Trump’s reversal on Sunday follows a House petition that garnered enough support to force a vote—marking a rare moment of House Republicans moving against the president’s previous stance.
Until recently, Trump and his aides had actively sought to block further disclosure of Department of Justice files related to Epstein, the wealthy financier who once socialized with Trump.
In a late Sunday social media post, Trump urged, “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide,” calling the investigation a “hoax” propagated by Democrats.
Critics, including some of Trump’s own supporters, argue that releasing authentic Justice Department records is far from a hoax. Epstein was convicted on state and federal charges involving the sexual abuse and trafficking of teenage girls and died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019, in a death ruled a suicide.
California Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said Trump reversed course because he “panicked” after realizing the House was poised to approve the vote.
A senior White House official added that Trump grew frustrated with Republican focus on Epstein, preferring attention on voter-centric issues like the cost of living.
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