Trump Backs Release Of Jeffrey Epstein Files After Growing GOP Pressure

President Donald Trump abruptly reversed his earlier opposition and urged House Republicans to support legislation compelling the Justice Department to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“Brief roundup: Lighter human-interest and culture items include lifelong pen pals reuniting after 50 years, major lottery jackpots, cold-case breakthroughs, and a wide slate of long-form programs, documentaries and specials across politics and culture”

abcnews.go

He posted on Truth Social that "we have nothing to hide" and called the disclosures a "Democrat Hoax."

abcnews.go

The move followed pressure from a bipartisan petition and growing public scrutiny after congressional committees and oversight releases made thousands of pages public.

Trump framed the effort as a political response and said investigators should also examine Democrats' ties to Epstein.

His intervention deepened divisions inside the GOP even as backers of the petition said they had the signatures needed to force a House floor vote.

A rare bipartisan discharge petition led by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna reportedly secured enough signatures to force a House floor vote, reflecting frustration among survivors and some Republicans.

Committees have posted large troves of material, with Oversight releases reported at roughly 20,000 pages.

ABP Live English

Sponsors of the proposed Epstein Files Transparency Act said the public and victims deserve full access to the records, with only limited redactions to protect victims and ongoing investigations.

Released committee documents include emails and estate correspondence that some read as implicating high-profile figures.

“The article revisits Jeffrey Epstein’s long‑standing connections to powerful figures in politics, business and entertainment after a source dismissed the story as “sordid, but it’s boring, and I don’t understand why it keeps going”

Al Jazeera

Several outlets reported lines in which Epstein wrote that he believed Donald Trump "knew about the girls," and committee packets included a 2011 email referencing Trump alongside a redacted name the White House identified as Virginia Giuffre.

The White House and Trump allies disputed the import of such notes, calling some letters fake or cherry-picked and emphasizing that the documents do not prove criminality.

Survivors and lawmakers say full records are needed to assess responsibility and patterns of abuse.

Trump publicly rebuked Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, reportedly calling her a "traitor", and withdrew backing for at least one Republican.

House Speaker Mike Johnson framed a vote as a way to blunt claims tying the former president to Epstein.

AnewZ

The White House said the DOJ is probing alleged ties between Epstein and several Democrats, a move Trump touted as evidence of a broader partisan effort to discredit his opponents.

Most outlets said the House was likely to pass the measure due to signs of cross‑party support.

“President Donald Trump now says House Republicans should vote to release files in the Jeffrey Epstein case”

AP News

The bill faces a steep uphill climb in the Senate, where it needs 60 votes to advance, and it could encounter presidential veto dynamics.

AP News

Survivors and advocacy groups continued to press for fuller disclosure while seeking redactions to protect victims.

Coverage diverged on motive and likely outcome.

Some outlets framed the push as accountability and victim justice, while others portrayed it as a political maneuver that may never lead to comprehensive public release of investigative materials.