Key facts
- Vice President Vance admitted to being a "conspiracy theorist" regarding Jeffrey Epstein.
- Vance made the admission on ABC's "The View" while promoting his new book.
- His comments followed a New York Times report on White House discussions about Epstein files.
- Vance confirmed White House chief of staff Susie Wiles shares this view.
- He defended President Trump's actions and stated Epstein disliked Trump, citing emails.
Vice President Vance has acknowledged considering himself a "conspiracy theorist" concerning the Jeffrey Epstein case, particularly regarding the handling and release of related files. Vance made these statements on ABC's "The View" during a discussion about his new book, following a New York Times report detailing internal White House meetings on the matter.
Vance confirmed that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles also views him as a conspiracy theorist on the Epstein issue, expressing his belief that it is "crazy" for a "sex predator" to have associated with wealthy and powerful individuals. He asserted that the White House was committed to full transparency and that he was present for some of the decision-making processes.
The New York Times report described Vance as appearing "panicked" about the situation. While co-host Sunny Hostin applauded Vance for advocating for the release of the Epstein files, co-host Ana Navarro pressed him on President Trump's relationship with Epstein and the timing of the file release. Vance defended Trump, pointing to the signing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act and citing emails that he claims show Epstein "hated" Trump. Vance also stated that Trump was frustrated by Democrats making the Epstein files a focus on him.