Vice President JD Vance is telling Washington journalists to take a chill pill—even when grilling the president about Jeffrey Epstein's explosive court documents that have rocked the political world.
After President Trump told CNN's Kaitlan Collins she should "smile more" during a tense exchange about Epstein survivors, Vance praised his boss's "perceptive" approach, arguing reporters need to "have fun" with their work instead of treating every interaction like a courtroom cross-examination.
"Why does everything have to be so combative?" Vance questioned during his Sirius XM appearance. "You can ask tough questions without turning into a stone-faced prosecutor. The D.C. press corps is drowning in its own seriousness—it's unhealthy."
The Ohio senator, whose memoir Hillbilly Elegy catapulted him to political fame, described Washington as a "swamp of fragile egos" where "nobody remembers how to laugh." He suggested many journalists secretly enjoy Trump's unfiltered style, even as they publicly condemn it.
"Trump is authenticity in a city of actors," Vance declared. "He says what he thinks without running it through focus groups first. That terrifies some reporters and delights others—most are caught somewhere in between."
The confrontation Vance defended unfolded when Collins pressed Trump about the January 30 release of 3+ million Epstein documents—a dump that has sparked outrage over both redaction controversies and justice for victims. When she asked what message he had for those feeling denied justice, Trump pivoted from the substance to attack her demeanor.
"You're the worst reporter. CNN's ratings are collapsing because of people like you," Trump fired back. "She's a young woman—I've never seen you smile once in ten years."
Collins stood her ground, responding: "I'm asking about survivors of Jeffrey Epstein."
Kaitlan Collins at a White House press briefing in 2025. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Collins received immediate backup from colleagues, including former Trump aide Alyssa Farrah Griffin on The View: "Telling women to smile during discussions about sexual assault survivors is tone-deaf at best. Her job isn't to perform happiness—it's to hold power accountable."
The Epstein documents reveal Trump's name appears 1,476 times in the DOJ's searchable database, with "Trump" generating 4,818 hits. While many references involve articles circulated among Epstein's associates, others highlight Trump's social connections with the disgraced financier.
Trump's sensitivity about Epstein links surfaced again recently when he threatened to sue former Daily Show host Trevor Noah over a Grammy Awards joke connecting him to the scandal. "My lawyers are coming for this talentless hack," Trump posted during the broadcast.
Vance's defense of Trump's "smile" comment lands as the White House faces mounting pressure over the Epstein document release—and reveals how the administration is reframing confrontational press interactions as needed levity rather than evasion.
