Donald Trump has urged lawmakers from his own party to vote to release files related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The President of the United States wrote Sunday night that House Republicans should do so “because we have nothing to hide.”
His reversal of position follows a slow feed by House Democrats of documents on the disgraced financier, some of which refer to Trump, who has always denied any links to Epstein’s sexual abuse and human trafficking.
But details about his and other celebrities’ past ties to Epstein have sparked speculation and a public spat with one of Trump’s staunchest supporters.
Potentially dozens of Republicans have now signaled they are willing to vote in favor of legislation that would force the U.S. government to release all documents on Epstein and details of the criminal investigation into him.
Supporters of the bill appear to have garnered enough votes to pass the House this week, but it’s unclear whether the bill will pass the Senate.
Epstein was found dead in a New York prison in 2019, but a coroner later ruled it a suicide. He was convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor and was imprisoned on charges of prostitution.
Trump repeated the White House’s dismissal of the Epstein file as a “hoax” led by Democrats to “divert” attention from his party’s activities.
“The Justice Department has already released tens of thousands of pages about ‘Epstein’ to the public, is investigating various Democratic operatives (Bill Clinton, Reed Hoffman, Larry Summers, etc.) and their ties to Epstein, and the House Oversight Committee can have everything they are legally entitled to. I don’t care!,” he wrote on his Truth social platform.
He added that Republicans want to “get back to square one.”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested to Fox News that voting to release the documents would put to rest claims that President Trump was linked to Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of teenage children.
Trump has previously dismissed the need to release more documents. Although he was photographed at social gatherings with Epstein, he cut off all contact with Epstein before his conviction in 2008 and has repeatedly said he was unaware of his criminal activities.
The US president’s change in position on the issue comes after Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee released three email exchanges, including correspondence between Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence on sex trafficking charges.
Some of these exchanges mention Trump. In one email from 2011, Epstein wrote to Maxwell: “I want you to know that the dog that didn’t bark was Trump. (The victim) spent hours at my house with him.”
The White House said Wednesday that the victim mentioned in the email was Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Epstein accuser.
There is no suggestion of Trump’s wrongdoing in the emails.
Hours after the release, House Republicans released a much larger set of 20,000 files in response to Democratic efforts to “cherry pick” documents to “create a fake story to smear” Trump.
Both Democrats and some Republicans have supported legislation that would make all the documents public. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, a co-sponsor of the bill, told ABC News on Sunday that up to 100 Republicans could vote in favor.
The bill, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, aims to force the Justice Department to release all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials related to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump would also have to sign off on releasing the documents once they pass both legislative chambers.
In a letter to Congress, Epstein survivors and Giuffre’s family urged U.S. lawmakers to vote in favor of releasing the files.
“Remember that your primary duty is to your constituents. Look into the eyes of your children, your sisters, your mothers, your aunts,” the letter said.
“Imagine if they were prey. Imagine if you were a survivor yourself. What would you want for them? What would you want for yourself? When you vote, we will remember your decision at the ballot box.”
Trump’s handling of the issue has sparked a public feud with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has traditionally been one of his most ardent supporters.
The US president attacked her on Friday, calling her “bizarre” and a “traitor” and suggesting she should step down from her position in next year’s election.
Greene questioned whether Trump was still committed to “America First” and said he was using her as an “example” to scare other Republicans from voting for the bill.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Justice Department confirmed it would investigate allegations that Epstein had ties to major banks and several prominent Democratic figures, including former U.S. President Clinton. He strongly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
The names of Hoffman, the LinkedIn founder and prominent Democratic donor, and Clinton’s Treasury Secretary Summers both appeared in the most recent press release.
Summers expressed regret for having any contact with Epstein after his conviction, and Hoffman said the extent of his involvement with the broker was fundraising for MIT.
