While the Trump administration has been accused of trying to 'bury' the Epstein files, the life and times (and crimes) of the shamed financier show no real sign of going away.
That could be due to two of President Trump's closest allies speaking out about Jeffrey Epstein and calling for a more thorough investigation into him and those around him.
The Department of Justice has been criticized over its slow handling of the Epstein files, which contain far more than just correspondence between the convicted pedophile and some of the biggest names in politics, tech, and pop culture.
It's said that Donald Trump is named over a million times in the Epstein files. However, as we've previously reiterated with the likes of Bill Clinton and Michael Jackson, being featured in the files isn't an accusation of wrongdoing.
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There was a recent shock when Melania Trump made an unexpected call for Epstein survivors to testify to Congress, and now, JD Vance has thrown more fuel on the fire.
We previously reported how the word 'pizza' appears 859 times in the Epstein files, and with it, it has reignited Pizzagate conspiracy theories. The vice president has discussed this at a Turning Point USA-sponsored event at the University of Georgia, getting candid about everything from President Trump's use of AI to his thoughts on Pope Leo XIV.
What has JD Vance said about Pizzagate?
One young man pointed to Melania Trump’s recent claims that Epstein couldn't have been working alone, as well as President Trump repeatedly referring to the files as a 'hoax'. This comes after former Attorney General Pam Bondi came under fire for her handling of the files, and more recently, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said there is 'nothing' left to release on Epstein.
The young man asked: "If there are compromised government officials in those files, how can the public trust that this administration will hold anyone accountable when its own Justice Department is actively blocking the investigation?"
When encouraged to 'clearly articulate' his stance on federal entities having a formal investigation, Vance explained: "He [Epstein] clearly had extraordinary connections both with intelligence services inside the United States and outside the United States, and also with a lot of very wealthy and powerful people."
Reiterating that he's a firm advocate of investigations, Vance said he's "probably more obsessed with it than people in this room." The VP continued to discuss a specific email sent to Epstein that referred to 'pizza' and 'grape soda': "I remember it sounded like the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, but here it was in an email from a guy, and my reaction to that was, 'We should absolutely investigate that person'."
Saying that the University of Georgia student's question reminded him to follow up on whether that specific person had been investigated, Vance added: "When you see evidence of sexual assault, sexual misconduct, regardless of whether you're powerful or not, in fact, you should probably investigate it more."
What is the Pizzagate conspiracy?
The Pizzagate conspiracy first emerged in the 2016 election cycle and claimed the NYPD had discovered a pedophile ring linked to members of the Democratic Party. Although widely discredited, it reemerged thanks to the Epstein files and spread to allegations against high-ranking politicians and celebrities from both sides of the political spectrum.
As for Trump's 'hoax' talk, Vance defended the Commander-in-Chief as he said: "Because when he [Trump] said it was a hoax, what he was talking about was this Democratic idea that he's connected to Epstein."
Vance claims that the emails suggest that Epstein 'hated' Donald Trump, with the POTUS apparently reciprocating those feelings. This somewhat goes against the consensus and an infamous 2002 interview with New York Magazine, where Trump called Epstein a 'terrific guy'.
Still, Vance stood by Trump as he concluded: "One of the best signs for whether you're a good person or not, for whether you're a decent human being, is if the worst people in the world hate your guts.
"The fact that Jeffrey Epstein hates Donald J. Trump is a pretty good thing for Donald J. Trump."