With The Bill Signed, Trump Sets 30-Day Countdown on Epstein File Release

The House voted overwhelmingly this week to require the Justice Department to release the files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The measure gained momentum after months of internal Republican resistance and a discharge petition backed by all House Democrats and four Republicans. 

The vote followed the Oversight Committee’s release of documents referencing President Donald Trump, prompting bipartisan calls for full transparency. Trump then publicly shifted his position on Truth Social, urging Republicans to support the bill and saying they had “nothing to hide.” The Senate passed the bill unanimously, sending it to the president.

President Donald Trump signed the legislation on Wednesday, directing the Justice Department to release documents from its long-running investigation into Epstein, Reuters reported. The release is expected to offer new insight into Epstein’s activities and associations dating back to his 2008 conviction.

According to Reuters, Trump had previously encouraged Republican lawmakers to oppose the measure, warning that the broad release of investigative records could set a precedent he viewed as damaging to the presidency. He reversed course once bipartisan support made the bill’s passage inevitable.

In a Truth Social post celebrating the signing, Trump wrote “Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed, because I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!”

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Justice Department will follow the law’s 30-day timeline for releasing the material. “We will continue to follow the law and encourage maximum transparency,” she said at a press conference, while noting that the release will exclude victims’ personal information and material that could jeopardize an active investigation, as permitted under the legislation.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 20% of Americans approve of Trump’s way of  handling the Epstein case. Despite political divides, a large majority—87% of Democrats and 60% of Republicans—believe the government is withholding information about Epstein’s associates.

Courts have previously rejected attempts to unseal grand jury records tied to Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence.

As the 30-day deadline begins, the upcoming release is expected to intensify public scrutiny of Epstein’s network and the government’s handling of the case, even as significant portions of the files may remain confidential under federal law.