Trump Urges GOP to Pass Epstein Files Bill in Major Reversal

In a significant policy reversal, President Donald Trump has publicly urged House Republicans to vote in favor of legislation compelling the Department of Justice to release its complete files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move marks a dramatic shift from his administration’s previous opposition and comes just as a bipartisan bill gained unstoppable momentum in Congress.
“House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide,” President Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He framed the issue as a “Democrat Hoax” and urged his party to “move on.”
This new stance follows a fierce internal battle within the GOP. A bipartisan coalition, led by Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), successfully used a discharge petition to force a floor vote on the “Epstein Files Transparency Act.” This maneuver, which secured the required 218 signatures, bypassed House leadership and made a vote imminent, with or without the president’s support.
Political analysts note that the bill was expected to pass the House with a large, veto-proof majority, including significant support from Trump’s own MAGA-aligned members. His reversal is widely seen as an attempt to get ahead of an inevitable legislative outcome and avoid a politically damaging confrontation with his own base, which has long demanded the files’ release.
The legislation would mandate the DOJ to release all documents, records, and communications related to Epstein, his associates, and the federal investigation into his 2019 death in a federal jail. Crucially, the bill would allow redactions to protect victim identities but would explicitly forbid withholding information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity” of any public figures.
However, the path to full transparency remains complex. Just days before his public reversal, President Trump ordered the Justice Department to open a new investigation into the Epstein connections of his political opponents. Critics, including some Republicans, have labeled this move a potential “smokescreen,” warning that the new probe could be used to assert executive privilege and legally block the release of the very files the public is demanding, even if the bill becomes law.
If the bill passes the House as expected, it will move to the Senate, where its future is less certain but optimistic. Given his new public endorsement, President Trump is now under enormous pressure to sign the bill if it reaches his desk.