JD Vance admits Trump administration 'screwed up' on release of Epstein files

JD Vance has confessed that the Trump administration 'mishandled' the release of the Epstein files in 2025, as he addressed allegations that officials were 'trying to hide something'.

The vice president made a number of bombshell claims during the rare interview, in which he appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast.

"I say this with all candor, we absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files, like we just did," Vance boldly stated on The Joe Rogan Experience.

The initial release of the coveted files, which began on December 19, 2025, was heavily staggered by the US Department of Justice and also significantly redacted, which drew criticism from both the public and the political opposition.

Attorney General Todd Blanche was, as deputy attorney general, reportedly responsible for the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files, but Vance seemingly directed his criticism towards Pam Bondi during the candid confession.

JD Vance made numerous claims about the administration's handling of the files (Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

In February 2025, Bondi told Fox News that Epstein's alleged 'client list' was 'sitting on my desk right now'.

"I don’t know what the purpose of it was, but I know the effect of it was to make people mistrust the entire effort," Vance said.

The 41-year-old added: "I think Pam was trying to respond to the political moment. I think she overstated what we had and what we didn’t have, and I think she got roasted for it publicly by a lot of people, including me."

During the interview, Vance admitted that he is 'one of the OG Epstein conspiracy theorists', as he said: "I've probably gone down every single rabbit hole."

He continued: "If there was a broader conspiracy - and you know my view is that there probably was - the evidence that existed in 2007, that was the opportunity to get it out."

Donald Trump fired Pam Bondi from her senior role in the justice department earlier this year (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

But when questioned about whether the Justice Department allegedly redacted things in favor of the Trump administration, the vice president responded: "Do I think the reason we screwed up the comms is because we were trying to hide something? No."

He added: "If people want to say we mishandled the Epstein release, guilty. We did mishandle it, especially the communications of it.

"I think that we should have just dropped everything at the very beginning. We should have just done it as quickly as possible."

Bondi was attorney general when the files were released, but was fired from the position in April, with Trump announcing that she would be 'transitioning' to a role in the private sector.

In a post on Truth Social, he said: "Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year. Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900.

"We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future, and our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General."