Trump Greenlights Epstein File Release After Intense Public Pressure: A Major Policy Reversal

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US President Donald Trump has signed legislation ordering the justice department to release documents from its investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The files are eagerly sought by both his political opponents and members of his own base who have pressed for greater transparency in the case.

The material could shed more light on the activities of Epstein, who socialised with Trump and other notable figures before his 2008 conviction on charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution.

The scandal has been a thorn in Trump’s side for months, partly because he amplified conspiracy theories about Epstein to his own supporters.

Many supporters of former President Trump believe that his administration may have concealed connections between Jeffrey Epstein and influential individuals, as well as obscured details surrounding Epstein’s death. Epstein’s demise was officially ruled a suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

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Trump has accused the Democrats of exploiting the Epstein scandal as a political tool to distract from his administration’s achievements and to draw attention away from what he describes as significant victories in Republican policy.

He portrayed Epstein as a Democratic ally and said the upcoming document release would expose “their associations” with him.

“Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed,” he wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday.

At a news conference earlier in the day, attorney general Pam Bondi confirmed the justice department will release its Epstein-related material within 30 days, as required by legislation passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Senate on Tuesday.

“We will continue to adhere to the law and promote maximum transparency,” expressed Bondi.

Danielle Bensky, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein, addressed the public ahead of a House vote concerning the release of files related to the case. She spoke at a news conference alongside other survivors.

The release of files, however, may not be comprehensive, because the legislation passed by Congress allows the justice department to hold back personal information about Epstein’s victims and material that would jeopardise an active investigation.

Only 20 per cent of Americans — including just 44 per cent of Republicans — approve of how Trump has handled the Epstein case, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll suggested.

Some 70 per cent of poll respondents — including 87 per cent of Democrats and 60 per cent of Republicans — said they believed the government was hiding information about Epstein’s clients.

Trump last week ordered the agency to investigate several Democratic figures who associated with Epstein, and officials could decide not to release any information tied to those people.

The justice department regularly cites the need to protect ongoing investigations when withholding information from the public.

— With additional reporting by the Associated Press.