Trump U-turn: President backs Epstein file launch after Republicans activate him
Donald Trump insisted that he has ‘nothing to hide’ as he reversed course and told Republicans to vote for the release of files pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein.
Donald Trump has insisted he has “nothing to hide” as he reversed course, urging Republicans to back the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The president, who spent much of the past week condemning Republican lawmakers, shifted his position after returning to Washington from Florida. Speaking via Truth Social, Trump dismissed the controversy as a “hoax” and instructed House Republicans to vote in favour of releasing the material. “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files,” he posted. “We have nothing to hide, and it´s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party.”
In an effort to reinforce his stance, Trump also circulated comments from David Schoen, Epstein’s former lawyer and a member of Trump’s own defence team during his second impeachment, who argued that the sex offender held no compromising information on the president.
“If Jeffrey Epstein had any dirt on Donald Trump, he would have had great leverage in the criminal case against him at the time he died,” Schoen wrote. “The fact that he unequivocally said he had none ought to shut down the false claims otherwise, but facts are no obstacle to political attacks.” Schoen also claimed that Prince Andrew’s accuser, Virginia Giuffre, testified under oath that Trump “did nothing inappropriate.”
His statements, however, directly contradict comments made by Epstein in recently released emails that showed the sex offender claiming to have damning information on Trump.
The US leader’s U-turn follows a week marked by open conflict with members of his own party, as the president attacked defectors amid growing pressure for full transparency. The forthcoming vote has deepened Republican divisions and intensified scrutiny of Trump’s handling of the issue.
The president, once a close friend of Epstein for decades, has broadened his defence over the impending release of files, insisting his administration had already handed over “tens of thousands of pages”. He suggested the documents could prove politically damaging for high-profile Democrats, including Bill Clinton.
“The House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to, I DON’T CARE!” he wrote, before shifting focus to tout his familiar campaign themes on the economy, immigration and foreign policy. He added: “Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive and, if the Democrats had anything, they would have released it before our Landslide Election Victory.”
Trump offered no indication that his feud with Republicans backing the bill, notably Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene, was ending. “Some ‘members’ of the Republican Party are being ‘used,’ and we can’t let that happen,” he wrote.
Trump then reignited his hostility towards Greene, extending their days-long row by attacking her character and political loyalty. “Wacky Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown (Remember, Green turns to Brown where there is ROT involved!) is working overtime to try and portray herself as a victim when, in actuality, she is the cause of all of her own problems,” he wrote. “The fact is, nobody cares about this Traitor to our Country!”
On Frida,y he publicly severed ties with the congresswoman and pledged to endorse a challenger against her in 2026 “if the right person runs.” Greene has said the deterioration in their relationship “has all come down to the Epstein files,” arguing the American public deserves transparency.
She described Trump’s attacks as perplexing, adding that women she had spoken to insisted he “did nothing wrong.” Greene said: “I have no idea what’s in the files. I can’t even guess. But that is the question everyone is asking, is, why fight this so hard?” Trump’s failure to deliver on a campaign promise to release the files has become a rallying point for Greene and other Republican rebels on Capitol Hill.
Despite the internal turmoil, Trump appears to have won rare bipartisan praise for supporting this week’s vote. Democrat Ro Khanna, who introduced the petition with Massie, welcomed the move: “Glad to see @realDonaldTrump’s complete & total endorsement of my bill… Release the Epstein files!” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was more direct: “The vote is to compel YOU to release them. Let’s make this easier. Just release the files now.”
Republicans who backed the petition have yet to comment publicly, although Nancy Mace shared a video of Epstein victims urging Congress to act. “Shine a light into this darkness. Expose it all,” she wrote. “I signed the discharge petition and I will vote to release the Epstein files.”
The bill would force the Justice Department to release all documents and communications relating to Epstein, including information on the investigation into his death in federal custody.
Sensitive material involving victims and ongoing probes could be redacted. Massie said there could be “100 or more” Republican votes and hopes for a veto-proof majority. Speaker Mike Johnson previously opposed the discharge petition and sent lawmakers home early for recess as pressure for a vote mounted.
Democrats alleged the swearing-in of newly elected Adelita Grijalva was delayed to stop her from becoming the crucial 218th signatory.
