The controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein is back in the spotlight—and this time, it’s Vice President JD Vance who’s caught in the middle of the storm.
What’s fueling the outrage? Vance’s past social media posts and his vocal demands for transparency are now clashing with the Trump administration’s recent stance on the long-promised Epstein client list.
A Sudden U-Turn From the Trump Camp
For years, Trump and his allies promised that the infamous Epstein client list would be released.
But in a dramatic twist, the administration recently claimed that no such list exists.
That announcement blindsided even some of Trump’s most loyal supporters—and left many asking what changed.
JD Vance, who’s long positioned himself as someone demanding answers in the Epstein saga, is now in the awkward position of having to defend this reversal while sticking close to Trump.
Vance Tries to Clear the Air—But His Past Words Resurface
Speaking on a podcast with Theo Von, Vance came to Trump’s defense.
He dismissed accusations that Trump had any involvement with Epstein, brushing off Elon Musk’s claim that Trump was part of the client list.
“Donald Trump didn’t do anything wrong with Epstein,” Vance insisted. “I’ll always be loyal to the president.”
But critics were quick to dig up Vance’s own words—tweets and reposts from years ago where he argued passionately that the public deserved to see the list, and that there was no legitimate reason for the government to hide it.
Old Tweets Contradict Vance’s Current Defense
Back in 2021, Vance posted on X (formerly Twitter), “What possible interest would the US government have in keeping Epstein’s clients secret? Oh…” He shared other posts accusing the Department of Justice and Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyers of cutting a deal to keep her “little black book” from the public eye.
He also criticized journalists for not pressing politicians hard enough about the Epstein case, saying they should be “ashamed of themselves” and sarcastically suggesting they “try doing their job once in a while.”
Trump Bristles at Epstein Questions
While Vance scrambles to reconcile his past with his current position, Trump appears eager to brush the whole issue aside.
When asked about Epstein at a recent press briefing, Trump quickly shut it down: “Are people still talking about this creep? I can’t believe you’re asking me that.”
His reaction did little to calm public frustration—and only raised more eyebrows among those who remember how central the Epstein list promise was to Trump’s earlier messaging.
MAGA Supporters Feel Betrayed by Vance’s Flip-Flop
Now, Vance is facing backlash from within his own political base.
Once admired for his tough talk on Epstein, he’s now being roasted online by MAGA loyalists who feel let down.
“Still thinking about it, JD?” one critic wrote.
Another fumed, “You just lost the trust—game over.”
Some even used it as a moment to double down on anti-government sentiment: “Just know this is another reason to never, ever trust our government.”
Bondi’s Role in the Controversy
Part of the frustration also stems from Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had previously claimed the Epstein client list was literally “on her desk.”
But when pressed, the White House walked that claim back, saying Bondi was referring to all the paperwork related to Epstein’s crimes—not a specific client list.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to defend the administration’s position, stating that the attacks on Bondi were “baseless” and that Trump stood by her efforts to make America safe.
The “Phase One” Binder That Went Nowhere
Earlier this year, Bondi attempted to appease the public by handing over a binder of Epstein-related documents to pro-Trump media outlets.
It was branded as “phase one” of the long-awaited release.
But when people actually saw what was inside, they found little to no new information. Most of the contents had already been made public, leading many to label the move as a publicity stunt.
Tucker Carlson Accuses DOJ of a Cover-Up
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson added more fuel to the fire this week.
On his podcast, he accused Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice of orchestrating a cover-up to protect members of the U.S. and Israeli intelligence communities.
Carlson didn’t mince words, saying the DOJ was “protecting people” at the very center of the Epstein case—people with power, money, and influence.
The Case That Just Won’t Go Away
Despite repeated efforts to close the book on Epstein, public interest in the case—and the names connected to it—continues to grow.
Ghislaine Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in the trafficking operation.
And while the DOJ insists Epstein died by suicide, the lingering questions and secrecy surrounding his case continue to breed distrust.
For JD Vance, the clash between his past words and present allegiances might prove hard to recover from—especially when voters remember what he once demanded: the truth.