Vice President JD Vance defended the Trump administration’s handling of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a press conference in Canton, Ohio, held after an event promoting the “Big, Beautiful Bill.” Responding to a reporter’s question earlier this week, Vance said the administration was not withholding information.

“The president has been very clear — we’re not shielding anything,” Vance said. “He’s been incredibly transparent about this, but some of these things take time.”

According to The Hill, backlash from segments of the MAGA base over the Epstein case placed Vance in a “politically delicate position,” particularly in light of his previous comments on the matter. Tensions escalated after the FBI and Department of Justice released a memo reaffirming that Epstein died by suicide.

Vance reportedly stepped in behind the scenes to mediate discussions between Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, after Bongino allegedly threatened to resign following the memo’s release. Outside of that role, Vance remained largely quiet as the administration worked to contain the fallout.