Washington, D.C. – Vice President J.D. Vance’s attempt to deflect criticism of the Trump administration’s refusal to release files on Jeffrey Epstein by blaming Democrats during a Fox News interview sparked angry reactions, intensifying calls for transparency on social media.
Vance’s remarks, which came four days after he reportedly convened a strategy meeting at the White House with Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to discuss the Epstein scandal, were widely criticized as a failed attempt to mislead the public, particularly after Vance denied discussing Epstein at the meeting, while acknowledging it took place.
Vance’s accusations against Democrats, including repeated and debunked allegations about Bill Clinton’s visits to Epstein’s island, have fueled a new wave of online anger amid Trump’s volatile second term, marked by health concerns and political controversy.
Vance’s Deflection and Blame-Shifting on Fox News
In an interview with Fox News, Vance attempted to blame the Epstein scandal on the Biden administration, accusing President Joe Biden of having done “absolutely nothing” about it during his term. He said, “And now President Trump is demanding total transparency on this. Yet it’s the Democrats attacking him, in a way, not the Biden administration, which has done nothing for four years.”
Vance highlighted Epstein’s “ties to left-wing politicians and billionaires… Billionaires and Democratic political leaders regularly traveled to Epstein’s island. Who knows what they were doing,” repeating Trump’s previously debunked claim that Clinton visited Epstein’s private island dozens of times. Clinton admitted to using Epstein’s plane but denied ever visiting his island.
Vance also warned that “many people will be indicted” after Trump accused Obama of “treason” and called for his removal. Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, handed over documents to the Justice Department that she said showed the Obama administration deliberately tried to harm Trump by linking him to Russian interference in the 2016 election. Obama dismissed Trump’s call for prosecution as weak and absurd.
Backlash and Renewed Demands for Release
Minutes after the interview aired, Channel X unleashed a barrage of criticism, and clips of Vance bashing Democrats went viral. Bill Kristol, a conservative anti-Trump activist, responded: “Okay. Release all the files… No redactions for clients, no redactions for staffers, no redactions for staffers who don’t see the harm.”
Jon Favreau, Barack Obama’s former chief speechwriter, responded: “Release the names! Democrats, Republicans, billionaires, or none. What are you afraid of, J.D. Vance?” Favreau added that Trump’s name “appeared in the Epstein files,” referring to a July 2025 Wall Street Journal article that a Justice Department review of the documents conducted during the Bondi era found the president’s name appeared “multiple times.”
Other social media users took advantage of the Fox News interview to share a video of Trump hosting Epstein and Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago. The White House is embroiled in a crisis surrounding the Epstein affair, which has fueled conspiracy theories among many Trump supporters and was actively promoted by senior administration officials during the 2024 campaign.
In July, the Justice Department announced that Epstein’s client list no longer existed and that no further records would be released. This decision contradicted previous statements by senior Trump officials, including Bondi’s statement in February that the client list was “now on my desk ready for review.” The decision immediately sparked a long-lasting outcry, spanning partisan political lines.
Among the most shared clips following this reversal was a video of Vance himself telling podcaster Theo Vaughn two weeks before the election: “Seriously, we need to release the Epstein list. It’s important.”
Epstein’s Crimes and Trump’s Connections
Epstein was an American financier convicted in 2008 of soliciting minors for prostitution. He was subsequently arrested in 2019 for sex trafficking and conspiracy involving girls as young as 14.
He was accused of running a massive human trafficking operation, recruiting minors for sex with himself and his associates, and targeting vulnerable victims at his residences, including in New York, Florida, New Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Epstein’s private island, known as “Epstein Island” or “Little St. James,” is located off the southeast coast of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The property, approximately 28 to 30 hectares, includes several villas, swimming pools, tennis courts, a helipad, and a unique temple.
Acquired by Epstein in 1998, it became the target of allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault. Epstein died in August 2019, during Trump’s first term, while the financier and celebrity mogul was awaiting trial in a Manhattan jail; his death was ruled a suicide.
Trump’s name appears repeatedly in the “first phase” of the Epstein documents, nine times in Epstein’s logs and his infamous communications notebook.
Trump’s personal relationship with Epstein has also come under renewed scrutiny. The Wall Street Journal reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump that his name was in the files during a press briefing in May.
There is no credible evidence that Trump visited Epstein’s private island. Although Trump flew on Epstein’s private plane at least seven times in the 1990s between Palm Beach and New York, flight logs and investigations show no apparent travel to the island. Trump has denied going there in interviews.
Trump was also questioned about reports that he evicted Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. The president said, in part: “For years, I didn’t speak to Jeffrey Epstein. He did something inappropriate. He hired assistants, and I told him never to do it again. He stole from my staff. He did it again, and I fired him, persona non grata, and that’s it. Glad I did it if you want to know the truth.”