Top House Republican breaks with Trump over Epstein files

WASHINGTON

US House Speaker Mike Johnson called Tuesday for the release of documents related to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, breaking with President Donald Trump over an issue that has roiled his base.

"I'm for transparency," Johnson said in an interview with conservative podcast host Benny Johnson. "It’s a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it."

Johnson, a close Trump ally, added that Attorney General Pam Bondi "needs to come forward and explain" her conflicting statements about the so-called Epstein "client list."

"I agree with the sentiment that we need to put it out there," he said.

Johnson's remarks came days after Bondi, defending the Trump administration’s decision to close the matter, denied the existence of the list. Her earlier claim that the documents were sitting on her desk has fueled confusion and backlash among Trump’s MAGA base.

Despite his public stance, Johnson voted with Republicans to block a Democratic resolution that would have required the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all Epstein-related documents.

House Republicans voted 211–210 to block a Democratic motion that would have allowed a vote on Representative Ro Khanna’s measure to require the DOJ to publish the Epstein files within 30 days.

Democrats seized on the divide, calling for hearings and accusing Republicans of shielding the powerful.

“If you’re not hiding anything, prove that to the American people,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during a news conference Monday.

Trump defended Bondi, telling reporters at the White House on Tuesday that she "has handled that very well."

"She’s really done a very good job, and I think that when you look at that, you’ll understand it," he said, adding that "credibility is very important."

The Justice Department is also facing scrutiny over its release of surveillance footage from the night before Epstein’s death, after an analysis by the US magazine Wired of the metadata revealed the so-called “raw” video had been edited in Adobe Premiere Pro using at least two source files.