In a move that could reignite public interest in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, senior leaders within the Trump administration are reportedly weighing a high-profile media strategy that may include releasing audio and transcripts from an interview with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. The strategy could potentially leverage the broad reach of megastar podcaster Joe Rogan to help shape the administration's message.
Sources close to the administration have disclosed that Vice President JD Vance is set to host a private strategy meeting at his residence this Wednesday evening. The meeting's attendees are expected to include influential figures such as Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel. These individuals are considered key players in determining the administration's response to the Epstein-Maxwell case.
Central to the discussions is the potential release of a transcript and audio recordings from a Justice Department interview with Maxwell, conducted by Blanche at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tallahassee, Florida, last month. The Department of Justice has been meticulously transcribing and redacting over 10 hours of dialogue from this conversation. The administration is debating whether making this material public will contribute to transparency or inadvertently revive the scandal.
The aim of the upcoming meeting is to forge a unified response to the questions surrounding the Epstein case, the Maxwell interview, and the public's call for disclosure. Among the media tactics under consideration is a coordinated rollout, which could feature a press conference or a high-profile media appearance by Blanche.
Three informants close to the deliberations have mentioned that aides have proposed engaging Joe Rogan to either host or amplify the release. Rogan, who has previously endorsed Donald Trump for the 2024 election and has occasionally critiqued the administration's handling of the Epstein files, commands a massive audience that spans independents and younger male voters. His involvement could be instrumental in controlling the narrative and signaling transparency, potentially counterbalancing mainstream media scrutiny.
"The Joe Rogan Experience" is one of the world's most popular media shows, and officials believe Rogan's influence could be pivotal. The Epstein case continues to be a delicate subject, especially for individuals associated with Trump. Epstein's death in federal custody in August 2019, officially ruled a suicide, has spurred numerous conspiracy theories implicating high-profile figures.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration declassified documents related to Epstein, but they were heavily redacted and revealed little new information. A joint memo from the DOJ and FBI in July declared that no further material would be released, sparking criticism from conservative media and Trump's base.
Recently, pressure has intensified from MAGA-aligned influencers and voters demanding the full release of Epstein-related materials. Some Trump supporters argue that withholding information fuels political opponents and conspiracy theorists, while others believe that releasing the Maxwell interview could be pivotal in restoring public trust.
Two officials have indicated to CNN that the Maxwell interview materials could be made public as early as this week, although no definitive decision has been reached. The potential for political backlash, legal consequences, and harm to individuals mentioned in the recordings remains a significant concern.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung has dismissed CNN's reporting, stating, "This is nothing more than CNN trying desperately to create news out of old news. [Trump] already addressed this issue in an interview with Newsmax, a real news outlet that routinely gets better ratings than CNN."
During a Newsmax interview last week, President Trump, when asked about the Blanche–Maxwell meeting, commented, "I don’t know because I haven’t spoken about it, but he’s a very talented guy, Todd Blanche, and a very straight shooter, and I think he probably wanted to know, you know, just to get a feeling of it, because we’d like to release everything, but we don’t want people to get hurt that shouldn’t be hurt. And I would assume that was why he was there. I want to release everything. I just don’t want people to get hurt."
Meanwhile, Joe Rogan has accused Trump and his administration of gaslighting the country over the Epstein scandal, stating, "This is a line in the sand." Former CIA officer Mike Baker echoed the sentiment, suggesting that the administration hoped the public would forget the issue by September.
