Trump pushes for release of Epstein files in unexpected shift

• Trump calls on Republicans to back release of Epstein-related documents.
• Says transparency will end what he labels a “Democrat hoax.”
• Move follows Speaker Mike Johnson’s comments supporting a vote.

US President Donald Trump shifted course on Sunday, publicly pressing Republican lawmakers to support the release of Justice Department records linked to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The appeal, posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform, came shortly after House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated he was open to holding a vote that could make the files public, a move he said might help dispel lingering claims about Trump’s alleged ties to Epstein’s criminal activities.

“House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide,” Trump wrote. “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 and Epstein were known to have crossed paths socially in the 1990s and early 2000s, though Trump has long asserted they cut ties before Epstein faced prosecution.

Newly published emails obtained by a congressional committee last week included a message in which Epstein claimed Trump “knew about the girls,” a phrase that offered no explanation and no corroboration but fueled renewed attention.

The push for disclosure now places Republicans in the position of deciding whether full transparency could neutralize persistent speculation, or open new questions, as the controversy surrounding Epstein’s network continues to reverberate.