Vance stands by Trump, dismisses Epstein file rumors as 'absurd'

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN: Vice President JD Vance issued a strong defense of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, February 11, before departing Azerbaijan, dismissing recent attacks linked to the Epstein Files as politically motivated fabrications.

Vance argued that the 3 million pages of evidence recently made public by the Department of Justice actually spoke of the president's character by highlighting his distance from the late offender.

The vice president emphasized that despite the "i*****uous nature" of many powerful elites, the documents revealed a clear rift between the two men.

"Jeffrey Epstein hated the president... and the president didn't care for Jeffrey Epstein," Vance told reporters on the tarmac.

JD Vance frames Epstein's dislike of Trump as endorsement

Vance questioned why critics had spent years attempting to tie the president to Epstein's criminal network when the evidence pointed to a mutual dislike.

He posited that having a figure like Epstein view the president as a "bad guy" was actually an endorsement of Trump’s refusal to participate in the "disgusting behavior" of wealthy associates.

"Doesn’t that actually mean something good about the president when one of the worst people in the world thinks that he was a bad guy?" Vance asked.

He maintained that the files provided a "fascinating" look at how the president stood apart from the corrupt dynamics Epstein relied upon to influence other powerful actors.

JD Vance credits Trump with authorizing document release

Addressing the timing and transparency of the document dump, Vance reminded reporters that it was Donald Trump himself who authorized the release of the massive trove of information.

He argued that congressional Democrats were focusing on the president despite the fact that he had been the primary driver of public disclosure.

While Vance acknowledged that he had been "pretty occupied" with diplomatic duties in Azerbaijan, he noted that the administration remained committed to a "ruthless pursuit of transparency."

He dismissed the calls for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to resign as a distraction, noting he would follow the story more closely once aboard the plane.

Vance rejects 'absurd' claims in Epstein files

The vice president saved his sharpest criticism for what he labeled as "absurd" attacks against the president found in some unverified files.

He pointed specifically to a claim suggesting that the president was involved in t*********g as a teenager, decades before the Epstein operation even existed.

"Some of this stuff you just have to say, obviously that's ridiculous," Vance said, calling the claims "completely unsubstantiated."

He urged the public and the media to exercise discernment when reviewing the unredacted documents, which included thousands of pages of gossip and unproven allegations alongside credible evidence.