Vice President JD Vance appears to have weakened President Donald Trump’s attempt to move beyond the Epstein files controversy, telling the Daily Mail he is still open to more congressional inquiries just as Trump urged the country to move past the scandal.
The conflicting messages surfaced when Vance told the Daily Mail he supported British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s call for Prince Andrew to testify before Congress about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. At the same time, Trump stood in the Oval Office and said it was time for the nation to move on from the files released by the Justice Department.
The newly released batch of materials contains three million files, 180,000 images, and 2,000 videos related to Epstein, who died in 2019. The massive volume of documents has renewed scrutiny of several high-profile figures listed in the records, including Trump, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk.
When questioned about Starmer’s comments regarding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — who lost the title “Prince Andrew” in October 2025 — Vance said he was open to the possibility of the British royal appearing before Congress.
Vance told the Daily Mail he would leave it to congressional Republicans to decide whether Prince Andrew should testify. However, he made clear that his own view favored continuing official investigations.
The vice president used the interview to criticize what he called troubling ties among America’s elite. Vance said the files showed what he described as an “incestuous” nature among America’s elites.
Vance has long expressed skepticism about the Epstein case. In 2021, during his Senate campaign, Vance tweeted, questioning why the U.S. government would keep Epstein’s clients secret. His earlier comments contrast with his more recent attempts to distance Trump from the controversy.
After entering Trump’s political orbit, Vance shifted his message to highlight alleged links between Epstein and left-leaning political figures while trying to clear Trump of wrongdoing. He insisted the Trump administration was not hiding information even after missing a legal deadline in December 2025 to release the documents.
In his Daily Mail interview, Vance attempted to distinguish Trump from other well-known individuals named in the files. He said Trump knew many of the individuals listed and shared similar wealth and influence, but was never part of Epstein’s inner social circle.
Vance specifically pointed to Bill Gates and Bill Clinton as examples of people he believes the files portray negatively. Gates issued a statement denying the allegations mentioned in the documents. The Clintons agreed to appear before Congress this week about their connections to Epstein, though being named in the files does not necessarily imply wrongdoing.
Trump’s Oval Office remarks signaled his wish to end discussion of the Epstein files. The president suggested the documents “exonerated” him while also praising Bill and Hillary Clinton, calling the former president someone he had always liked and describing Hillary Clinton as capable and intelligent.
When CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins asked whether moving past the files would bring justice to Epstein’s victims, Trump lashed out at her. He called Collins the worst reporter and told her to smile more during the exchange.
The contrast between Vance’s openness to further investigation and Trump’s push to move forward underscores potential tensions in how the administration handles the ongoing fallout from the document release. Starmer’s remark that Prince Andrew should be ready to testify before Congress added international pressure to the domestic issue.
British politician Lord Peter Mandelson is also under scrutiny following the document release. On Feb. 3, 2026, the Metropolitan Police opened a criminal investigation into Mandelson over allegations he committed misconduct in public office by passing sensitive government information to Epstein. He was arrested on Feb. 23. Other prominent entertainment and industry figures named in the files include Woody Allen, Martha Stewart, Katie Couric, Deepak Chopra, and Richard Branson.
The Justice Department’s release last week marked the largest disclosure of Epstein-related documents since federal law required their publication. The materials have sparked renewed public interest in Epstein’s network of connections among business, political, and entertainment leaders.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, appears throughout the documents. The files outline communications and interactions involving numerous public figures over many years.
As the controversy continues, congressional Republicans will decide whether to pursue testimony from Prince Andrew or other individuals named in the files.