As the blow-up over President Donald Trump and prominent MAGA figures continues to simmer, Vice President JD Vance spent the week calculating his response and limiting his role in the scorched earth debate.
Attorney General Pam Bondi shocked Trump’s supporters after the Independence Day holiday, releasing a review from the Justice Department claiming that Epstein did not have a ‘client list’ and there were no more files related to his death in prison or the sex trafficking investigation against him.
The usually thoughtful and provocative vice president was silent on social media as the debate raged online, while Democrats cheered another MAGA ‘civil war’ at the president’s expense.
The vice president traveled to West Pittston, Pennsylvania on Wednesday with a pool of reporters, but he did not engage the press who were eager to question him on the fued that threatened to blow up the MAGA coalition.
That was all by design, people familiar with Vance’s thinking told the Daily Mail.
“Vice President Vance is following President Trump’s lead and focusing on celebrating the administration’s policy victories like the historic passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill,’ a source close to the vice president told the Daily Mail.
Trump, the source noted, wanted to focus on their success ending taxes on tips and overtime, the S&P and NASDAQ hitting record highs, unemployment claims dropping, record low border crossings, wages rising more than inflation, and retail sales surging.
‘The White House is racking up wins on a daily basis, and there’s a lot the Vice President can be talking about and working on that actually affects Americans’ day-to-day lives,’ the source noted.
In other words, ignore the noise that was threatening to rip their coalition apart.
Vice President JD Vance speaks at Don’s Machine Shop in West Pittston, Pa.
Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance, left, greet patrons during a surprise stop at the Majestic Lunch diner
After delivering a rousing speech in defence of the administration’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ the vice president and Second Lady Usha Vance traveled to the Majestic Lunch diner.
As he walked through the diner and spoke to patrons, no one spoke up about the Epstein files on camera. Instead, Vance chatted about food, football, and the military before leaving with a to-go order.
Even as Trump angered many of his supporters by dismissing the importance of the Epstein files and even chiding them for being ‘duped’ by Democrats on the issue, Vance remained focused on his loyalty to the president.
It’s a familiar struggle for vice presidents who privately harbor future political ambitions even as their boss threatens to undermine their political future.
Trump no longer faces voters in a future election, earning him the ability to write off their concerns about the Epstein files. The president calculated that big policy and legislative victories would overcome any disgruntled supporters.
For now, Vance appears comfortable siding with the president, who values loyalty over all else.
But many perpetually online observers were busy resurfacing old Vance tweets and statements from weeks and years back, reminding him of this own questions about the Epstein files and his own calls to release them.
‘If you’re a journalist and you’re not asking questions about this case you should be ashamed of yourself,’ Vance fumed back in 2021. ‘What purpose do you even serve?’
U.S. Vice President JD Vance participates in a signing ceremony for the “Genius Act”
Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance, greet patrons during a surprise stop at the Majestic Lunch diner
While Vance was publicly silent after the DOJ’s Epstein announcement, he worked quietly behind the scenes to diffuse the civil war within the administration.
As FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel were disappointed with Bondi’s handling of the case, he spoke with them personally and urged them to remain in their positions rather than resign in protest, according to a White House insider.
Then came the moment to pounce, using the perfect foil.
Once the Wall Street Journal published details of a ‘letter’ purportedly written by the president for Epstein’s birthday that included a crude drawing of a naked woman, Vance eagerly leaped to the defense of his boss.
‘Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it,’ Vance blasted on social media.
He scolded the Journal for failing to show Trump a copy of the letter before publishing details about it in an article.
‘Doesn’t it violate some rule of journalistic ethics to publish a letter like this without showing it to the victim of this hit piece?’ he asked.
Vance also applauded the president’s announcement that he had asked his attorney general to produce ‘any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony’ regarding the case, reposting a ‘LFG’ post hailing the decision by Donald Trump Jr.
That measured up to the loyal attack dog role expected by a vice president, but he was careful not to lash out at the president’s supporters, even as some of them piled into his replies online.
Despite his loyalty, Vance may face political consequences for remaining silent on the issue after cheering on the release of the Epstein files and further investigations into his clients for years.
Jeffrey Epstein attends Launch of RADAR MAGAZINE at Hotel QT on May 18, 2005
JD Vance and Theo Von prior during a podcast interview taping
‘Remember when we learned that our wealthiest and most powerful people were connected to a guy who ran a literal child sex trafficking ring? And then that guy died mysteriously in a jail? And now we just don’t talk about it,’ he wrote in September 2021, sharing an article published by The Week titled: ‘The Jeffrey Epstein case is why people believe in Pizzagate.
‘Release the list!’ comedian podcaster Theo Von said in an interview with Vance in October 2024, just weeks before the election.
Vance agreed at the time.
The clip was resurfaced this week by angry supporters, prompting Von himself to respond on social media.
‘Yeah what changed?’ he asked his 1.6 million followers on X.
Vance did not respond, but the unspoken answer to the question is that his boss won the presidency, and for now, the vice president will follow his lead.
The question is if that price of loyalty will ultimately cost him.
‘I don’t know how to do it without infuriating Trump beyond belief but if JD Vance has any hope in 2028 he’s going to need to distance himself from the Epstein debacle,’ said Clint Russell, a Miami-based conservative YouTuber. ‘I mean you need to tell the truth, now, while it’s needed.’
