STORY: Asked about a meeting to discuss the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, President Donald Trump said Wednesday (August 6) the matter was "total bullshit."

A dinner for senior administration officials at Vice President JD Vance's residence to discuss topics including the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case has been canceled after news of it leaked, a source familiar with the matter said.

A spokesman for Vance said the dinner, first reported by CNN, had not been planned.

"There was never a supposed meeting scheduled at the Vice President's residence to discuss Epstein strategy," said Vance spokesman William Martin.

Vance himself called the report "fake news" during an event in the Oval Office.

The Trump administration has struggled for weeks to mitigate the political fallout from the Epstein investigation amid public pressure for more transparency over its handling of files related to the convicted sex offender's case.

President Donald Trump had promised to make public files related to the disgraced financier's case if reelected.In July, however, the Justice Department said a previously touted Epstein client list did not exist, angering Trump's supporters, who have called for additional details to be released.

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VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES FROM U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS PROFANITY AT THE END OF TRUMP'S SOUNDBITE

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (AUGUST 6, 2025) (U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, AND ICE PRESIDENT, JD VANCE, IN EXCHANGE WITH JOURNALIST:

JOURNALIST ASKING (OFF CAMERA): "Mr. President, is Vice president Vance hosting a gathering this evening to talk about how to respond to the Epstein situation?"

TRUMP: "Is he working on what?"

JOURNALIST ASKING (OFF CAMERA): "Is he hosting some kind of gathering of top advisers this evening to talk about how to respond to the Epstein situation?"

TRUMP: "I don't know. I could ask you that question. I don't know of it. But I think here's the man right here."

VANCE (BEGINS SPEAKING AS THE CAMERA WIDENS SHOT TO INCLUDE HIM): "I saw the report today and it's completely fake news. We're not meeting to talk about the Epstein situation. And I think the reporter who reported it need to get better sources."

TRUMP: "Look, the whole thing is a hoax. It's put out by the Democrats because we've had the most successful six months in the history of our country. And that's just a way of trying to divert attention to something that's total bullshit, okay."