2:28President Donald Trump is seen speaking during a gathering with the White House group working on the 2026 FIFA World Cup within the Oval Office of the White House, Nov. 17, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP
On Monday, President Donald Trump stated that he would endorse a piece of legislation to mandate that the Department of Justice make public all documents concerning sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, if it were to reach his office.
"I fully support it," he declared while responding to questions from journalists during an event in the Oval Office, asserting that the controversy is diverting attention from the achievements of his administration.
When questioned again shortly afterward about whether he would approve the bill scheduled for consideration in the House on Tuesday, Trump responded: "Certainly, I would."
"Let it be scrutinized by the Senate. Allow everyone to examine it. However, let’s not dwell on it too much, as, frankly, I’d prefer it didn’t detract from our progress. It truly represents an issue for the Democrats," he commented.
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the White House task force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Oval Office of the White House, Nov. 17, 2025, in Washington.Evan Vucci/AP
These remarks were made following Trump’s abrupt shift on Sunday, urging House Republicans to vote in favor of releasing the documents, which contrasted with his month-long resistance to the initiative. Sources indicated that this resistance recently involved an attempt to dissuade GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert in the White House Situation Room from backing the discharge petition to compel a floor vote.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, a co-author of the law, stated earlier on ABC’s "This Week" that he anticipates 100 or more Republicans might vote to approve the release of the documents.
Following Trump’s announcement on Monday that he would approve the measure if it clears the Senate, Massie posted on X: "I’m eager to be present at the bill signing."
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., appears on ABC News’ “This Week” on Nov. 16, 2025.ABC News
However, questions linger about whether the complete files will be made public, even with Trump’s change of heart.
Should the bill pass the House, as anticipated, it would still need to go through the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune has not publicly promised to hold a vote. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, on NBC’s "Meet the Press" on Sunday, only mentioned that the Senate would "examine" what the House approves.
"I’m uncertain about the existing evidence,” Barrasso stated. "What I am aware of is that the House will vote this week to try to reach a decision, and we shall see if they send something to the Senate. And if they do, we will review it. However, we seek transparency and accountability. I also know that Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted sex offender and is deceased. And President Trump expelled him from Mar-a-Lago 21 years prior."
Moreover, a fresh Department of Justice probe, requested by Trump, has commenced into connections between Epstein and prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton.
In his social media post on Sunday, advocating that Republicans vote to release the documents, Trump notably added that the House Oversight Committee "can access anything they are legally entitled to."
The controversy surrounding the Epstein situation arose in July when the Department of Justice and FBI issued a memo indicating they intended to make no further public statements regarding their review of Epstein’s case, and no additional charges were anticipated since they "did not discover information that could warrant an investigation against uncharged third parties."
The previous week, House Democrats released emails from the Epstein estate that mentioned Trump by name several times. In one email, written in 2011, Epstein referred to Trump as the "dog that hasn’t barked" and told accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell that an alleged victim had "spent hours at my house" with Trump.
Trump, who maintained a friendly relationship with Epstein for many years, mentioned after Epstein’s arrest in 2019 that they had not communicated in over a decade after experiencing a disagreement. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the newly disclosed emails the previous week, asserting that they "prove nothing beyond the fact that President Trump did not engage in any wrongdoing."
On Monday, Trump stated that his administration has already provided House committees with tens of thousands of documents and reiterated that the Epstein situation is a "hoax."
"It mirrors the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax as it relates to the Republicans. At present, I believe that numerous individuals we mentioned are under serious examination concerning their association with Jeffrey Epstein, but they were constantly with him. I was not involved at all, and we’ll observe the outcome," Trump stated.
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the White House task force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Oval Office of the White House, Nov. 17, 2025, in Washington.Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
On Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson persisted in voicing reservations about the legislation aimed at compelling the release of the files and mentioned that he has spoken to Trump "extensively" on the topic.
"His own words convey the message," Johnson remarked. "He lacks any secrets and never has. He and I shared the same concern, aiming to ensure that victims of these egregious crimes receive complete protection from disclosure. There are individuals who prefer their names to remain private, and I’m uncertain whether the discharge petition effectively addresses this, contributing to the issue."
Johnson later indicated that he anticipates a "substantial vote count" in favor of the measure in the House.
When questioned by ABC News’ Rachel Scott about why the president shouldn’t preempt the vote and release the documents himself, Johnson insisted that Trump supports "utmost transparency" on the matter.
"He is directing Congress to take action. I’m unsure what further steps he could take to demonstrate transparency," Johnson stated.
Following Trump’s reversal on the House vote, Democrats on Capitol Hill suggested that he could immediately release the files on his own.
"He has advocated for the House to vote in favor, and I hope the House will do so expeditiously, but he could resolve all issues instead of simply urging the House to vote in favor," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer mentioned during a news conference in Saratoga, New York. "Release them. Make them public now."
ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart and Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
