US President Donald Trump has called on Republican lawmakers to vote in favour of releasing all government documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a sharp shift from his recent position, Trump said on Sunday night that GOP members in the House of Representatives should back the disclosure bill “because we have nothing to hide.”
The reversal comes as House Democrats continue to release selected Epstein-related documents, some of which include references to Trump, despite his long-standing denial of any involvement in Epstein’s crimes. The slow publication of files by Democrats in recent weeks has renewed speculation surrounding Epstein’s past connections with high-profile figures and has even sparked political tensions between Trump and some of his staunch supporters.
Following Trump’s call, potentially dozens of Republicans are now prepared to break ranks and vote alongside Democrats in support of legislation compelling the US government to publish every document it holds concerning Epstein and the criminal investigations into him. Supporters of the bill believe they have the numbers needed for it to pass the House this week. However, it remains uncertain whether the bill would survive a vote in the Senate.
Republican Leadership Defends Trump
Epstein died in a New York federal detention centre in 2019, a death officially ruled a suicide by the coroner. At the time, he was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges after previously being convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Despite urging Republicans to support the document release, Trump continued to dismiss the renewed focus on Epstein’s files as a political ploy orchestrated by Democrats. He argued that their aim is to deflect attention from Republican policy initiatives and to revive speculation about his past association with Epstein.
“The Department of Justice has already turned over tens of thousands of pages to the public on ‘Epstein,’” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He added that officials were examining ties between Epstein and several prominent Democratic-aligned figures—including Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, and Larry Summers—and insisted that the House Oversight Committee could access any legally permitted documents. “I DON’T CARE!” he wrote, urging Republicans to “get BACK ON POINT.”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed Trump’s sentiment during a television appearance on Sunday, asserting that the Democrats’ push for full disclosure is part of a broader political strategy. Johnson insisted that Trump had “clean hands” and should not be implicated in the ongoing debate over Epstein’s past associations.
“He’s not worried about it,” Johnson told Fox News. “I talk to him all the time. He has nothing to do with this. He’s frustrated that they’re turning it into a political issue.”
Although Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities—and has stated that he cut ties with him long before Epstein’s 2008 conviction—photographs of the two men attending social events together in the early 2000s have long fueled public interest.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has at times dismissed the need for further document releases, even though many of his supporters and prominent allies have demanded full transparency as a way to clear his name and counter speculation.
The recent shift in Trump’s position follows the release of new material by House Democrats on the Oversight Committee, including three email exchanges between Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.
One of the emails, sent by Epstein in 2011, refers directly to Trump, stating: “I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump… [VICTIM] spent hours at my house with him.” The White House later confirmed that the “victim” mentioned was Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most well-known accusers.
While the email mentions Trump, there is no indication of wrongdoing on his part contained in the documents released so far.
Within hours of the Democrats’ release, House Republicans responded by publishing a far larger cache of 20,000 Epstein-related files. They argued that Democrats were selectively releasing documents to “create a fake narrative to slander” Trump and insisted that their own publication offered fuller context.
As pressure mounts and bipartisan support grows, the House is expected to vote on the release bill this week. If passed, it would mark the most comprehensive public disclosure of Epstein-related material to date—and place Trump at the centre of one of Washington’s most politically charged debates.
Source- BBC
