Late sex offender Epstein clearly had connections to American, Israeli intelligence: Vance

Lead

US Vice President JD Vance has said that late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein “seemed to be connected” to elements of the “Israeli deep state” as well as the “highest levels of American intelligence,” while also acknowledging that the Trump administration mishandled its response to the case. Vance made the remarks in a podcast episode with host Joe Rogan that was published on Wednesday.

According to Dawn, Vance told Rogan, “He clearly had connections to the upper, the highest levels of American intelligence. He clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence.” The Jerusalem Post also quoted Vance making the same assertion, adding that Vance described himself as “one of the O.G. Epstein conspiracy theorists.”

Coverage Comparison

The two outlets that covered the remarks—Dawn and the Jerusalem Post—highlight different aspects of Vance's comments. Dawn's coverage emphasized Vance's acknowledgment that the administration mishandled the Epstein release, framing the story around the vice president's admission of a communications failure. The Jerusalem Post, in contrast, focused on Vance's “conspiracy theories” and his claims about Epstein's ties to Israeli intelligence, noting that such theories have proliferated since Epstein's death and often veered into antisemitism. The Jerusalem Post also reported that no evidence supports the claim that Epstein worked for Israel or its intelligence agency.

Key Claims

• Epstein's intelligence ties: Vance told Rogan that Epstein “clearly had connections” to the highest levels of American and Israeli intelligence, as reported by both Dawn and the Jerusalem Post.
• Epstein's association with Ehud Barak: The Jerusalem Post reported that Epstein had an association with Ehud Barak, the former Israeli prime minister. Barak has denied wrongdoing and said he regrets the relationship.
• Vance's theory about the Israeli left: Vance said Epstein seemed connected to elements of the Israeli deep state that were left of center, adding that Epstein had deeper connections to the Israeli left than the right. Both outlets reported this claim.
• Lex Wexner's association: The Jerusalem Post mentioned that Epstein had an association with Jewish billionaire philanthropist Lex Wexner, though the report did not provide additional details.
• Release of Epstein files: Dawn reported that the US Justice Department recently released over 3 million pages of Epstein files. Vance admitted, “We absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files,” and said the administration should have released everything as quickly as possible.
• Victims' allegations: Dawn noted that Epstein's victims alleged he operated a sex trafficking network used by the wealthy and political elite.

Perspectives

Vance's viewpoint

Vance defended his remarks, framing Epstein's connections as spanning both American and Israeli intelligence, and suggesting that Epstein's political ties were more left-leaning in Israel. He also conceded that the administration botched the public rollout of the files, saying, “If people want to say we mishandled the Epstein release, guilty.”

The Jerusalem Post's critical viewpoint

The Jerusalem Post characterized Vance's claims as conspiracy theories, noting that they have often veered into antisemitism. The paper reported that no evidence supports the claim that Epstein worked for Israel's intelligence agency, and noted that Naftali Bennett, Israel's former prime minister, publicly denied such allegations last year.

Barak's denial (as reported)

The Jerusalem Post reported that Ehud Barak, the former Israeli prime minister, has denied wrongdoing regarding his association with Epstein and said he regrets the relationship.