gshc2020.com

Key Facts

Vance said if “people want to say we mishandled the Epstein release, guilty. We did mishandle this, especially the communications of it.”

In response to Rogan’s question about what the administration should have done, Vance said they should have released the documents “as quickly as possible,” though he said it still would have taken time to redact details that could identify victims.

Rogan questioned why some of the names that were redacted appeared to not be victims, to which Vance claimed “some of the people who were alleged victims were also alleged co-conspirators,” saying it is sometimes “hard to draw a distinction.”

Vance acknowledged that when Attorney General Pam Bondi gave right-wing influencers binders containing Epstein documents—labeled “The Epstein Files”—many of which were already available, people grew to “distrust the effort,”though he said he thought Bondi was “trying to respond to the political moment.”

Vance defended President Donald Trump despite his links to Epstein, saying he has “never” seen evidence Trump engaged in wrongdoing with minors, and said when Trump refers to the Epstein files as a “hoax,” he refers to the “absurd” idea that he is “somehow a pedophile.”

Vance also alleged Epstein had connections to the “highest levels” of both American and Israeli intelligence, saying Epstein “seemed to be connected to the elements of the Israeli deep state” though tried to specify that they were “left of center” (Epstein was friends with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, who has since apologized for associating with him).

what did vance say about iran?

Rogan, an outspoken critic of the war in Iran, asked Vance to clarify “what is going on” with negotiations, saying it seems like Trump often says peace talks are going well before tensions flare up again. Vance said he believes “fundamentally, we are on the right trajectory,” saying negotiations will be “really messy and there’s going to be a lot of stops and starts.” When oil prices began coming down in June, Vance said Iranian “hardliners” felt they had given away a leverage point and responded by shooting at ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Rogan, who has previously blamed Israel for the U.S. involvement in the Iran war, asked Vance if the United States entered the war at Israel’s behest. “I think the president, completely separate from any influence from Israel, believes very strongly that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said. After Rogan doubled down on his question, Vance said he believes the U.S. would have launched its campaign in Iran without Israel’s influence.

surprising fact

Vance appeared to defend UFC fighter Josh Hokit from criticism over a crude remark he made that former First Lady Michelle Obama “is a man,” which he said to Rogan in a post-fight interview following his bout at the White House last month. Rogan asked Vance which was “more shocking,” either Hokit’s remark about Obama or his armbar fighting techniques. “Definitely the armbar part,” Vance said, as he and Rogan both laughed. Vance said he was “surprised” the Obama remark caused such an uproar. “I was like, 'What, an amped up fighter told a joke after a fight, said something after a fight, and that's actually national news?’” Vance said.

how has rogan stepped up criticism of trump?

Rogan, whose 2024 endorsement of Trump was considered influential, has since broken with the administration on multiple issues, particularly the war in Iran and the Epstein files. In a previous episode of his podcast, Rogan said the war is “exactly the opposite of what we were told leading into this administration,” also warning of a potential World War III. Rogan has also said the Epstein files are a “terrible look for Trump, when he was saying none of this was real, it was all a hoax. This is not a hoax.”

key background

Though neither has made an official declaration yet, Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considered leading contenders to capture the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2028. Polymarket’s betting odds show Vance has about a 41% chance of securing the nomination, above Rubio’s 28%. Vance has maintained a more public profile in recent weeks as he embarked on a media tour amid the release of a new memoir in June. Vance has said he will decide on a presidential run after the midterm elections.

further reading

Joe Rogan Blames Israel For Iran War — Days After Trump Visit (Forbes)