Podcast Summary: Epstein Victims Have Come Forth, The Names Have Not

VINCE | Episode 118 | Cumulus Podcast Network
Host: Vince Coglianese
Air Date: September 4, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of VINCE brings Vince Coglianese’s signature wit, directness, and insider knowledge to several pressing topics:

• The Vice President’s poignant visit to Minneapolis following a church shooting
• A deep dive into the latest developments on the Jeffrey Epstein case, focusing on victims' public statements and the elusive "list" of names
• A frank conversation with Chicago Democrat Alderman Raymond Lopez on violent crime, the National Guard, and law enforcement
• U.S. policy on drug trafficking and a forceful military response
• A broader discussion on the origins of American rights and Second Amendment debates

Vince’s tone is sharp, confrontational toward political opponents, and deeply skeptical of media and left-wing motives. He strives to clarify narratives he feels are ignored or distorted elsewhere.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minneapolis Church Shooting and Vice President’s Response

[03:00-11:30]

• Vince opens with the tragic attack at Annunciation Catholic Church, lauding Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha for visiting, offering condolences, meeting with victims’ families, and providing a sense of national unity.
• Quote from J.D. Vance:
  "I have never had a day that will stay with me like this day did, because I really felt like these parents, in the midst of the worst grief of their entire lives, they opened up their lives and they opened up their hearts, and they made me part of it. So I'd ask...if you're the praying type, say a prayer for this innocent girl who's actually in surgery right now, Lydia..." [09:32]
• Vince sharply criticizes activists who protested the Vice President’s visit, framing their focus as misplaced and accusing them of politicizing tragedy.

2. The Epstein Case: Files, Victims, and Political Weaponization

[11:30-30:00]

• Vince outlines a recent congressional briefing with Epstein’s victims and the Trump administration’s release of 40,000 new Epstein-related documents.
• He alleges that only conservatives have pushed for accountability, claiming the left ignored Epstein until they found possible ways to use the story against Trump.
  • "Only the right has been interested in this particular question. The left pretended like it didn't exist...once it became crystal clear that it was Bill Clinton that was primarily on that private jet..." [12:47]
• He strongly warns:
  "Do not for a moment doubt what the Democrats are attempting to do. ...It has nothing to do with decency or empathy and everything to do with cruel, cynical political calculations." [13:18]
• Vince is dismissive of efforts to link Trump to Epstein, stressing that when asked directly, even accusers have denied Trump’s involvement:
  • Q: “Did anybody see or hear of the President himself doing anything inappropriate?”
    A: "No." [18:38]
• On the "List" of Names:
  • An Epstein attorney says:
    "There's not a list...I don't think he wrote the names of those people down. There's not a list of, hey, here's all of the people that I sent females to. That's just not how that organization works." [21:26]
  • An accuser, however, announces survivors may compile their own confidential list of names, to which Vince expresses skepticism about both motives and transparency:
    "I thought the whole point of this was public disclosure..." [24:33]
• Vince is especially critical of Republican lawmakers being visually linked to protest signs equating Trump with Epstein’s crimes, warning they are being “sucked into something very stupid,” and emphasizing the political manipulation at play.

3. Violent Crime and Public Safety: Interview with Alderman Raymond Lopez

[31:20-49:30]

• Vince conducts a candid interview with Democrat Raymond Lopez, focusing on Chicago’s persistent violent crime.
  • Lopez: "Every one of those 77 neighborhoods...the residents feel the same way, that they are worried...they have to keep their heads on a swivel. And that is no way for anyone...to live." [31:20]
  • He calls for federal intervention and National Guard support, arguing most Chicagoans and law enforcement would welcome the help.
• On defunding the police:
  • Lopez: "That's a very small minority...while at the same time, there are plenty of Chicagoans who want to feel safe, who love law enforcement...Those individuals do not make up the majority of the Democratic elite..." [32:46]
• Interview covers failed “violence interrupter” programs and incentives for NGOs to not solve crime to maintain funding.
  • Lopez: "We are, in essence, using our tax dollars...to help subsidize gang culture and violence in our neighborhoods, all under the guise that we're trying to actually break it apart." [40:52]
• Vince presses Lopez on being a Democrat. Lopez explains he remains in the party to combat its leftward drift.

