Donald Trump has declared he would sign legislation to release the Epstein files if everyone stopped talking about the child sex trafficker and focused on the president’s achievements instead.
One day after reversing course by telling House Republicans to vote to release the files so he could “move on” from the issue, the president was grilled in the Oval Office about how transparent he was willing to be.
Asked if he would sign a bill to release all the information the government had on Epstein if it passed the House and Senate, Trump—in a staggering about-face—replied: “I’m all for it.”
“They can do whatever they want. We’ll give them everything,” he added.
“Would you sign it if it came to your desk?” a reporter pressed him again.
“Sure, I would,” Trump replied.
“Let the Senate look at it, let anybody look at it. 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. The Democrats were Epstein’s friends and it’s a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax, and I really don’t want it taking away from, really, the greatness of what the Republican Party has accomplished for the last period of time.”
The dramatic change in tone comes after a turbulent week for the president, marked in part by Trump’s halting response to bombshell emails showing he may have known more about the convicted sex predator than he previously acknowledged.
But Trump has come under fire on other fronts too, with his MAGA base fracturing over everything from the “affordability” crisis, to his apparent betrayal of America First principals on issues such as skilled worker visas and Chinese students.
The president’s very public political breakup with MAGA firebrand and former Trump loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene was also another sign of his longtime support splintering.
The House was due to vote on Tuesday to release the files, with the likely support of dozens of Republicans breaking ranks with the president.
“There could be 100 or more,” GOP Congressman Thomas Massie said on Sunday, predicting a “deluge of Republicans” who could vote in favor of the Justice Department releasing all the files.
“I’m hoping to get a veto-proof majority on this legislation when it comes up for a vote.”
Faced with an embarrassing rebuke, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday night: “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax. I DON’T CARE! All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT.”
The president repeated the sentiment on Monday in the Oval Office, expressing frustration that the Epstein firestorm was taking oxygen from his achievements.
Citing files that were previously sought over the assassinations of John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr, he added: “Not to put Jeffrey Epstein in the same category, but no matter what we give, it’s never enough.”
“All I want is for people to recognize a great job that I’ve done: on pricing, on affordability, because we brought prices way down, but they will go way lower, on energy, on ending eight wars… and I hate to see that deflect from the great job we’ve done,” Trump said.
In response to the president saying he would be prepared to sign legislation to release the files, Massie, somewhat tongue in cheek, wrote on Twitter: “Looking forward to attending this bill signing.”
The post Trump Agrees to Release Epstein Files if Everyone Shuts Up appeared first on The Daily Beast.
