JD Vance wanted to release the Epstein files in 2021. What happened now?

A 2021 tweet from US vice president JD Vance has gone viral, in which he asked: “What possible interest would the US government have in keeping Epstein’s clients secret?” The X post resurfaced again as thousands of pages of newly released Epstein files were made public by the House Oversight Committee this week. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna responded to the viral post, writing: “Great question, JD Vance. Have you asked Attorney General Pam Bondi? She is brazenly breaking the law Rep Thomas Massie and I led and insulting MAGA voters’ intelligence with excessive redactions and concealment.”Representative Thomas Massie also joined the conversation, commenting: “I miss this version of JD Vance.”The newly released files include a large collection of legal documents, photos, and correspondence related to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his wealthy, influential associates. The documents feature images of big figures and correspondence with Epstein, but many are heavily redacted, and some remain without context or dates. Both Khanna and Massie played key roles in pressing the Justice Department to release the materials. They pressured the GOP administration and utilised the public’s right to transparency and accountability in the investigation of Epstein’s dirty network. Their oversight helped ensure that the files, which had been withheld for years, are now available for public and congressional review. MAGA leader JD Vance has spoken out in defence of the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files, saying there is “nothing to hide” and that Trump instructed the Justice Department to release all relevant information. He criticised previous Democratic administrations, especially Biden’s, for failing to act on Epstein’s activities and questioned why legacy media is only being active recently.

Social media response to Vance’s 2021 Epstein post