4. U.S. Strikes Against Drug Cartels

[49:30-53:20]

• Vince applauds a U.S. military strike on a Venezuelan drug boat, countering critics who objected to the use of force:
  • Marco Rubio: "What will stop them is when you blow them up. When you get rid of them...And under President Trump, those days are over." [51:16]
  • Vince: "What will stop them is if you blow them up. That'll stop them, it turns out." [51:53]
• Vice President Vance, asked about legal authority for the strike, emphasizes the administration’s promise to stop drug trafficking and protect Americans.
  "There are people who are bringing literal terrorists who are bringing deadly drugs into our country...the President...ran on a promise of stopping this poison..." [53:03]

5. Philosophy of Rights & Second Amendment Debate

[54:08-57:00]

• Vince highlights and critiques Senator Tim Kaine’s claim that rights come from government—not God:
  • Tim Kaine: "The notion that rights don't come from laws and don't come from the government, but from the Creator, that's what the Iranian government believes..." [54:08]
  • Ted Cruz rebuts: "That radical and dangerous notion, in his words, is literally the founding principle upon which the United States of America was created." [54:57]
• Criticism of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s comments about Australia’s gun control and advocacy for U.S. gun confiscation:
  • Vince: "You want to disarm them of their inalienable rights. That's not going to work, actually. That way lies chaos, disaster and bloodshed..." [56:28]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• J.D. Vance on the Minneapolis shooting victims:
  "There are two families who are not going to get that opportunity ever again...hug your kids tight because there are families in Minneapolis who won't be able to do that ever again." [10:25]

• On the left's use of the Epstein scandal:
  "It is not about protecting any kids. It's about trying to hurt their political opponents...You are useful idiots for a Democrat Party cause." [14:39]

• Lopez on National Guard intervention:
  "I'm not trying to gaslight my residents. I'm not trying to score political points against Donald Trump...All I'm concerned about is how do I keep people safe..." [35:47]

• Vice President Vance on U.S. authority to strike traffickers:
  "They're literal terrorists. We killed them. Next question. Answered like a United States Marine..." [53:20]

• Vince on the Founders’ view of rights:
  "You are endowed by your Creator with certain inalienable rights. That's why it's so valuable that the Bill of Rights was included..." [55:28]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:00 – Minneapolis church shooting recap and Vice President’s visit
• 09:32 – J.D. Vance statement on grief and prayer for victims
• 11:30 – Update on Epstein investigation; document release
• 18:24 – Epstein accusers address Trump involvement
• 21:26 – Epstein attorney on the (non-)existence of a “list”
• 23:24 – Epstein survivor on confidential compilation of abusers’ names
• 31:20 – Interview with Alderman Raymond Lopez regarding Chicago crime
• 35:47 – Lopez on the practical use of the National Guard
• 40:52 – Lopez on failed violence interrupter programs
• 51:16 – Marco Rubio on military’s new posture toward drug traffickers
• 53:03 – Vice President Vance justifies legal authority for strike
• 54:08 – Sen. Tim Kaine’s statement about rights and government; Cruz’s rebuttal
• 56:28 – Vince on gun confiscation and the American right to self-defense

Tone and Final Thoughts

Throughout the episode, Vince Coglianese’s tone is combative, pro-law enforcement, and highly skeptical of Democratic and media motives, especially on scandals like Epstein and ongoing crime debates. He is direct in calling much of the left’s activism “performative” and urges his listeners to see through what he frames as manipulative political tactics.

The episode encapsulates a mix of breaking news analysis, sharp critiques of political opponents, and reinforcement of traditional conservative principles, especially on justice, government transparency, American rights, and the defense of public order.

For those who missed the episode: This installment of VINCE is essential listening for candid perspectives on crime, government accountability, and the evolving Epstein saga—unfiltered and brimming with strong opinions and direct challenges to the prevailing narratives.