Trump admin 'screwed up' communications around Epstein files, says Vance

Vice President says former Attorney General Pam Bondi overstated what the Justice Department possessed, but denies there was any malicious intent

Vice President JD Vance says the administration "absolutely" mishandled the communications surrounding the Epstein files and its contents.

During a lengthy podcast interview with Joe Rogan released Wednesday, Vance pointed largely to former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who infamously stated that an alleged "client list" of Epstein's was "sitting on my desk right now."  In addition to those comments, the Justice Department under Bondi had also offered conservative commentators and influencers binders that were called "The Epstein files: Phase 1? and "Declassified."  "I know Pam. I like Pam. I don't think there was anything malicious going on," Vance told Rogan. "I think Pam was trying to respond to the political moment. I think she overstated what we had and what we didn't have."  As a result, Vance said, Bondi was "roasted" publicly for it and led people to "mistrust" the administration's transparency efforts on the Epstein files.

"We absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files. Like, we just did," Vance said. "But do I think the reason we screwed up the comms is because we were trying to hide something? No.