Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, speaks with reporters after a press conference along with victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 3, 2025.

WASHINGTON — With the House of Representatives all but certain to approve a measure this week that would force the Justice Department to release all of its records on disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, President Donald Trump had a sudden change of heart.

Trump reversed his position and gave his party permission to back the bill he spent months trying to bury and broke with a one-time ally over, saying on Monday that he had "nothing to do" with Epstein and telling lawmakers they "can do whatever they want."

"All I want is for people to recognize the great job that I've done," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "And I hate to see that deflect from the great job that we've done. So I'm all for it."

Trump also committed to signing the bill, if makes it through the Senate, removing another potential obstacle. The House is expected to vote on Tuesday afternoon. It's unclear when or how quickly the Senate would take it up.

The president's about-face was an acknowledgement of the stark political reality before him: scores of Republicans were preparing to vote for the bill that would require DOJ to make public every document it has on Epstein and his former girlfriend and associate Ghislaine Maxwell. A discharge petition ensuring a House vote received the necessary 218 signatures last week. Four of the signatories were Republicans.

When will the House vote on Epstein files bill?

The House will likely vote on the Epstein files in the afternoon or evening Tuesday. The bill that would compel DOJ to publish the documents is expected to pass the lower chamber with bipartisan support.

A specific time for the House's vote has not been scheduled as of Monday at 4:30 p.m.

It would still need to clear the Senate, where Democrats have a 47-seat minority. They would need the help of 13 Republicans to clear a filibuster.

– Zachary Schermele and Francesca Chambers

Jeffries: House vote will be 'strongly bipartisan,' likely 'veto-proof'

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of House Democrats, said Monday that Tuesday's vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act will be "strongly bipartisan" and "probably will be a veto-proof number."

The suggestion confirmed predictions of increasingly wide bipartisan support for the measure. Trump said Monday that he would sign the legislation if it passes Congress, meaning House lawmakes likely won't have to overcome a veto, which would require roughly 290 votes.

– Zachary Schermele

Trump says he would sign Epstein files bill if it passes Congress

President Donald Trump said Monday he would sign the Epstein files bill if it passes the House and the Senate.

“Sure I would,” Trump said from the Oval Office in response to a question from a reporter. “Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it.”

Trump added: “But don't talk about it too much, because honestly I don't want to take it away from us. It's really a Democrat problem."

– Joey Garrison

Epstein accuser Alicia Arden begs Congress to release Epstein files

Alicia Arden, who said she was assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein in 1997 in a Santa Monica hotel, begged members of Congress to vote to release the Epstein files.

"Speaking as a victim, I beg you to release these files, once and for all," Arden told reporters at a news conference Monday. "There is no valid reason not to do so. This should be a really easy bi-partisan issue. Why would there be a single "No" vote?"

Arden said the more accusers are denied the information in the files the more they assume politicians are trying to hide the information.

She said releasing the files will expose “who else helped Epstein and who else victimized so many children and adults.”

– Sarah D. Wire

Johnson says he talked with Trump 'quite a bit' about Epstein controversy

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, told CNN on Monday he'd spoken with Trump "quite a bit" recently about the bill to authorize the full release of the Epstein files.

Johnson said his support for the bill, expected to pass the House Tuesday, will be conditioned upon whether or not the Senate amends it to better protect victims' information from being disclosed to the public.

"That's part of the problem," he said, adding Trump has "never had anything to hide."

– Zachary Schermele

House Democratic whip predicts ‘overwhelming vote’ to release Epstein files

House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Massachusetts, said she believes Trump flipped his position on the House’s vote to release the Epstein files because he saw it was going to pass.

“I think he’s reading the politics and saying, ‘I’m going to lose this vote, I’m taking my vote to the Senate, and we’ll try to take down the temperature,’” Clark said in an interview on MS NOW. “But it is too late.”

After resisting the release of the Epstein files for months, Trump dramatically changed his tune late Sunday night by calling for House Republicans to vote for the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Clark predicted an “overwhelming vote” for the bill in the House.

“Most members see this for what it is: It is long past time that Donald Trump get out of the way of his own campaign promise and release these files,” Clark said. “This is about justice and transparency, and whatever the files hold, they hold.”

– Joey Garrison

Massie trolls Trump on Epstein files vote

Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky trolled Trump in an interview with POLITICO published Monday, saying the president changed his mind about supporting the full release of the Epstein files in order to avoid an embarrassing public rebuke from members of his own party in Congress.

"He got tired of me winning," Massie said.

In a subsequent social media post, the Kentucky Republican thanked the president for urging other GOP lawmakers to vote yes on the bill.

– Zachary Schermele

What is the House voting on concerning the Epstein files?

The Epstein Files Transparency Act would require the Department of Justice to publicly release all the unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials related to the investigation and prosecution of Epstein.

Any personal information of alleged victims would be withheld from the department in the release, as would information that could jeopardize active federal investigations. The DOJ would be required to report to Congress justifying the reason for any withheld information and redactions.

Under the proposed House bill, Attorney General Pam Bondi would have 30 days from when the Act passes to release all unclassified materials related to the convicted sex offender.

– Kathryn Palmer

Epstein survivors make last-minute push to convince House Republicans to release files

Days before the House is scheduled to vote, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein came together in a video calling on Congress to release the Epstein files.

“It’s time to bring the secrets out of the shadows,” one survivor said in the video. “It’s time to shine a light into the darkness.”

The survivors hold up photographs of themselves at the age they were when they met Epstein. Most are in tears just recounting their ages and looking at the photos.

“I suffered so much pain,” the survivors say through tears, before stating how old they were when they met the sex offender: 14, 16, 17. “This is me, when I met Jeffrey Epstein.”

“There are about a thousand of us,” one survivor says.

The public service announcement was created by World Without Exploitation, which fights against sexual exploitation. It was released Sunday evening and urges Americans to call their members of Congress.

– Sarah D. Wire

Lawmakers plan news conference with Epstein survivors

Rep. Ro Khanna, the lead Democrat on the bill, said Sunday that he would be holding a news conference with Epstein survivors at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday with Massie and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene ahead of the anticipated vote.

"This was disgusting. Epstein had set up a rape island where rich and powerful men were abusing young girls with impunity. And there are thousands of victims, and rich and powerful men still have buildings named after them, scholarships named after them," Khanna said on "Meet the Press" on NBC News. "This is not partisan. They all need to be held accountable. The Epstein class needs to go."

Khanna said he was hoping for at least 40 Republican votes in favor of the measure.

Trump trashes Greene over Epstein petition

Trump bashed Massie and disavowed Greene over the weekend, before he told Republicans they should vote for the Epstein bill.

He repeatedly called Greene a "traitor" and threatened her with a primary. She accused him of putting her life "in danger" in a Nov. 16 appearance on CNN's "State of the Union."

Trump hit back that evening and told reporters traveling with him from Palm Beach, Florida, back to Washington, "I don't think her life is in danger. Frankly, I don't think anybody cares about her."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump would sign Epstein files bill if it passes, House votes Tuesday. Latest updates.

Reporting by Francesca Chambers, Zachary Schermele, Joey Garrison and Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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