President Donald Trump made an unexpected turnaround Sunday night, calling on House Republicans to back a proposal to release files tied to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation—despite having opposed the plan for months.
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Shortly after returning to Washington from a weekend in Florida, Trump posted on social media that Republicans “have nothing to hide” and should support releasing the documents. He framed the push as a partisan distraction by Democrats attempting to undermine the GOP’s successes.
His reversal suggests the measure already has the votes to pass the House, even if its fate in the Senate is unclear. But I remain deeply skeptical for several reasons.
First, if Trump truly wants these records released, he doesn’t need Congress at all—he can order their disclosure himself. He’s the president. So why stage a House vote unless he’s trying to shift responsibility?
Second, Trump’s statement that the House Oversight Committee can release whatever it is “legally entitled to” raises more questions than answers. What exactly does that mean? Who decides what they are “entitled” to, and what prevents the administration from stonewalling under that vague standard?
Third, he pointedly mentioned only the House and made no reference to the Senate. That omission is glaring. It suggests he may be preparing to let the Senate slow-walk or block the whole thing while claiming he supported “transparency” in the House.
For weeks, lawmakers from both parties have predicted a strong bipartisan vote to unseal Epstein-related documents held by the Justice Department. The bill would compel the DOJ to publish all files and communications connected to Epstein, including records tied to the investigation of his 2019 death in federal custody. Information identifying victims or linked to ongoing investigations would still be redacted.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) launched the effort through a procedural maneuver known as a discharge petition—an uncommon but powerful tool allowing a majority of House members to force a floor vote without leadership approval. Their petition crossed the crucial 218-signature threshold only after newly sworn-in Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) added her name last week.
Massie predicted over 100 Republican votes and said he hopes for a veto-proof majority. “We are winning,” he said, arguing that opponents—including Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson—are about to face a significant political setback.
The push to open the Epstein files has exposed rifts within the Republican Party. Only three Republicans—Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Nancy Mace (S.C.), and Lauren Boebert (Colo.)—joined Massie in signing the discharge petition.
Greene, who recently fell out with Trump and was threatened with a primary challenge, said the dispute largely stems from her support for releasing the files. She insisted she has no reason to believe Trump did anything wrong but argued that the public deserves full transparency.
Even if the bill sails through the House, there’s no guarantee Senate Republicans will support it. Massie said he hopes Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) will “do the right thing,” predicting increased pressure if the House delivers a strong bipartisan vote.