Before the vote in the House of Representatives Trump makes a surprising U-turn in the Epstein case

dpa

17.11.2025 - 06:53

Trump now backs a vote on the Epstein files.
Trump now backs a vote on the Epstein files.
dpa

The case of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will not let go of the US President. Ahead of a vote in the House of Representatives, Trump gives surprising advice to his party.

DPA

No time? blue News summarizes for you

  • Donald Trump calls on the Republicans in the House of Representatives to vote in favor of the full release of the Epstein files
  • This is a U-turn by the President: Until now, he refused to disclose them and had little incriminating material published after taking office
  • Emails and photos continue to cast doubt on Trump's distance from Epstein - a vote is planned this week

US President Donald Trump is causing a stir a few days before an explosive vote in the House of Representatives. On his Truth Social platform on Monday night, he surprisingly called for the investigation files relating to the Jeffrey Epstein case to be released in full: "We have nothing to hide," Trump wrote with a view to his Republican majority in the House of Representatives.

Pressure on the president has been growing for months - including from within his own ranks. Members of the Maga movement, as well as moderate Republicans, are calling for the full disclosure of the files that have only been partially published to date. These include FBI investigation documents and court documents relating to an alleged abuse network that Epstein is said to have operated for years.

The fact that Trump is now taking his own party to task comes as a surprise to many. He had promised transparency during the election campaign - but once in office, only selected documents of little relevance followed. The political pressure has now increased, as recently published emails and images show that the president and Epstein may have been much closer friends than previously acknowledged.

Epstein case has been making headlines for months

Epstein was found dead in his cell in New York in 2019; the official conclusion of the authorities is Suicide. The financier had previously confessed to abusing underage women and passing them on to influential people. His abrupt death fueled speculation about a possible cover-up - also because dozens of high-ranking contacts from politics, business and the entertainment scene were linked to him.

Trump himself denies to this day that he had any close relationship with Epstein. However, several video recordings from the 1990s show the two men together at parties. When asked directly, the president has so far always resisted full access to the files.

This is now likely to change. Should the House of Representatives - as expected - support a corresponding cross-party motion this week, the way would be paved for publication. However, it would also need the approval of the Senate and ultimately Trump's own signature. It remains to be seen whether he will actually raise his hand in the event of an emergency.