The California Democrat rebuked the vice president for suggesting that a man demanding the release of the Epstein files was an undocumented immigrant.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) sharply criticized Vice President JD Vance on Monday after the latter suggested that a protester demanding the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was an undocumented immigrant.
“This may be hard to believe @JDVance, but many U.S. citizens want to see pedophiles in the Epstein files held accountable,” the Indian American congressman wrote on X on October 19.
The exchange followed an incident at a Republican campaign rally in Hendersonville, North Carolina, where Vance was addressing supporters ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
wow — a protester directly behind Vance gets up and yells “release the Epstein files!”
Vance suggest he’s an illegal immigrant. https://t.co/VdptgKoIIl
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 19, 2026
About 10 minutes into the vice president’s speech, a man standing directly behind him interrupted, demanding the release of government records related to Epstein, the disgraced financier whose sexual abuse of underage girls and connections to powerful figures have fueled years of controversy.
“God bless our children!” the protester shouted. “Release the Epstein files!”
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As the man continued shouting, members of the audience booed and began chanting “USA! USA!” Security personnel subsequently removed him from the venue.
Vance responded with a remark suggesting that the protester had entered the country illegally.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m gonna have to amend something I said earlier. I said that we have had zero illegal border crossings in the United States of America,” Vance told the crowd.
“But one isn’t bad, right?” he added, drawing laughter.
The protester’s immigration status had not been independently established. However, video of the incident showed him shouting that he was an American citizen as he was escorted away.
Khanna’s response highlighted the growing controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files, an issue that has generated criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.
Epstein, a wealthy financier with connections to prominent politicians, business leaders and celebrities, died in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
His longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell was subsequently convicted of helping recruit and groom underage girls for sexual abuse.
The Trump administration has faced sustained demands for greater transparency over the government’s investigative records.
In November 2025, President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation championed by Khanna and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
The law required the Justice Department to release investigative materials related to Epstein, subject to limited exceptions intended to protect victims and sensitive information.
Although the department has released millions of pages, Khanna and Massie have accused it of withholding records and improperly redacting information. The Justice Department maintains that it has complied with its disclosure obligations.
In July, the lawmakers introduced a second bill seeking to strengthen enforcement of the original law and allow legal challenges over withheld documents.
In September, Khanna and Massie announced that they had secured enough commitments to force another House vote on Epstein-related transparency legislation.
The controversy has become an uncomfortable political issue for the Trump administration, particularly because demands to release the files have also come from within the president’s own political base.
Monday’s confrontation underscored those tensions, with Khanna challenging Vance’s apparent suggestion that a demand for accountability in the Epstein case was somehow inconsistent with American citizenship.