CANTON, Ohio — Vice President JD Vance on Monday defended President Donald Trump’s approach to the Jeffrey Epstein case, insisting the president has “nothing to hide” and is committed to full transparency. Speaking at an event promoting the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Vance also took aim at past administrations, accusing them of failing to properly investigate the disgraced financier and sex offender.
“The president has been very clear. We’re not shielding anything,” Vance told reporters. “He’s directed the attorney general to release all credible information and actively pursue any new credible leads related to the Epstein case.”
Epstein, who was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, died in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019. His death was ruled a suicide, but it has continued to fuel conspiracy theories due to his connections with high-profile figures.
Vance emphasized the administration’s commitment to transparency while also noting the importance of protecting the privacy of Epstein’s victims.
“For 20 years, both the Obama and George W. Bush administrations failed to fully investigate this case,” Vance alleged. “They showed little interest in uncovering the truth. President Trump has taken a different approach by promoting transparency.”
Criticism of past handling of the case has long centered around a controversial 2007 plea deal, when then-Miami U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta allowed Epstein to plead guilty to lesser state charges. Epstein served just 13 months, much of it on work release. Acosta later served as Trump’s Labor Secretary, but resigned in 2019 after renewed scrutiny of the plea deal.
Vance argued that unlike previous presidents, Trump has shown a willingness to open the books. “Donald J. Trump has nothing to hide, and his administration is committed to making the truth public,” he said.
His comments come in response to a recent Department of Justice and FBI memo issued on July 6 — the sixth anniversary of Epstein’s last arrest — which concluded that Epstein died by suicide and there was no evidence of a so-called “client list” of influential individuals involved in criminal activities.
Trump has publicly dismissed speculation about such a list, labeling some of the ongoing conspiracy theories as a “hoax” and blaming Democrats for spreading misleading narratives about the case.
