Vice President JD Vance faced mounting pressure from President Donald Trump to contain fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, as reports emerged of high-level administration meetings to strategize the government’s response to ongoing controversies surrounding the deceased financier’s case.
Multiple news outlets reported on August 5 and 6 that Vance was expected to host a strategy dinner at his residence on Wednesday evening, August 6, with top Trump administration officials. The meeting was reportedly planned to include Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
The gathering was intended to address the administration’s handling of materials from Blanche’s nine-hour interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Officials were weighing whether to release audio recordings and transcripts from the July meeting between Blanche and Maxwell, which took place at a federal facility in Tallahassee, Florida.
When confronted by reporters on Wednesday afternoon, both Trump and Vance vehemently denied the reports. Vance dismissed the story as completely fabricated, suggesting the reporter needed better sources. Trump characterized the entire matter as a Democratic hoax designed to distract from what he claimed were the administration’s successes during its first six months.
William Martin, Vance’s communications director, issued a formal denial stating there was never a meeting scheduled at the Vice President’s residence to discuss Epstein strategy. However, subsequent reporting indicated that Trump administration officials did convene to discuss next steps regarding the Epstein files, though the meeting was relocated from Vance’s residence to the White House.
The controversy centers on the administration’s approach to releasing information from the Epstein investigation. Sources familiar with Maxwell’s interview indicated she told Blanche that Trump had never done anything concerning in her presence during their interactions with Epstein. The administration has been digitizing, transcribing, and redacting over 10 hours of audio from the Maxwell interview as officials consider public release.
Internal discussions also reportedly included having Blanche conduct a press conference or appear on popular podcaster Joe Rogan’s show. Rogan, who endorsed Trump during the 2024 election after the former president’s three-hour appearance on his program, has been highly critical of the administration’s handling of the Epstein files. The podcaster previously called the Justice Department’s refusal to release additional Epstein information “a line in the sand.”
The timing of these discussions coincided with Maxwell’s transfer from a federal prison in Florida to a minimum-security facility in Bryan, Texas, just days after she met with Blanche. Trump claimed ignorance about the transfer decision, stating he learned about it from news reports.
Federal Judge Richard Berman gave the Trump administration until noon Friday, August 8, to respond to filings made by Epstein victims and their families regarding the unsealing of grand jury testimony and exhibits. Multiple victims have expressed concerns about their privacy and safety if transcripts are released without proper redactions.
The family of Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers who died by suicide earlier in 2025, issued a statement criticizing the exclusion of survivors from high-level discussions. Giuffre’s relatives noted that no survivors of Epstein’s crimes were included in the reported strategy meetings, emphasizing that victim voices should be prioritized above all others.
Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee on August 5 issued nearly a dozen subpoenas to the Justice Department and various political figures for files and information related to Epstein. The panel demanded documents but notably did not seek testimony from former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who negotiated a controversial plea deal with Epstein during his tenure as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
The administration’s internal deliberations reflect broader concerns about managing public perception of Trump’s past association with Epstein. Many officials close to Trump believed the story had largely subsided, with some expressing concern that releasing Maxwell’s interview materials could reignite public scrutiny of the case.
Trump defended Blanche’s meeting with Maxwell, characterizing it as appropriate and suggesting Blanche wanted to ensure that uninvolved individuals would not be unfairly harmed by the investigation. The president maintained he had not been briefed on the specifics of what Maxwell told Blanche during their extended discussions.
As the administration weighs its next moves, officials continue to balance transparency demands against concerns about protecting victim privacy and managing potential political fallout from the high-profile case.
