In a lengthy interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, the US vice president said Jeffrey Epstein “seemed” to be connected to elements of the “Israeli deep state.”
Vice President JD Vance has done what few US officials have done publicly: he said the quiet part out loud about Jeffrey Epstein.
In an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, Vance stated that the late convicted sex offender had connections to the “highest levels” of both US and Israeli intelligence. Epstein, he said, “seemed” to be connected to elements of the “Israeli deep state.”
The statement is notable because it comes from the sitting vice president of the United States. For years, the question of Epstein’s intelligence connections has hovered at the edge of mainstream discussion. Declassified FBI records show that Epstein’s potential links to Israeli intelligence were treated as a formal counter-intelligence concern. But no American official of Vance’s rank had put it that plainly.
The timing is also significant. The Trump administration has released millions of pages from the Department of Justice’s Epstein files, and the disclosures have renewed scrutiny of the financier’s relationships with political and intelligence figures. Among the connections that have drawn attention: Epstein’s unusually close ties to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who visited Epstein’s New York residence multiple times.
Epstein’s relationships extended well beyond Israel. He cultivated connections with US politicians, billionaires, royalty, and academics. But the intelligence dimension was always the most sensitive. Epstein ran a global network of influence that intersected with the worlds of intelligence, diplomacy, and finance. His conviction on sex trafficking charges in 2019 and his subsequent death in federal custody did not resolve the questions about who enabled him and why.
Vance’s remarks on Rogan’s podcast are unlikely to be the last word. The release of the Epstein files has generated intense interest, and the vice president’s comments will only add to the pressure for further disclosures. The question of what US and Israeli intelligence agencies knew about Epstein, and when they knew it, remains largely unanswered.
The Rogan interview gave Vance a platform to address the Epstein matter in a way that formal press conferences rarely allow. He did not provide evidence for his claims, and his characterization of Epstein’s connections as “seeming” to exist leaves room for ambiguity. But for a sitting vice president to invoke the phrase “Israeli deep state” in connection with Epstein is a departure from the careful language that usually surrounds the topic.
Whether Vance’s comments lead to further investigation or remain a footnote in a long and strange story will depend on what the released files actually contain. But the signal has been sent.