Trump concedes defeat on Epstein files as he orders GOP to vote on releasing ALL materials while claiming there's 'nothing to hide'
By Stephen M. Lepore
Daily Mail
Nov 16, 2025
Donald Trump speaking to the press on the tarmac at Palm Beach International Airport Sunday night as the president announced he was backing the release of the Epstein files
Donald Trump has reversed course and said the Republican Party should release the files pertaining to the late billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump, who has faced mounting pressure from his own party to release the Epstein documents, finally gave the bill his blessing Sunday night.
'House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files,' Trump said shortly after landing at Joint Base Andrews following a weekend in Florida.
'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 noted that his Department of Justice have already turned over tens of thousands of pages on Epstein and could potentially investigate Democrat enemies like Bill Clinton, Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman.
He wrote: 'The House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to, I DON'T CARE!'
Trump then listed his signature issues on the economy, immigration, foreign policy and culture war issues instead of discussing Epstein.
'Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive and, if the Democrats had anything, they would have released it before our Landslide Election Victory,' he said.
However, Trump did not signal an end to his feud with Republican backers of the bill like Thomas Massie and, most publicly, Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Trump (pictured with Epstein in 1997), who has previously called all attempts from both parties to release the files part of a Democrat hoax, gave the bill his blessing on Truth Social Sunday evening
'Some 'members' of the Republican Party are being 'used,' and we can't let that happen. Let's start talking about the Republican Party's Record Setting Achievements, and not fall into the Epstein 'TRAP,' which is actually a curse on the Democrats, not us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'
Trump later confirmed he still believed it was a hoax, writing: 'It’s a Democrat Hoax for purposes of deflection, just like the Russia, Russia, Russia Scam!!! They had the sleazy relationships with Epstein, and should be prosecuted!!!'
The president was reacting to a tweet by his and Epstein's former lawyer David Schoen, who wrote: 'If Jeffrey Epstein had any dirt on Donald Trump, he would have had great leverage in the criminal case against him at the time he died. The fact that he unequivocally said he had none ought to shut down the false claims otherwise; but facts are no obstacle to political attacks.'
He also took another shot at Greene, continuing their weekend-long feud over the Georgia Congresswoman's recent split from Trump on various issues.
'Wacky Marjorie 'Traitor' Brown (Remember, Green turns to Brown where there is ROT involved!) is working overtime to try and portray herself as a victim when, in actuality, she is the cause of all of her own problems. The fact is, nobody cares about this Traitor to our Country!'
Trump publicly called it quits with Greene Friday and said he would endorse a challenger against her in 2026 'if the right person runs.'
Greene attributed the fallout with Trump as 'unfortunately, it has all come down to the Epstein files.' She said the country deserves transparency on the issue and that Trump's criticism of her is confusing because the women she has talked to say he did nothing wrong.
'I have no idea what´s in the files. I can´t even guess. But that is the questions everyone is asking, is, why fight this so hard?' Greene said.
Trump then took another shot at Marjorie Taylor Greene, continuing their weekend-long feud over the Georgia Congresswoman's recent split from Trump on various issues
Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who introduced a discharge petition in July to force a vote on their bill alongside Massie, applauded Trump's decision.
'Glad to see @realDonaldTrump's complete & total endorsement of my bill with @RepThomasMassie. I believe that by standing for principle, Americans will have your back & the mightiest will see the way. This is how we start to heal the chasm in our nation. Release the Epstein files!'
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was a little more skeptical.
'The vote is to compel YOU to release them. Let’s make this easier. Just release the files now,' he wrote.
So far, none of the Republicans who publicly backed releasing the files have commented, but Nancy Mace pointedly shared a video of some of Epstein's victims urging Congress to take action and release all of the files related to his crimes.
'Shine a light into this darkness. Expose it all. I signed the discharge petition and I will vote to release the Epstein files,' wrote Mace.
Democrats and some Republicans have been pushing a measure that would force the Justice Department to make public more documents from the case.
The president's shift is an implicit acknowledgement that supporters of the measure have enough votes to pass the House, although it has an unclear future in the Senate.nt.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie introduced a discharge petition in July to force a vote on their bill
The bill would force the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison.
Information about Epstein's victims or ongoing federal investigations would be allowed to be redacted.
'There could be 100 or more' votes from Republicans, said Massie, among the lawmakers discussing the legislation on Sunday news show appearances.
'I'm hoping to get a veto-proof majority on this legislation when it comes up for a vote.'
That is a rarely successful tool that allows a majority of members to bypass House leadership and force a floor vote.
Speaker Mike Johnson had panned the discharge petition effort and sent members home early for their August recess when the GOP's legislative agenda was upended in the clamoring for an Epstein vote.
Democrats also contend the seating of newly-elected Adelita Grijalva was stalled to delay her becoming the 218th member to sign the petition and gain the threshold needed to force a vote.
She became the 218th signature moments after taking the oath of office last week.
Massie said Johnson, Trump and others who have been critical of his efforts would be 'taking a big loss this week.'
'I'm not tired of winning yet, but we are winning,' Massie said.
On the Republican side, three members of the GOP joined with Massie in signing the discharge petition: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.
Johnson seems to expect the House will decisively back the Epstein bill.
'We´ll just get this done and move it on. There´s nothing to hide,' adding that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been releasing 'far more information than the discharge petition, their little gambit.'
The vote comes at a time when new documents are raising fresh questions about Epstein and his associates, including a 2019 email that Epstein wrote to a journalist that said Trump 'knew about the girls.'
The White House has accused Democrats of selectively leaking the emails to smear the Republican president.
Johnson said Trump 'has nothing to hide from this.'
'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 association with Epstein is well-established and the president's name was included in records that his own Justice Department released in February as part of an effort to satisfy public interest in information from the sex-trafficking investigation.
The president has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and the mere inclusion of someone´s name in files from the investigation does not imply otherwise.
Epstein, who killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, also had many prominent acquaintances in political and celebrity circles besides Trump.
Even if the bill passes the House, there is no guarantee that Senate Republicans will go along. Massie said he just hopes Senate Majority Leader John Thune 'will do the right thing.'
'The pressure is going to be there if we get a big vote in the House,' Massie said, who thinks 'we could have a deluge of Republicans.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to Massie and Greene for comment.
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