House Set to Vote on Epstein Files After Trump’s Stunning Reversal

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote today on legislation that would compel the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publicly release an extensive collection of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a vote that follows a remarkable political reversal by President Donald Trump.

After months of public and private opposition, and after the bill's sponsors successfully gathered enough signatures for a procedural maneuver to force the vote, President Trump unexpectedly announced over the weekend that he now supports the measure and would sign it into law if it reaches his desk.

The legislation in question, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, introduced by Democratic Representative Ro Khanna and Republican Representative Thomas Massie, would require the DOJ and the FBI to make public all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in their possession concerning Epstein within 30 days of the bill becoming law.

The push for the vote gained unstoppable momentum last week when a newly sworn-in Democratic representative signed the discharge petition, ensuring a majority of the 435-member House would move the bill to the floor, despite resistance from the Republican House leadership.

Faced with an inevitable and likely overwhelming bipartisan vote, President Trump publicly dropped his objections on Sunday, stating on his social media platform that Republicans should vote to release the files because "we have nothing to hide," while also dismissing the entire controversy as a "Democrat Hoax" designed to distract from his administration's successes.

The President's sudden change in stance comes after his administration had previously resisted calls to release the files, leading to a rare but notable fissure within his own Republican base, where many key supporters demanded full transparency on the case.

The recent release of a separate tranche of documents by the House Oversight Committee, which included emails suggesting Epstein believed the President "knew about the girls," further amplified the pressure on the White House to act.

Although the White House has denied any evidence of presidential wrongdoing in the documents, the House vote is now expected to pass easily, potentially with near-unanimous support. If the House approves the legislation, it will move to the Senate, where it will still require 60 votes to overcome a filibuster before it can be sent to the President for his signature.

Sources: The Guardian, The Associated Press, CBS News, The Times of India