Trump accused of panicking after he backs the release of Epstein files

A top Democrat has accused Donald Trump of “panicking” after the US president told his fellow Republicans in Congress to vote for the release of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in a sudden reversal of his earlier position.

- Joseph Gedeon Washington Oliver Holmes

Robert Garcia, the most senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, which released a tranche of new Epstein documents last week, said Trump “has tried everything to kill our Jeffrey Epstein investigation”.

“Now [Trump’s] panicking and has realised he is about to lose this Epstein vote to force the Department of Justice to release the files,” Garcia said in a statement.

“Let's be crystal clear: Trump has the power to release all the files today. But instead he wants to continue this cover-up and launch bogus new investigations to deflect and slow down our investigation. It won't work. We will get justice for the survivors.”

Trump’s post on his Truth Social website declaring he now wanted the House to vote in favour of releasing justice department documents in the Epstein case came after the House speaker, Mike Johnson, said previously that he believed a vote should help put to rest allegations “that he [Trump] has something to do with it”.

Late on Sunday, Trump wrote: “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files because we have nothing to hide.” He added: “And it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party.”