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By Gabe Whisnant
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JD Vance said he expects to decide whether to run for president in 2028 after the midterm elections, telling Megyn Kelly in a Tuesday interview that growing interest in his political future will force a decision sooner than later.
Pressed on his timeline, the vice president joked about being a procrastinator before conceding he will likely settle the question following the 2026 midterm elections.
"Yes, after the midterms, I will eventually have to make that decision," he told Kelly in a wide-ranging interview on the conservative podcaster's show.
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Speculation of early positioning by potential candidates has begun, as polling since 2025 has suggested close potential contests between Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and prominent Democrats while highlighting uncertainty within both parties.
Earlier Tuesday, Vance appeared on ABC's “The View," then later appeared on Fox News' "The Five," as he promoted his new book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith. He also faced questions across the appearances on Jeffrey Epstein, the economy, immigration and other issues facing the Trump administration.
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JD Vance Will ‘Check’ on 2.5M Unreleased Jeffrey Epstein Records
Vice President JD Vance faced tough questions Tuesday morning on The View, including several related to the Trump administration and the Department of Justice's release of the files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
When asked by one of the show's six hosts, Sunny Hostin, "Why haven't we seen the release of over 2.5 million additional Epstein file documents?"
Vance responded, in part, "My understanding, I'm going to check on this to be sure, but my understanding is that a lot of those are duplicates of things that have already been released." The vice president added that some of those documents would likely need a "court order to release."
JD Vance Says He's a 'Epstein Conspiracy Theorist'
The question came as Hostin asked Vance about a June 10 New York Times report describing the White House fallout over the Epstein files, detailing behind-the-scenes meetings within the Trump administration as officials faced public criticism over delays in releasing records tied to the convicted sex offender.
"I am frankly kind of a conspiracy theorist on the Epstein stuff, and that story says that," Vance told the six co-hosts. "That's one of the things that's true (from the report), is that some people called me a conspiracy theorist on the Epstein stuff."
He also said, regarding Epstein, "It’s crazy that you have this guy, who is clearly a sex predator, who is hanging out with a lot of very wealthy and powerful people."
Vance also pushed back on the idea that the Trump administration only signed the Epstein Transparency Act due to Republican pressure from the likes of Republican Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado and former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
Host Ana Navarro said, "They (Trump and Epstein) were best friends for about a decade. And remember, he signed that transparency act under duress."
Vance replied, in part, "The idea that Donald Trump runs around afraid of Republicans, instead of the other way around, is kind of crazy. He (Trump) was very frustrated when the Democrats were making this about this about him. He eventually called the senators, and said, 'You know what, pass this bill, I will sign it, and that was it."
Why Did JD Vance Appear on 'The View'?
Vance joined Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sarah Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro.
Vance was the third sitting vice president to appear on The View, which has in the past welcomed guests from across the political spectrum.
The appearance comes at a busy moment for the administration, as U.S. officials are expected to sign a peace deal to end the war in Iran on June 19.
And it comes at a critical moment for The View. In February, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr announced that the commission was taking action against ABC, in line with equal time rules, which require broadcasters to offer equal airtime to political candidates. Carr had previously questioned whether the show qualifies as "bona fide news."
The show has previously been in President Donald Trump's crosshairs, with the president having described the hosts as "degenerates" and "dumb women."
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When Is JD Vance's Book Released?
Vance’s second book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, was released on June 16, 2026, marking his return to publishing a decade after his 2016 bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy.
The new memoir explores Vance’s personal religious journey, including his conversion to Catholicism in 2019, and reflects on how faith has shaped his life and political outlook.
Published by HarperCollins, the book arrives as Vance’s national profile continues to grow as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, offering insight into the role religion plays in his public life and positioning him within ongoing political and cultural debates.
How Much of the Epstein Files Have Been Released?
Millions of pages tied to Jeffrey Epstein have now been made public, but the disclosures represent only part of the overall record. Following the 2025 Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Justice Department released multiple batches of material, including tens of thousands of pages in late 2025 and a much larger trove in early 2026 totaling several million pages of documents, images and videos.
The material spans emails, FBI interview reports, court filings, flight logs, financial records and photographs linked to Epstein’s network. However, many of the most sensitive details remain obscured, with extensive redactions to protect victims’ identities and comply with legal limits on grand jury and investigative records. Lawmakers and survivors have criticized the rollout as incomplete, saying key documents and context are still missing.
Crucially, the “Epstein files” are not a single document or definitive list, but a vast collection of records drawn from criminal investigations, civil lawsuits and estate materials. That means even with millions of pages released, the public still lacks a full accounting of Epstein’s activities — and the presence of names in the records does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing.
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