President Donald Trump abruptly shifted his stance Sunday night, urging House Republicans to support a proposal requiring the Justice Department to make public all files connected to Jeffrey Epstein. The call for transparency comes just days before the chamber is expected to vote on a measure that had appeared to be gaining traction even without his backing.
In a message posted on Truth Social, President Trump argued that releasing the documents would expose what he described as a political effort by his opponents. He said the GOP “has nothing to hide” and insisted it was time to end what he called a partisan campaign aimed at damaging the party’s recent legislative wins.
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The pending vote stems from a bipartisan move by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who collected enough signatures to force the bill to the floor. Their push has gathered momentum in recent days, as lawmakers from both parties signaled support for full disclosure of records tied to Epstein, the disgraced financier charged with trafficking minors who died in custody in 2019.
Before President Trump changed course, Republican leaders had been preparing for a substantial number of their members to defy him. Massie, in an appearance on ABC’s ‘This Week’ on Sunday said that he believed a large bloc of Republicans might endorse the measure, predicting that the final tally could reach levels capable of overriding a veto. He had publicly suggested the former president was attempting to shield wealthy or influential figures within his orbit.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who previously downplayed the need for the bill by citing ongoing committee work that has already produced thousands of documents, appeared on Sunday to align himself with President Trump’s revised approach. Johnson indicated that Republicans were ready to advance the legislation and move past the debate, saying there was “nothing to hide.”
Massie and Khanna have said the public deserves clarity regarding Epstein’s network of relationships, which extended into political, business, and social circles. Their legislation is expected to draw strong bipartisan attention when it reaches the House floor this week, with President Trump’s reversal likely to reshape the final vote count.