much information in the grand jury transcripts and evidence is already not in the public sphere.
Vance also denied that the Epstein files were the subject of a meeting previously reported by CNN, held at the White House last week between Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, the vice president and others.
"We did meet at the White House," Vance said. "We have a great FBI director and a great Department of Justice lead, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and we met to talk about how to ensure we have justice for the American people."
"We actually didn't talk about the Epstein issue," Vance added.
Vance and his office denied on Wednesday that a meeting on Epstein was taking place, as CNN previously reported, but a source familiar with the logistics of the meeting said the attendees discussed a number of topics, including the Epstein case and potential next steps.
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.
Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee last week issued a dozen subpoenas to the Justice Department and high-profile Democratic and Republican figures for files and information related to Epstein.
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