JD Vance says Jeffrey Epstein had connections to Israeli and US intelligence

Jul 16, 2026

US Vice President JD Vance, speaking on Joe Rogan's podcast, claimed that Jeffrey Epstein had clear connections to the "highest levels" of US and Israeli intelligence. Vance also accused some Israeli government members of running a "well-funded campaign" to manipulate US public opinion and prolong the war with Iran, remarks a former Israeli diplomat called "unprecedented." Vance also admitted the Trump administration "screwed up" communications on the Epstein files.

Rogan podcast appearance

▪US Vice President JD Vance made his remarks during a wide-ranging interview on 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast, which was released on July 15, 2026.
▪The interview, which ran for nearly three hours, was viewed more than a million times on YouTube in less than 24 hours.
▪Vance appeared on the podcast to promote his second memoir, "Communion".

Epstein intelligence connections

▪Vance suggested Jeffrey Epstein may have been connected to the CIA, Mossad, or another "deep state" agency.
▪The Trump administration "absolutely screwed up the comms" regarding the Epstein files, according to JD Vance.
▪Vance stated that Jeffrey Epstein's connections in Israel seemed to be with the "left of centre" elements of its "deep state," not the right-of-center.
▪JD Vance claimed that the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein "clearly had connections" to the highest levels of both American and Israeli intelligence.
▪An FBI memo from 2020 noted that a source believed Jeffrey Epstein "was a co-opted Mossad agent" who had been "trained as a spy".
▪Vance said former Attorney General Pam Bondi "overstated what we had" regarding an alleged client list of Jeffrey Epstein's, which she claimed was on her desk.

Iran war negotiations

▪JD Vance accused some members of the Israeli government of running a "discreet, extremely well-funded campaign" to derail a US-Iran peace deal.
▪Vance stated that some Israeli officials are "manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely."
▪Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas described Vance's remarks as "unprecedented" and "quite shocking" for a sitting US vice president.
▪Vance believes the US would have engaged in the war with Iran even without Israeli influence, due to President Trump's belief that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon.
▪Vance said that while foreign influence campaigns don't bother him, it does bother him when they "actually affect American political judgment."

UFO investigation promises

▪Vance expressed skepticism that the U.S. government possesses the physical remains of extraterrestrials.
▪JD Vance said on the podcast that he intends to investigate UFOs but has not yet had the time to do so.

Vance's political persona

▪Vance said he did not understand the "overreaction" to UFC fighter Josh Hokit shouting at a White House event that Michelle Obama is a man.
▪During the podcast, Vance criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom for a "faux populism" that assumes voters are idiots.