US President Donald Trump has called on House Republicans to vote to release the Epstein files, in a reversal from his previous position. House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday night.
The major shift in Trump's stance comes as potentially dozens of Republicans signalled they were willing to break ranks, and vote for the release of the documents. The House is expected to vote this week on legislation that would compel the Justice Department to publicly release the files. Supporters of the bill appear to have enough votes for it to pass the House, though it is unclear whether it would pass the Senate.
Trump would also have to sign off on the release of the documents if it passes both chambers. Both Democrats and some Republicans have been backing the legislation. Republican Representative Thomas Massie, a co-sponsor of the bill, said in an interview with ABC News on Sunday that as many as 100 Republicans could vote in favour.
Known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the aim of the bill is to make the Justice Department release all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump posted the statement shortly after landing at Joint Base Andrews following a weekend in Florida. The Department of Justice has already turned over tens of thousands of pages to the Public on 'Epstein,' are looking at various Democrat operatives (Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, Larry Summers, etc.) and their relationship to Epstein, and the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to, I DON'T CARE! Trump wrote, adding that he wanted Republicans to get BACK ON POINT.
Trump's reference to Clinton comes after the US Justice Department confirmed it will investigate Epstein's alleged links to major banks and several prominent Democrats, including former US President Bill Clinton, who has strongly denied any knowledge of Epstein's crimes.
A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase stated that the firm regrets any association they had with Epstein, emphasizing that they did not aid him in committing his heinous acts.
Trump's reversal follows the release of three email exchanges by House Democrats from Epstein, who died in 2019, to his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Some communications reference Trump, prompting House Republicans to release a larger set of documents to counter accusations.
In his comments, Trump echoed dismissals by the White House regarding the Epstein files as a Democrat-led hoax. His post followed House Speaker Mike Johnson's suggestion that a vote to release the documents could help dispel allegations of Trump's connections to Epstein's criminal activities.
Trump has publicly feuded with Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who criticized his handling of the Epstein files. In a letter, Epstein survivors urged lawmakers to vote for the file release, emphasizing the importance of their constituents' safety and accountability.
