Advertisement
A new CNN report claims that top figures in Donald Trump’s administration met to discuss how to handle the 10-hour assessment transcript of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and even floated the idea of sending someone onto the Joe Rogan Experience podcast to win back public trust.
According to the report, Vice President J.D. Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche were expected to meet at the Vice President’s residence to decide if and how the transcript should be released. The alleged plan included choosing a high-profile media outlet, with Joe Rogan’s show reportedly seen as a way to reach their core audience.
The White House quickly dismissed the story. When Trump was asked about it, he said he knew nothing about any such meeting. Vance stepped in to call the entire report “fake news.” Communications Director Steven Cheung also attacked CNN’s credibility, calling the story an attempt to stir up drama over an old issue. He pointed to Trump’s previous comments on Newsmax, which he called a “real news outlet” that gets better ratings than CNN.
On Newsmax, Trump claimed he didn’t even know what was in the Maxwell transcripts. He said he trusted Todd Blanche, who had been his lawyer, to handle the situation. Trump added that while he would like to release the files, he’s worried about hurting people who “shouldn’t get hurt,” especially victims whose identities could be exposed. Critics, however, doubt this is the real reason for the delay.
The rumored strategy, according to CNN’s sources, was for Blanche to go on a media tour, including Rogan’s podcast, to rebuild trust among Trump’s supporters. But the idea has already sparked backlash online. Some Rogan fans accused him of potentially helping the administration cover up sensitive information. Others insisted Rogan would never give Trump that kind of platform.
Trump’s team insists that the Epstein and Maxwell discussions are nothing more than distractions created by Democrats. They maintain that any hesitation to release the transcript is out of concern for victims. Still, many suspect there are other reasons behind the long delay, reasons that might only come to light if the transcript is ever made public.