In a significant shift from his previous stance, U.S. President Donald Trump urged House Republicans to vote in favor of releasing the long-awaited Jeffrey Epstein files. That change of heart has come amid growing political pressure, fresh document leaks, and widening speculation about Epstein’s ties to high-profile figures.
Trump wrote on Truth Social late Sunday that Republicans should support the release of the files “because we have nothing to hide.” He claimed Democrats have used selectively leaked documents to fuel what he called a “manufactured hoax” designed to hurt him politically.
A Sudden Shift in Strategy
Trump’s about-face comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested that a full release of Epstein-related Justice Department documents could help clear allegations against Trump that tie him to Epstein’s sex trafficking network.
Photographs of the two men together from decades ago surfaced, but Trump repeatedly has maintained he broke ties with the disgraced financier long before any criminal charges.
The political stakes sharpened last week when House Democrats released new emails related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. One 2011 exchange said that Trump “knew about the girls,” though there is little clarity on context or meaning.
The White House insisted there was no implication of wrongdoing and condemned publication as “cherry-picked political theatre.”
In response, House Republicans released a much larger batch of 20,000 documents to prevent what they described as Democrats’ attempt to “craft a fake narrative.”
Growing Republican Support for Transparency
Nevertheless, the dynamics seem to be changing in Congress, despite prior resistance from Trump of Trump. A total of around 100 GOP lawmakers stand ready and willing to vote for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, according to Rep. Thomas Massie.
The bill would force the Justice Department to release all unclassified documents, communications, and investigative materials about Epstein.
Republicans hold a slim majority in the House, 219–214, and a vote this week appears increasingly likely to succeed. Its future in the Senate is less certain.
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who was among the early sponsors of the measure, predicted “more than 40 Republicans” would break ranks and support its release.
Why the Files Matter
Epstein was a financier with deep social and political connections; he died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Investigations into his crimes produced thousands of pages of interviews, records, seized items and internal communications — much of which remains sealed.
Survivors of the attack, along with their family members, have called on Congress to release the documents and framed the vote as one of moral responsibility.
In a letter to lawmakers, Epstein survivors wrote:
Just imagine your own family were preyed upon, what would you want? If you decide to vote, we will remember your decision.
Political Fallout and Internal GOP Tensions
The about-face by Trump has exposed friction within Republican ranks. In recent days, the president clashed publicly with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, long one of his staunchest allies.
Trump labeled her “wacky” and a “traitor” after she criticized the GOP’s handling of the files. Greene later accused Trump of abandoning his “America First” principles.
But Speaker Johnson continues to protect Trump, referring to the president as “clean hands,” and trying to prevent Democrats from wielding the issue like a weapon.
Republican lawmakers said that releasing them all in a bundle would silence the speculation over a few months’ time and ultimately keep selective leaking from framing public opinion.
The Justice Department also confirmed it is reviewing Epstein’s ties to several prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.
Each of them has denied any involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes; however, their names are associated with his document dumps released recently. The White House and DOJ counter that thousands of pages have already been released, and remaining disclosures need to conform to legal strictures.
FOR MORE: https://civiclens.in/category/international-news/
About the Author
