U.S. President Donald Trump has urged House Republicans to vote for the release of the Epstein files, marking a clear reversal from his earlier hesitation and triggering fresh momentum behind legislation that would compel the Justice Department to publish the materials.
Trump made the call in a late-night post on Truth Social, saying Republicans “have nothing to hide” and should move ahead with releasing the documents. His shift comes as dozens of Republicans signal they may break ranks and support a vote expected later this week.
If approved, the measure would force the publication of unclassified records, communications and investigative files linked to Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.
The bill, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, appears to have enough support to pass the House, though its path in the Senate remains uncertain. Trump would also need to sign the legislation if it clears both chambers.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie, a co-sponsor of the bill, said as many as one hundred Republicans could vote in favour. Support also comes from Democrats, including Representative Ro Khanna, who has long backed wider disclosure of the case.
Trump posted his statement shortly after returning from Florida, insisting the Justice Department had already turned over “tens of thousands of pages” and accusing Democrats of using the issue to damage him politically.
He said he had directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI to examine Epstein’s links to prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, claims the Clinton team strongly denies.
The renewed push follows the release of email exchanges published by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee last week.
The documents include correspondence between Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, with one 2011 message referencing Trump in unclear terms. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. She pleaded not guilty to all federal charges against her and maintained her innocence throughout the trial and was convicted in December 2021.
In response, House Republicans released a larger trove of twenty thousand pages, accusing Democrats of selectively using evidence to “create a fake narrative” aimed at Trump. Lawmakers then moved to schedule a vote on broader disclosure.
The political fallout has deepened tensions within the Republican Party. Trump has publicly clashed with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, once one of his most loyal allies, calling her a “traitor” after she criticised his approach to the files. Greene questioned whether Trump was still putting “America First”.
Epstein survivors and the family of Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser (who died by suicide in Australia in April this year aged 41), have also urged Congress to support the release. In a letter to lawmakers, they appealed for transparency, saying the vote would show whether elected officials stand with victims or with powerful figures connected to Epstein.
The coming House vote is expected to draw nationwide scrutiny as both parties confront longstanding questions over how authorities handled the Epstein case and who may be implicated in the files.
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