Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday called on the Trump administration to release all records related to Jeffrey Epstein‘s prosecution and alleged co-conspirators, saying “the time has come” for transparency while emphasizing that the names of victims should be protected.
“I think the time has come for the administration to release all of the files regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s investigation and prosecution,” Pence said in an interview with CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett. “It’s important that we protect the names of the victims. They should be excluded from any disclosure.”
His remarks come as President Trump has taken a sharply different tone. In the Oval Office on Wednesday, Mr. Trump dismissed the scrutiny surrounding Epstein’s associates as politically motivated. “It’s a big hoax,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s started by Democrats. It’s been run by the Democrats for four years.” He claimed the matter was being pushed by “some stupid Republicans” doing Democrats’ work.
In a Truth Social post earlier in the day, Mr. Trump wrote that the “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax” is being used by “past supporters” who had been “conned by the Lunatic Left” and declared, “I don’t want their support anymore.”
Pence pushed back on the claim that the matter is politically driven. “Jeffrey Epstein’s prosecution began during the Bush administration, continued through the Obama years,” he said. “I know of no reason why this administration, once the victims’ names are protected, should not release all the files on Jeffrey Epstein.”
The Justice Department last week said its review of the Epstein case identified more than 1,000 victims. The review also concluded that Epstein died by suicide while in custody at a Manhattan correctional facility in August 2019. Investigators found no evidence of a so-called “client list” or that Epstein had blackmailed prominent individuals.
“I just think we ought to get the facts to the American people, and I’ve always believed in transparency,” Pence said.
Pence was also asked about Mr. Trump’s signals that he may seek to remove Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. “Well, I’ve been a critic of the Fed over the years,” Pence said. “I have real concerns about what’s called the dual mandate where the Federal Reserve is supposed to worry about protecting the dollar, as well as full employment.”
Pence, however, noted that economic challenges “don’t flow as much to the Fed as they do to the policies of the administration,” and drew a contrast with how tariffs were handled during the first Trump term. “We used tariffs and the threat of tariffs to bring down trade barriers and to open up markets,” he said.
CBS News reported that Mr. Trump on Tuesday night asked GOP lawmakers in a private Oval Office meeting whether he should fire Powell before the end of his term. “Almost every one of them said I should, but I’m more conservative than they are,” Mr. Trump said on Wednesday regarding the night prior’s meeting.
