Trump backs Epstein files release as House gears up to vote
Trump backs Epstein files release as House gears up to vote
Trump flips on Epstein files, urging GOP to back a House bill forcing DOJ release within 30 days, as the chamber prepares a direct vote.
The House is expected to vote Tuesday on the bill that would require the Department of Justice to release its full files on Epstein within 30 days of the bill becoming law. Trump encouraged House Republicans to sign the bill in a social media post Sunday night—marking an about-face after he reportedly tried to keep the measure from coming up for a vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said last week the measure would be voted on this week after Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., became the 218th signature—exactly one vote required for a majority—on a discharge petition for the bill, allowing the legislation to skip the traditional process of being approved by a House committee first and going straight to the House floor. Grijalva signed the petition after she was finally sworn in seven weeks after winning a special election, a delay Democrats claimed was to keep the Epstein petition from moving forward.
The bill is widely expected to pass the House: Reports suggested more than 100 House Republicans planned to vote for the bill, even before Trump flipflopped on social media Sunday, saying the House GOP should back the legislation because “it's time to move on from this Democrat Hoax.” The House passing the bill and Trump supporting it will also likely put pressure on the Senate to take up the legislation, though it remains unclear how exactly Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R.S.D., plans to handle a vote on the measure.
Trump's reversal—from calling the Epstein controversy a Democratic “hoax” to urging GOP lawmakers to back the bill—highlights the unusual politics around a long-running issue. Analysts say the development could sharpen the incentives for the Senate to act but caution that a path to passage there remains uncertain. The bill’s proponents argue that full release within 30 days would settle questions about the government’s handling and oversight in a case that has drawn bipartisan attention.
As ballots and timing collide in Washington, all eyes will be on the Senate and on whether the pressure generated by a House majority translates into action. If enacted, the DOJ would be compelled to disclose the files within 30 days of the law becoming effective, potentially reshaping public understanding of the Epstein matter and closing a chapter that has lingered for years.
Cover image source: Trump Now Says Republicans Should Vote To Release Epstein Files: ‘I Don’t Care’ 🔗
