Mike Pence says "the time has come" to release the Epstein files [View all]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: July 16, 2025 / 7:58 PM EDT


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."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mike-pence-on-jeffrey-epstein-files-trump/