The U.S. Congress has overwhelmingly approved a measure compelling the Justice Department to release all unclassified documents related to the case of Jeffrey Epstein. The move represents a rare moment of bipartisan alignment, especially given the political sensitivities surrounding the Epstein files. The House of Representatives voted 427–1 to advance the resolution, sending it to the Senate, which swiftly approved it. President Donald Trump, who had long resisted the measure, now plans to sign it.
The push to disclose the Epstein files gained momentum after months of public pressure and growing dissatisfaction among lawmakers and survivors. Outside the Capitol, around two dozen women who say Epstein abused them gathered with legislators from both parties to call for transparency. Many held photographs of themselves as teenagers, symbolising the age at which they encountered Epstein. When the House vote concluded, survivors in the public gallery applauded through tears, marking a significant moment in their years-long effort for accountability.
Trump’s abrupt reversal surprised even members of his own administration. According to officials familiar with the matter, the White House expected a slower progression through the Senate. The president has expressed frustration at renewed scrutiny on the Epstein case, at times lashing out at reporters and dismissing the subject as partisan manipulation. While insisting he had “nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump has also claimed he distanced himself from the financier years before Epstein’s arrest.
The controversy surrounding the Epstein files has also trump-encounters/">affected Trump politically. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found public approval of his handling of the matter at its lowest level this year. Even among Republican voters, fewer than half viewed his approach positively. Some of Trump’s allies in Congress have openly criticised the Justice Department’s reluctance to release records, with Representative Thomas Massie accusing officials of shielding powerful individuals linked to Epstein.
The issue has also strained relations between Trump and staunch supporters such as Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who said the president pressured her to withdraw support for the resolution. She ultimately voted in favour, standing alongside lawmakers from both parties and survivors demanding transparency. Their message, that the Epstein files must be released to reveal the full scope of the case, resonated across the political aisle.
Epstein’s death in 2019, ruled a suicide, has fuelled persistent speculation and public distrust. For many survivors and lawmakers, releasing the Epstein files is a crucial step toward restoring confidence in the justice system and ensuring all individuals connected to Epstein’s crimes are held to account.
