President Donald Trump is pressuring House Republicans to vote in favor of releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, calling the ongoing scrutiny a “Democrat Hoax” meant to damage the GOP. Trump’s comments came Sunday night on Truth Social, where he insisted Republicans “have nothing to hide” and should move forward.
The push follows newly surfaced emails from Democrats suggesting Trump may have interacted with some of Epstein’s victims. One email reportedly references an encounter involving Trump and a man nicknamed “Bubba.” Trump previously denied that Epstein-related files existed during his administration.
According to CNN, lawmakers are now positioned to force a House vote. GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California recently collected enough signatures for a discharge petition. Massie said as many as 100 Republicans may be willing to break with Trump, despite his attempts last week to discourage those supporting the petition.
Trump also stated he would direct the Justice Department to investigate Epstein’s ties to several high-profile Democrats, signaling his latest effort to counter the bipartisan push for full transparency.
The debate over releasing the files continues to split both parties, with Republicans weighing loyalty to the former president against growing public pressure for access and accountability. A House vote could come as early as this week.