The Trump administration spent weeks attempting to delay or block a congressional vote to compel the release of U.S. Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein, but lawmakers pressed forward, and the measure is now expected to reach President Donald Trump’s desk as early as Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
After months of bipartisan pressure, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, to declassify investigative documents tied to Epstein—the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who maintained connections with several prominent figures, including Trump himself. The Senate swiftly approved the measure soon after.
Epstein’s past friendship with Trump has continued to shadow the president’s second term, in part because Trump has fueled conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death and possible political coverups. Trump and Epstein socialized frequently during the 1990s and early 2000s before a reported falling-out.
Now, many of Trump’s supporters believe his administration has concealed key information about Epstein’s ties to powerful individuals and the circumstances of his 2019 death in a Manhattan jail—officially ruled a suicide during Trump’s presidency.
Despite the White House’s weeks-long effort to stall the legislation, Trump reversed course late Sunday night, publicly urging House passage. However, according to two individuals familiar with the matter, White House aides were simultaneously lobbying Senate leaders to amend the bill before final approval.
One source said the West Wing “leaned heavily on relationships with Senate leadership” in a last-minute but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to revise the House version.
Following Tuesday’s Senate vote, a senior administration official confirmed that Trump would sign the measure once it reaches his desk.
Tensions Within the GOP
The episode highlights growing limits to Trump’s influence within his own party. Despite direct lobbying, strategic delays, and even postponing the swearing-in of a newly elected Democrat, congressional Republicans moved forward against his wishes.
The dispute also coincides with a slump in Trump’s approval ratings. A recent national survey found that just 44% of Republicans approved of his handling of the Epstein issue. Meanwhile, 60% of Americans believe the federal government is concealing details about Epstein’s death, and 70% suspect it is withholding information about his associates—sentiments echoed by a majority of Trump’s base.
The controversy has also strained Trump’s relationship with key congressional allies, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who had been one of his staunchest defenders.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Trump’s hesitation stemmed not from opposition to releasing the files but from concerns over political distraction.
“President Trump has never been against releasing the Epstein files — rather, he has always been against Republicans falling into the Democrat trap of talking about this rather than focusing on the historic tax cuts signed into law, the fact that zero illegal aliens have entered our country in five months, and the many other accomplishments of the Trump Administration on behalf of the American people,” Jackson said.
White House Scrambles to Manage Fallout
Epstein pleaded guilty to a Florida prostitution charge in 2008, serving 13 months in jail. In 2019, federal prosecutors charged him with sex trafficking of minors, to which he pleaded not guilty before his death later that year.
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and so far, released investigative material has not revealed evidence directly implicating him. However, House Democrats recently publicized a 2019 email from Epstein claiming that Trump “knew about the girls,” a vague statement that reignited public scrutiny.
According to one administration source, White House officials spent the weekend preparing for a period of “messaging and management,” viewing the Senate as their last opportunity to shape the bill’s trajectory.
Internal memos circulated among Republican senators framed any delay as “responsible oversight,” advising members to emphasize “transparency” while pivoting discussions toward affordability and economic priorities.
By late Sunday, however, top aides reportedly concluded that the strategy had failed. “They pivoted from prevention to damage control,” one source said.
Trump’s reluctant concession on the Epstein files marks a rare defeat in his efforts to control the Republican legislative agenda. The fallout underscores both the limits of presidential influence and the enduring political potency of the Epstein scandal—an issue that continues to test public trust in U.S. institutions and the Trump White House alike.
