‘Trying to take Trump down’: Adam Kinzinger suggests Trump’s biggest Epstein threat is JD Vance

Rumors have circulated that Vice President J.D. Vance may be plotting to exploit the Jeffrey Epstein controversy to unseat Donald Trump and assume the presidency. Although there’s no evidence to support the claim, former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger amplified it in a recent social media post.

Kinzinger, who made clear it was a rumor, wrote in his post, “So apparently the rumor is @JDVance is trying to take Trump down with this Epstein story? Crazy. I’m sure Trump isn’t paranoid in the least.” Kinzinger is an outspoken Trump critic and has recently trolled Trump and his MAGA supporters online, so whether Kinzinger believes it’s true or shared the post for a reaction is unclear.

Vance’s Montana Murdoch trip

At the heart of the conspiracy theory, though, is Vance’s unannounced trip to Montana on June 11, 2025, flying into Butte on Air Force Two and visiting the Murdoch family’s ranch near Dillon. He met with Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, and several Fox News/News Corp executives.

The AP reports that the meeting lasted only a few hours. Vance then returned to Washington to attend a scheduled lunch with Trump. The purpose of the trip remains unclear.

The meeting drew attention because it preceded a high-profile report from the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal, which revealed that Donald Trump had sent Jeffrey Epstein an explicit birthday drawing. Some outlets incorrectly claimed that Vance met with Murdoch in July—closer to the report’s publication—but those claims have been debunked; the meeting took place in June.

Trump’s health and Epstein problems compound

The possibility also remains that Vance met with Murdoch to try to kill the Epstein story. But according to persistent rumors online, Vance met with Murdoch to plan a presidential line of succession, for several possible reasons, including Epstein, but also Trump’s recent diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a common, non-life-threatening condition for people of Trump’s age.

But again, some have surmised that Trump could have congestive heart failure, among other possibilities. But again, there’s no evidence to suggest that’s true.

As for whether Vance is trying to take down Trump, “That trip to [Murdoch’s] ranch was certainly interesting timing…” one comment on Kinzinger’s Vance post noted. “Rupert knows Trump is a dementia patient who is no longer useful. JD is a much better useful idiot, who will sell his soul to the highest bidder,” another added.