Washington, D.C. – In a stunning capitulation that exposes rare cracks in his iron grip on the Republican Party, President Donald Trump late Sunday night instructed House Republicans to support a bipartisan bill compelling the immediate, unredacted release of all federal investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex trafficker who died in custody in 2019.
The dramatic U-turn came just hours before a scheduled House vote on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, that could pass unanimously after Trump previously branded the push a “Democrat hoax” and dispatched top aides to pressure holdouts. Sources inside the Capitol describe frantic weekend calls from the White House, including threats from Attorney General Pam Bondi, failing to stop a mass GOP defection led by figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rep. Nancy Mace.
Trump posted on Truth Social: “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files because we have nothing to hide.” He simultaneously announced a new DOJ probe targeting Democrats linked to Epstein, attempting to reframe the narrative.
If the bill clears the House – now virtually assured – it heads to the Senate, where passage remains uncertain. Even without legislation, critics note Trump could order the release unilaterally, raising questions about why he resisted for months. Recent Oversight Committee releases of 50,000+ pages from Epstein’s estate already included emails insulting Trump and coordinating legal strategies with Ghislaine Maxwell.
Survivors and transparency advocates hailed the shift as a victory, while MAGA hardliners accused Trump of weakness. The vote, expected between 2-8 PM EST, marks one of the most humiliating retreats of his second term so far.
