US Vice President JD Vance embraced claims that there were ties between the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the “highest levels” of Israeli intelligence, echoing conspiracy theories that have been a source of tension among conservatives.
During an episode of his popular podcast, Joe Rogan said there was a widespread perception that Epstein’s financial support and drive to influence thinking at American universities stemmed from links to Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service.
Vance agreed that such a view exists, before asserting his own perspective, reported The New York Times.
“Most people think he was Mossad,” Rogan, a frequent promoter of conspiracy theories, said of Epstein in an episode of the “The Joe Rogan Experience” released on Wednesday.
“Yeah, Mossad or CIA, or some other deep state, whether in America or Israel or another country,” Vance replied.
“He clearly had connections to the upper — the highest — levels of American intelligence,” the vice president added. “He clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence.”
Although Epstein did have ties to a top Israeli leader, the millions of files released by the US government related to Epstein have not turned up any conclusive proof that he was an intelligence agent or asset for Mossad, as Vance acknowledged.
“I’ve asked, were there like, were there documents connecting Jeffrey Epstein directly to our intelligence agencies or anybody else’s, and the answer is no,” Vance said. “But if that existed, it wouldn’t exist in 2026.”
The comments, made during a nearly three-hour episode that covered a broad range of issues, marked a striking embrace of conspiracy theories from an official in one of the highest perches of the US government. Such claims have been promoted by some powerful conservative figures, including Tucker Carlson, a longtime ally of Vance. They’ve also drawn accusations of antisemitism.
Former Representative Peter T King, a New York Republican who strongly supports Israel, described Vance’s remarks as a “dog whistle” to a wing of the Republican Party that he said “is antisemitic, is anti-Israel, is conspiratorial and is unhinged.”
“It’s not like you’re a junior congressman,” King said in an interview on Saturday, referring to Vance. “You’re the vice president of the United States. Unless you know what you’re talking about, unless you have absolute facts to back it up, before you undermine an ally — before you undermine your own intelligence agencies — you better know what you’re talking about.”
Asked for comment, Vance’s office provided a statement, attributed to an unnamed White House official, asserting that everything the vice president had said was true and to suggest otherwise was “in bad faith, stupidity, or both.” Aides from his office declined to clarify his remarks.
The Israeli prime minister’s office, which also oversees the Mossad intelligence agency, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Vance’s remarks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed back in the past on the idea that Epstein had worked for Israel.
Some Republicans have wanted to see Vance take a more aggressive approach denouncing antisemitism and show stronger support for Israel. His latest comments appeared to intensify concerns about his posture.
Ben Shapiro, a prominent conservative podcaster, who is Jewish and strongly supportive of Israel, wrote in a newsletter that Vance’s appearance on Rogan’s podcast had left him “concerned.”
On his own show, Shapiro said Vance’s commentary had been “unworthy of the office” of vice president and had undercut core tenets of conservatism.
“Conservatives, generally, are not in favor of baseless conspiracy theorizing,” Shapiro said, “because that undermines the idea that you have capacity in the world to act.”
The online publication Tablet, which focuses on Jewish news and culture, published a column headlined “JD Vance’s Big Crashout” by the journalist Lee Smith. It said the vice president had “attacked Jews and spread baseless rumors, for which he admits to having zero evidence, about some kind of dark plot involving Jeffrey Epstein.”
Epstein, who cultivated associations with powerful people, including officials, from across the globe, had a yearslong friendship and business relationship with Ehud Barak, the center-left former Israeli prime minister.
“Epstein seemed to be connected to the elements of the Israeli deep state that were left of center,” Vance told Rogan. “I’ve always found that fascinating.”
Barak has said that the Israeli leader Shimon Peres first introduced him to Epstein in 2002. Barak attended lunches and dinners at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse and received some $2.3 million in payments from a foundation associated with Epstein. Epstein also invested a reported $1 million in a limited partnership established by Barak in 2015.
Barak has said he did not witness or take part in any sexual abuse. “I now deeply regret having any association with him,” he said.
*Tim Balk, Lisa Lerer for The New York Times
