Trump Urges Release of Epstein Files in Dramatic Policy Reversal Amid GOP Division

President Donald Trump called on House Republicans to vote for releasing the Jeffrey Epstein case files, marking a significant reversal after previously opposing the proposal that has gained substantial support within his party.

"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," Trump wrote on social media Sunday night after returning from Florida to Joint Base Andrews.

Trump's statement followed an intense internal GOP conflict over the files, including a growing rift with Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, previously one of his most loyal supporters.

The president's position shift implicitly acknowledges that supporters of the measure have secured enough votes to pass it in the House, though its Senate future remains uncertain.

This represents a rare instance of Trump backtracking due to opposition within the Republican Party, despite his generally consolidated power within the GOP during his return to office.

"I DON'T CARE!" Trump declared in his social media post. "All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT."

Proponents of the bill predict a significant House victory this week with numerous Republicans expected to support it, defying both GOP leadership and the president.

Trump had previously reached out to Republican lawmakers who signed the proposal, including Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert, who met with administration officials in the White House Situation Room to discuss the matter.

The legislation would compel the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. Information about Epstein's victims or ongoing federal investigations could be redacted.

"There could be 100 or more" Republican votes, according to Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), who discussed the legislation during Sunday news shows. "I'm hoping to get a veto-proof majority on this legislation when it comes up for a vote."

Massie and Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced a discharge petition in July to force a vote on their bill, bypassing House leadership to bring the measure to the floor.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had criticized the discharge petition effort and sent members home early for their August recess when the GOP's legislative agenda was disrupted by demands for an Epstein vote. Democrats claim that seating Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) was delayed to prevent her becoming the 218th member to sign the petition, which would force a vote. She became the 218th signature shortly after taking her oath of office last week.

Massie suggested Johnson, Trump, and other critics of his efforts would be "taking a big loss this week."

"I'm not tired of winning yet, but we are winning," Massie stated.

Johnson appears to anticipate the House will strongly support the Epstein bill, saying, "We'll just get this done and move it on. There's nothing to hide," adding that the House Oversight Committee has been releasing "far more information than the discharge petition, their little gambit."

The vote comes amid new documents raising fresh questions about Epstein and his associates, including a 2019 email in which Epstein wrote to a journalist claiming Trump "knew about the girls." The White House has accused Democrats of selectively leaking emails to damage the Republican president.

Johnson maintained that Trump "has nothing to hide from this" and that "They're doing this to go after President Trump on this theory that he has something to do with it. He does not."

Trump's association with Epstein is well-documented, and the president's name appeared in records released by his own Justice Department in February as part of efforts to satisfy public interest in the sex-trafficking investigation.

Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing regarding Epstein, and the mere inclusion of someone's name in investigation files does not imply misconduct. Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, had numerous prominent acquaintances in political and celebrity circles beyond Trump.

Khanna expressed more modest expectations than Massie on the vote count but hoped for 40 or more Republicans to join the effort, saying, "I don't even know how involved Trump was. There are a lot of other people involved who have to be held accountable."

Khanna also urged Trump to meet with abuse victims, some of whom will be at the Capitol on Tuesday for a news conference.

Massie warned Republican lawmakers who fear losing Trump's endorsement that voting against the measure could harm their long-term political prospects. "The record of this vote will last longer than Donald Trump's presidency," he stated.

Three Republicans joined Massie in signing the discharge petition: Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Lauren Boebert.

Trump publicly severed ties with Greene last week, threatening to endorse a challenger against her in 2026 "if the right person runs."

Greene attributed the fallout with Trump to "unfortunately, it has all come down to the Epstein files." She maintained the country deserves transparency and expressed confusion over Trump's criticism, noting the women she has spoken with say he did nothing wrong.

"I have no idea what's in the files. I can't even guess. But that is the questions everyone is asking, is, why fight this so hard?" Greene remarked.

Trump's feud with Greene intensified over the weekend, with Trump posting about her while still in his helicopter on the White House lawn late Sunday, writing "The fact is, nobody cares about this Traitor to our Country!"

Even with House passage, Senate Republican support remains uncertain. Massie expressed hope that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) "will do the right thing."

"The pressure is going to be there if we get a big vote in the House," Massie said, suggesting "we could have a deluge of Republicans."

Massie appeared on ABC's "This Week," Johnson on "Fox News Sunday," Khanna on NBC's "Meet the Press," and Greene on CNN's "State of the Union."