Vice President JD Vance asserted during a lengthy interview with podcaster Joe Rogan that he is the target of an Israeli-funded influence campaign aimed at discrediting his efforts to promote peace with Iran. Vance also alleged that the late financier Jeffrey Epstein had ties to "the highest levels" of both American and Israeli intelligence, including Mossad.
During the nearly three-hour conversation, Vance pointed to a TIME magazine report, which he stated indicated that American influencers were being paid to oppose his position on the Iran deal. He described the funding as originating from "elements of the Israeli government."
"My response to that is, well, go to hell," Vance said, addressing those he believes are being paid to criticize him. Vance, who has previously stated he has been unfairly labeled an anti-Semite, argued that Israel is losing the battle for public opinion in the United States. He further suggested that individuals within the Israeli government are actively manipulating American public sentiment to prolong the conflict.
Vance then pivoted to the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, claiming the disgraced financier "clearly had connections to the highest levels of American intelligence" and "Israeli intelligence." When Rogan raised the common belief that Epstein worked for Mossad, Vance did not dismiss the possibility, stating it could have been Mossad, the CIA, or a "deep state" entity involving both American and Israeli elements.
Vance, who self-identified as a "conspiracy theorist" regarding Epstein, speculated that any evidence linking Epstein to spy agencies was likely destroyed after his initial arrest in 2006 or 2007. "And I promise you there’s not some document, at least that I’m hiding, that allows us to prove exactly what was going on and how," he told Rogan, while acknowledging that the administration "absolutely screwed up" its management of the Epstein files.
He specifically criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the information release, stating she "overstated what we had" concerning Epstein's client list. Vance contended that the administration should have released all available information more quickly, with proper review and redactions for victims.
Vance also proposed a theory that Epstein used complex tax schemes, potentially involving figures like his initial patron Les Wexner, to gain leverage over wealthy individuals. Wexner, a billionaire formerly known as Ohio's richest man and founder of Victoria's Secret, was Epstein's first significant client, granting him extensive control over his finances.
Vance found it noteworthy that Epstein appeared connected to a more liberal faction within the Israeli intelligence apparatus, contrasting it with his cultivation of relationships across the political spectrum in the United States. "I don't know what that means," Vance admitted regarding the observation.