Trump on Epstein files bill: Republicans must stay focused on wins
5 Min Read
Trump says he supports the Epstein files bill but urges Republicans to stay focused on his administration’s key victories and policy achievements.
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President Donald Trump listens during a demonstration of ways NASA is helping combat Covid-19 on April 24, 2020. (AP)
US President Donald Trump addressed the ongoing congressional deliberations on releasing files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, stating that he supports the bill but cautioned Republicans not to lose sight of his administration’s achievements.
I don’t care when the Senate passes the House Bill, whether tonight, or at some other time in the near future, I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the Victories that we’ve had, including THE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, Closed Borders, No Men in Women’s Sports or Transgender for Everyone, ending DEI, stopping Biden’s Record Setting Inflation, Biggest Tax and Regulation Cuts in History, stopping EIGHT Wars, rebuilding our Military, being RESPECTED by every Country in the World, having Trillions of Dollars INVESTED in the U.S.A., having created the “HOTTEST” Country anywhere in the World, and even delivering a HUGE DEFEAT to the Democrats on the Shutdown. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The US House of Representatives is preparing to vote on whether to force the release of remaining government files tied to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, in a showdown that will test both the Justice Department’s promises of transparency and President Donald Trump’s sudden reversal on the issue.
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, speaking at the Capitol alongside women who say they survived Epstein’s abuse, framed the vote as only the first hurdle.
"The real test will be, will the Department of Justice release the files, or will it all remain tied up in investigations? Will the CIA release the files? Will a federal judge in New York release the information that needs to come out, and will the list of names that these women privately hold ... come out?"
Greene also predicted that support in the chamber would be overwhelming, saying the House’s vote is likely to be unanimous.
The legislation, often referred to by supporters as an Epstein transparency bill, follows months of political pressure. Survivors and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have repeatedly demanded full disclosure of any remaining records held by the Justice Department, FBI, and intelligence agencies, arguing that the public still does not know the full extent of Epstein’s network or who may have enabled his crimes.
Fractured Alliance
In the days leading up to the vote, the political stakes grew sharper. Trump, who had previously resisted efforts to compel further disclosures, has now urged Republicans to support the full release of the files, insisting his party "has nothing to hide" and pledging to sign a bill requiring the Justice Department to publish all existing documents if it reaches his desk. The shift came as Trump publicly broke with Greene, once one of his most ardent defenders, after she criticized his attempts to delay earlier disclosures. Their falling-out spilled across conservative media, with Trump accusing Greene of “COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!” and Greene responding that she was determined to support the victims “even when almost all other Republicans turned their back.”
Greene has since said she received warnings from private security firms about threats to her safety, claiming that “a hot bed of threats against me” has been fueled by rhetoric coming from Trump Himself. She drew a parallel between her situation and the pressure faced by women abused by Epstein, writing, “As a woman I take threats from men seriously. I now have a small understanding of the fear and pressure the women, who are victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his cabal, must feel.”
Disclosure Dilemma
That broader pressure reflects widespread skepticism after a July 2025 Justice Department and FBI review concluded there was no evidence that Epstein maintained a “client list,” blackmailed elites, or was murdered, and reaffirmed that he died by suicide in jail. The memo said no further major disclosures were planned, partly to protect victims’ privacy. The findings triggered backlash from Trump supporters and Democrats alike, who accused federal agencies of shielding powerful figures.
At the same time, legal experts warn that a new Justice Department investigation ordered by Trump into alleged political opponents’ ties to Epstein could itself become grounds to delay any release, since documents tied to active probes are often exempt from disclosure. The contradiction, urging transparency while opening a new investigative pathway that could shield files, has become a central concern for transparency advocates.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has publicly backed making the Epstein files public, arguing that full release would counter attempts to weaponize the case against Trump and prove there is “nothing to hide.” Democrats involved in the effort insist the documents must be released regardless of whose names appear in them, warning that continued secrecy only deepens public distrust.
