U.S. President Donald Trump has on Sunday, November 16, urged House Republicans to vote for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
His message marked a sharp reversal after days of trying to block the effort.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Republicans “should vote to release the Epstein files” because “we have nothing to hide.” He said the debate was a “Democrat Hoax” designed to distract from recent GOP wins, including what he called a victory in the shutdown fight.
His reversal came as GOP leaders expected a major wave of Republican defections ahead of a House vote this week. Lawmakers are preparing to decide whether to force the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related documents.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California led the push. They gathered enough signatures for a discharge petition, which guarantees the vote. Both men said on Sunday that support was growing inside the GOP.
Massie predicted that “100 or more” Republicans could break from Trump. He said he hoped the bill would pass with a veto-proof majority. CNN reported last week that House leaders were preparing for large GOP defections.
House Speaker Mike Johnson had earlier dismissed the effort as unnecessary, pointing to an ongoing House Oversight Committee investigation that has already released thousands of documents. On Sunday, Johnson signaled a shift and said lawmakers should “get this done and move it on,” adding that “there’s nothing to hide.”
The vote is expected Tuesday. The timing follows the release of thousands of new Epstein emails by the Oversight Committee last week.
Trump, until his reversal, had criticized the push. Late last week, he said he would direct the Justice Department to investigate Epstein’s ties to several high-profile Democratic figures. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced she would open the investigation and assigned the US attorney for the Southern District of New York to lead it. Critics accused Trump of using the Justice Department for political purposes.
Massie said Trump was trying to protect “rich and powerful friends,” including donors and social contacts. He warned Republicans that their vote “will last longer” than Trump’s presidency.
Khanna said on Sunday that Trump was “out of touch with his own base” and accused him of targeting Republicans who support releasing the files. He noted Trump’s recent public fight with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Greene, once one of Trump’s closest allies, has clashed with him over the issue. Trump stated on Friday that he would no longer endorse her reelection bid. Greene said the breakup “has all come down to the Epstein files.” She told CNN she could not understand why Trump resisted the release if he had done nothing wrong.
“Why fight this so hard?” she asked.
The bill is expected to pass in the House. The Senate remains uncertain. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he believes the chamber does not need to act because the Justice Department has already released thousands of pages.
Massie said he hopes Thune “will do the right thing” and predicted that pressure will increase if the House passes the bill with strong bipartisan support.