{"id":2630275,"date":"2026-07-15T18:10:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T22:10:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vance-says-trump-administration-screwed-up-epstein-files-roll-out\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T18:12:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T22:12:52","slug":"vance-says-trump-administration-screwed-up-epstein-files-roll-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vance-says-trump-administration-screwed-up-epstein-files-roll-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Vance says Trump administration &#8216;screwed up&#8217; Epstein files roll-out"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvance-says-trump-administration-screwed-up-epstein-files-roll-out%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2630275&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Vice President JD Vance criticized the Trump administration for mishandling the release of Jeffrey Epstein files, admitting that their dialogue strategies were flawed. During a Joe Rogan podcast, Vance discussed internal disagreements with White House officials, notably susie Wiles, over how to release data about Epstein, with Vance advocating for full clarity and Wiles favoring a more cautious approach. Vance also addressed speculation that Epstein was linked to intelligence agencies and denied that the administration tried to hide sensitive details.This controversy emerged after reports revealed conflicts within the White House regarding how to manage the Epstein file disclosures,which included releasing largely publicly available documents and redacting many names to protect victims.Epstein\u2019s case,marked by his connections to powerful individuals and theories surrounding his death,remains a subject of intense scrutiny. Trump dismissed concerns that political motives influenced the handling of the files, emphasizing that the mistakes were due to communication challenges rather than deliberate concealment. Ultimately, Epstein\u2019s complex history and the handling of related documents continue to generate widespread debate.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\">JD Vance<\/a> said that the Trump administration botched how it released the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/epstein-files\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"17582\">Epstein files<\/a>, conceding what was widely viewed as a public relations disaster for the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/white-house\/\" type=\"category\" id=\"125\">White House<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vance waded into the Jeffrey Epstein case during an appearance on<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-rogan\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"315\"> Joe Rogan\u2019s<\/a> podcast released Wednesday, referencing then-Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pam-bondi\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11687\">Pam Bondi\u2019s<\/a> handling of the release of millions of files from the Justice Department during her tenure.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4650072\/jd-vance-accuses-israel-paying-influencers-undermine-iran-negotiations\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Vance accuses Israel of paying influencers to undermine Iran ceasefire talks<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4649683\/usha-vance-launch-summer-reading-challenge-prize-website\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Usha Vance announces launch of summer reading challenge prize website<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4649020\/trump-popularity-worsens-end-iran-ceasefire\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump\u2019s popularity worsens with Iran ceasefire falling apart<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf people want to say we mishandled the Epstein release, guilty. We did mishandle it \u2014 especially the communications of it,\u201d Vance said. \u201cWe absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files like we just did.\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vance\u2019s public criticism of the rollout comes after reports indicated he and top officials such as White House chief of staff <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/susie-wiles\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11678\">Susie Wiles<\/a> had critical differences over how to handle the Epstein case. Vance pushed for \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4603251\/vance-trump-inner-circle-epstein-fallout\/\">full transparency<\/a>\u201d in what he appeared to hope would get ahead of the media cycle, including pushing for the release of files pertaining to an uncorroborated and secondhand claim made nearly a decade earlier, about President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> aggressively flicking and sucking a young woman\u2019s nipples until they \u201clooked incredibly painful,\u201d according to the<em> New York Times<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wiles favored a less vulnerable approach, shutting down such efforts during private Situation Room meetings, and describing Vance as a \u201cmajor conspiracy theorist,\u201d according to the outlet. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his interview with Rogan, Vance dismissed the idea that the administration is trying to cover up sensitive information about Epstein, even though he continued to imply that the deceased New York financier was connected to U.S. and Israeli intelligence. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDo I think the reason we screwed up the comms was that we were trying to hide something? No,\u201d Vance said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPam was trying to respond to the political moment,\u201d he added, musing that political pressure led Bondi to make some ill-advised decisions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During her time at the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"167\">Justice Department<\/a>, Bondi oversaw the release of files related to Epstein. Epstein\u2019s life has long been scrutinized due to his connections to powerful people across the world, speculation that he used sex to blackmail them, and theories that his death was not by suicide, as officials concluded. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4649363\/todd-blanche-confirmation-hearing-democrats-question-handling-epstein-files\/\">TODD BLANCHE CONFRONTS DEMOCRATS\u2019 QUESTIONS OVER EPSTEIN FILES HANDLING: \u2018THAT NARRATIVE IS FALSE\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much of the controversy of Bondi\u2019s handling of the files stemmed from her first highly publicized drop of files in February 2025, which she touted as proof of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"339\">Trump administration\u2019s<\/a> push for transparency. Most of the information in those files was already publicly available, leading to criticisms of her leadership. Other criticisms surrounded concerns that many names in the released files were redacted, which Bondi and others said was needed to protect underage females Epstein had abused. Trump ultimately fired Bondi in April 2026. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the episode released on Wednesday, Rogan questioned why some of the names that were redacted in the files appeared not to be victims of Epstein. Vance claimed \u201csome of the people who were alleged victims were also alleged co-conspirators,\u201d saying it is sometimes \u201chard to draw a distinction.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vance admits Trump mishandled Epstein file release, says Rogan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2630276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26185608147090.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[9006,32690,5894,32640,15469],"class_list":["post-2630275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-epstein","tag-government-transparency","tag-politics","tag-trump-administration","tag-vance"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26185608147090.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2630275"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2630279,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630275\/revisions\/2630279"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2630276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2630275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2630275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2630275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}