Vice President JD Vance recently spoke out about “America’s elites” after new Jeffrey Epstein files were released. He says President Trump is completely separate from that troubling social circle. Vance talked about the Department of Justice’s document release on January 30, calling the situation “pretty gross.”
According to The Daily Mail, Vance strongly criticized what he calls the “incestuous nature to America’s elites.” He thinks the files make many people involved look bad. He specifically mentioned Bill Gates and Bill Clinton as examples of those connected to Epstein.
President Trump did know Epstein, but Vance argues there’s a clear difference. He says that despite Trump’s “wealth and power,” the president is “very much outside of the social circle” of others involved. Vance stressed that Trump “never really was friendly with Epstein in a way that a lot of these other people were.”
The Epstein files reveal uncomfortable connections among the powerful
The Department of Justice released over three million files about the criminal investigations into Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender. This new batch included emails with high-profile names like Elon Musk, Steve Tisch, and Bill Gates. President Trump, Bill Clinton, and other celebrities and political figures appeared in earlier files.
Trump and Epstein were reportedly close for years, but their relationship supposedly ended around 2004. However, some of Trump’s associates, like Steve Bannon, have shown up in related files released by the DOJ recently. Vance has made headlines for his controversial theories about ancient history in recent weeks.
When photos from Epstein’s estate came out in December, some showed Trump with a group of women whose faces were blurred. Another picture displayed Trump’s face in cartoon form on “Trump Condoms” for sale. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson quickly responded with a statement criticizing the photo release.
She said they were “selectively releasing cherry-picked photos with random redactions to try and create a false narrative.” Jackson claimed the “Democrat hoax against President Trump has been repeatedly debunked” and said the Trump Administration has helped Epstein’s victims by calling for transparency.
President Trump continues to deny any wrongdoing about his past friendship with Epstein. He recently criticized 2026 Grammy Awards host Trevor Noah for making a joke linking him to Epstein’s private island. After the February 1 awards show, Trump posted on Truth Social, saying he has “never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close.” He threatened to sue the “talentless” host over the “false and defamatory statement.”
Vance also mentioned newly released documents linking Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, to Epstein. The January 30 files included shocking pictures, including one of the former royal kneeling on all fours over an unidentified woman.
Vance said he is “open to” bringing the 65-year-old former royal to Congress for questioning, though he noted Republican lawmakers must make that decision. “I’d certainly be open to it,” Vance stated, “But it’s their call, not mine.” The vice president recently joked about paying for unflattering photos of colleagues amid reported White House tensions.
Published: Feb 4, 2026 12:49 pm