MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump signs bill mandating release of Epstein files

The measure “affects” members of the Democratic Party “much more than the Republican Party,” Trump argued

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed legislation directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publicly release all files related to the case of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The move formally concludes a push by Congress for transparency that had put political pressure on the White House.

“I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES,” Trump announced on Truth Social, following the bill's overwhelming approval by Congress, where it passed the House 427-1 and was unanimously approved by the Senate on Tuesday. The measure, known as the “Epstein Files Transparency Act,” was formally sent to the President's desk on Wednesday morning.

In announcing the signing, President Trump intensified his focus on the Democratic Party, claiming the case “affects” members of the Democratic Party “much more than the Republican Party.”

He also linked the declassification push to what he called other “witch hunts and scams” against him, suggesting they were strategies aimed at distracting from his administration's work. Trump also accused the [former President Joseph] Biden administration of not turning over “a SINGLE file or page related to Democrat Epstein.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the bill’s passage a “good victory for victims, for the American people, for transparency,” stating that “Democrats fought and fought and fought to have this happen.”

The President's signature comes days after his sudden shift in position; he had previously opposed the proposal until the prior week. That reversal occurred shortly after a House committee released a batch of emails in which Epstein allegedly claimed Trump had “spent hours” with one of the victims and “knew about the girls.”

The passage of the bill brought expressions of relief and vindication from survivors of Epstein's abuse.