Trump urges Republicans to vote to release Epstein files, marking stark reversal

President Donald Trump on Sunday night encouraged House Republicans to vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files and move on from what he calls a “Democrat Hoax,” marking a stark reversal from his efforts to discredit the effort.

“House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because 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, including our recent Victory on the Democrat ‘Shutdown,’” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Trump’s reversal comes as expectations of mass GOP defections grew ahead of a House vote this week on an attempt to force the Justice Department to release all of the Epstein case files.

GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California last week gathered enough signatures on a discharge petition to force such a vote.

Massie and Khanna appeared optimistic earlier Sunday about their bill’s chances of passing, insisting there was growing support among the GOP in the House.