A widening clash inside the Republican Party pushed President Donald Trump into an unexpected reversal on the fight over the Jeffrey Epstein files. After resisting a push for their release, Trump late Sunday urged House Republicans to vote in favor of making the documents public, a shift that came as support for the plan rose within his own ranks.
“We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party,” Trump posted on social media shortly after returning to Joint Base Andrews from a weekend in Florida.
The move capped weeks of turmoil among Republicans, including a dramatic break with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once one of Trump’s closest defenders. His new stance signals recognition that the measure appears likely to clear the House, even though its prospects in the Senate remain far less certain.
It is also one of the rare moments in which Trump has stepped back in the face of intraparty resistance. Since returning to the White House, he has largely dominated the GOP, often sidelining dissent.
READ ALSO: Trump hints at a meeting with New York City’s mayor-elect Mamdani
“I DON’T CARE!” Trump wrote in his online post. “All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT.”
Lawmakers promoting the bill predict a massive victory in the House as Republicans peel away from party leadership to support it.
Trump’s earlier opposition included personal outreach to the same Republicans pushing the bill. Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert even visited the White House Situation Room last week for talks with administration officials.
The legislation seeks to compel the Justice Department to release all files and communications tied to Epstein and the investigation into his death in federal custody. Sensitive information tied to victims or active federal probes could be redacted.
“There could be 100 or more” Republican votes, said Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky while appearing on Sunday political programs. “I’m hoping to get a veto-proof majority on this legislation when it comes up for a vote.”
Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna of California forced the issue to the floor through a rarely successful discharge petition, which gathered momentum after Democrats accused GOP leaders of trying to slow the process by delaying the swearing-in of Rep. Adelita Grijalva. She became the crucial 218th signature moments after taking office.
READ ALSO: What to know about the spending bill signed by Trump to end the U.S. government shutdown
Massie said that Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson and other critics of the effort would be “taking a big loss this week,” adding “I’m not tired of winning yet, but we are winning.”
Johnson now appears to accept that the House is ready to act. “We’ll just get this done and move it on. There’s nothing to hide,” he said, noting that the Oversight Committee has already released “far more information than the discharge petition, their little gambit.”
The debate arrives as newly surfaced documents revive scrutiny of Epstein’s network, including a 2019 email in which Epstein wrote that Trump “knew about the girls.” The White House has accused Democrats of selectively leaking the emails to damage the president.
Johnson defended Trump, saying he “has nothing to hide from this,” and insisting the leaks were politically motivated. “They’re doing this to go after President Trump on this theory that he has something to do with it. He does not,” Johnson said.
Trump’s connection to Epstein has long been documented and his name surfaced in records his own Justice Department released earlier this year, though Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing. Epstein maintained ties with many prominent figures before his 2019 death in federal custody while awaiting trial.
Khanna said he expects a smaller block of GOP votes than Massie predicts but still hopes for at least 40 Republicans to back the bill. “I don’t even know how involved Trump was,” he added. “There are a lot of other people involved who have to be held accountable.” He urged Trump to meet with survivors who will visit the Capitol on Tuesday.
Massie, according to a report by AP, warned that Republicans who oppose the measure to stay in Trump’s good graces could face long-term political consequences. “The record of this vote will last longer than Donald Trump’s presidency,” he said.
Three Republicans joined Massie on the discharge petition: Greene of Georgia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Boebert. Trump publicly severed ties with Greene last week, saying he would back a challenger against her in 2026 “if the right person runs.”
Greene said the rift is rooted entirely in the dispute over the Epstein files. She said Trump’s attacks puzzled her because the women she has spoken with believe “he did nothing wrong.” She added that she has no idea what the files contain but asked, “why fight this so hard?”
The feud intensified over the weekend as Trump fired off another social media attack while still aboard his helicopter on the White House lawn, writing “The fact is, nobody cares about this Traitor to our Country!”
Even if the House advances the bill, its fate in the Senate remains uncertain. Massie said he hopes Senate Majority Leader John Thune “will do the right thing,” predicting that a strong House vote could drive momentum. “We could have a deluge of Republicans,” he said.
Massie made an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” Johnson on “Fox News Sunday,” Khanna on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and Greene on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
