US President Donald Trump has called on Republican lawmakers to vote in favor of releasing government files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epsteinβan unexpected reversal after weeks of dismissing the push as a Democratic distraction. Posting on Sunday night, Trump urged House Republicans to support the release βbecause we have nothing to hide.β His shift in tone follows a slow stream of documents published by House Democrats, some of which mention Trump. The former president has long denied any involvement in Epsteinβs crimes, though past social photographs and associations have fueled public speculation and even friction among Trumpβs allies. In recent days, dozens of Republicans have indicated they may break party ranks to back a bill requiring the publication of all government-held materials on Epstein. Supporters believe they now have the votes to pass the measure in the House this week, though its prospects in the Senate remain uncertain.
Epstein, a financier, died in 2019 in a New York jail, a death ruled a suicide. He had been awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges after a previous 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor. Investigations into him collected a large cache of interviews, evidence from property raids, and other materialsβmany of which remain unreleased and are collectively referred to as the βEpstein files.β Since returning to the White House, Trump had previously opposed releasing additional documents, calling the push a βDemocrat-led hoaxβ designed to distract from Republican priorities. Echoing Trumpβs earlier stance, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday that Democrats were using the issue as a political tactic.
Trump has acknowledged appearing at social events with Epstein in the past but says he cut ties long before Epsteinβs 2008 conviction and was unaware of any criminal behavior. The presidentβs reversal came shortly after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published three email exchanges between Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, now serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. The emails reference Trump, including a 2011 message in which Epstein tells Maxwell, βthat dog that hasnβt barked is Trump. Victim spent hours at my house with him.β According to the White House, the βvictimβ mentioned was Virginia Giuffre, one of Epsteinβs most prominent accusers. Hours after Democrats released the emails, House Republicans responded by publishing a much larger batch of 20,000 documents, accusing Democrats of βcherry-pickingβ materials to construct a βfake narrativeβ targeting Trump. Rep. Glenn Grothman, a Republican on the Oversight Committee, suggested Trump changed course because the piecemeal release of documents risked prolonging speculation and distracting from issues like the presidentβs budget plans. According to Grothman, Trump ultimately decided it was simpler to βlet the press go nuts for a couple of daysβ and release everything at once. Bipartisan support for full disclosure has been building, with Republican Rep.
Thomas Massieβa co-sponsor of the proposalβsaying as many as 100 Republicans may vote for it. The legislation, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, would require the Justice Department to make all unclassified records related to Epstein public. If it passes both chambers of Congress, Trump would have to approve the release.
