President Donald Trump has abruptly reversed his position on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, now urging Republicans to support the move after previously pressing allies to back off. The reversal is seen as a rare instance of Trump being unable to control his Maga base, forcing him to accede to their demands.
Many Republicans are expected to support a vote in the US House this week to compel the Justice Department to release the files. Trump spent last week aggressively lobbying allies including Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace to drop their support, but the efforts failed. When it became clear the measure would pass, Trump backed it in an attempt to salvage political embarrassment, posting on Truth Social: 'House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide.'
The House Oversight Committee last week released documents from Epstein’s estate, including messages showing Epstein wrote that Trump knew of his conduct and that Trump ally Steve Bannon advised Epstein on rehabilitating his image. The release has increased scrutiny on Trump and built pressure to release all remaining government files on Epstein, which could be extensive given the number of federal investigations.
The issue has ignited a split between Trump and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has refused to blindly back him on the matter. Trump called Greene a 'traitor' over the weekend, prompting her to speak out against his rhetoric on CNN, warning it could radicalise people against her. She said she and her family had received hoax pizza deliveries and a pipe bomb threat directed at her construction company.
Greene has repeatedly called for the release of all files, stating, 'Just release it all, let the American people sort through every bit of it.' She stressed she still supports the president but condemned his language. Whether Trump’s reversal will quell the pressure remains uncertain.
