He even joked about his own history of skepticism before offering a blunt assessment of how the administration handled public expectations.
Speaking with Rogan, the Vice President admitted that the government’s messaging surrounding the Epstein files created unrealistic expectations that ultimately disappointed many supporters.
Calling himself “one of the OG Epstein conspiracy theorists,” Vance acknowledged the administration made significant communication mistakes.
“We absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files,” Vance said. “Like, we just did.”
The comments marked one of the clearest acknowledgments from a senior administration official that the rollout surrounding the Epstein documents became a political liability.
Vance specifically pointed to former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s public comments earlier in the administration as the moment expectations began spiraling beyond what officials could ultimately deliver.
Early in 2025, Bondi sparked enormous interest after suggesting major revelations were imminent.
Bondi told Fox News in February 2025 that Epstein’s client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review.”
That statement immediately fueled speculation across conservative media and social media, with many expecting explosive new evidence to become public.
Instead, when the Justice Department later distributed what it described as the first phase of Epstein records to several well-known conservative influencers, many supporters quickly recognized much of the material had already been publicly available through court filings.
The rollout generated frustration rather than confidence.
Reflecting on the episode, Vance suggested Bondi had been attempting to respond to intense public pressure but ultimately overpromised.
“I think Pam was trying to respond to the political moment,” Vance told Rogan. “I think she overstated what we had and what we didn’t have.”
He added: “She got roasted for it publicly by a lot of people, including me.”
Reports later indicated Bondi’s handling of the Epstein issue became a major source of frustration inside the White House, with President Donald Trump eventually replacing her as attorney general after criticism continued to mount.
According to reports, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles also expressed disappointment over Bondi’s early public comments regarding the case.
During the interview, Vance explained that federal investigators had gathered millions of records connected to the broader Epstein investigation.
According to the Vice President, roughly six million documents had been assembled, including approximately three million tied to the Epstein estate.
Rather than staggering releases over time, Vance argued the administration should have moved much more aggressively.
“I think that we should have just dropped everything at the very beginning,” he said.
He suggested only limited redactions should have been made in order to protect victims while allowing the public to review the remaining records.
That approach, he argued, would have prevented months of speculation and accusations that officials were withholding information.
Later in the interview, Rogan raised longstanding speculation surrounding Epstein’s possible intelligence ties.
When asked about theories involving Israeli intelligence, Vance did not dismiss the possibility outright.
“Yeah. Mossad or CIA or some other deep state, whether in America, Israel, or another country,” Vance said.
He continued by discussing what he viewed as Epstein’s relationships with powerful intelligence circles.
“He clearly had connections to the highest levels of American intelligence,” he added. “He clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence.”
Vance also offered his own view regarding the nature of Epstein’s Israeli contacts.
“Epstein seemed to be connected to the elements of the Israeli deep state that were left of center,” Vance said.
The Vice President did not present evidence establishing those claims during the interview, but his remarks immediately generated significant discussion online because of his position inside the administration.
The interview expanded beyond Epstein into broader foreign policy issues.
Vance alleged that certain individuals connected to the Israeli government opposed his efforts to pursue an Iran peace agreement and financed campaigns aimed at undermining those negotiations.
According to Vance, some American commentators were paid to criticize him during those discussions.
“When I open up the pages of Time magazine and I see that there’s a literal foreign influence campaign being funded to tank the very deal I was pursuing,” Vance said, before adding that “my response to that is – go to hell.”
He continued by claiming he had no doubt some members inside the Israeli government preferred continued military operations instead of diplomacy.
“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there have been people within the Israeli government who are trying to actually shift us away from that policy because they want to continue the military campaign,” Vance added.
The Epstein case remains one of the most discussed unresolved issues among many conservative voters, who have continued demanding the release of additional investigative records.
Vance’s comments are likely to intensify those calls by publicly acknowledging that the administration’s communications strategy fell short while also arguing that greater transparency from the beginning would have been the better approach.
Whether additional records will eventually be released remains uncertain, but the Vice President made clear he believes the government should have handled the matter differently from the outset.
His interview with Rogan has already reignited debate over what information remains undisclosed and whether further public disclosure could finally answer questions that have persisted for years.
