'Nothing to hide': Trump wants Epstein files released

US president performs major U-turn after email revelations

- JAMES C. REYNOLDS ALASTAIR JAMIESON

Donald Trump has staged a major U-turn and urged Republicans in Congress to back the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

The US president said House Republicans should drop their opposition to a vote on the issue “because we have nothing to hide”, amid renewed scrutiny over his relationship with the late billionaire sex offender.

A petition forcing a vote on the release of Justice Department documents gained enough support last week to move forward, backed mostly by Democrats, with limited support from Republicans.

The push for transparency followed the release earlier this month of emails between Epstein and his vast network of contacts. Among them was one message showing the disgraced financier believed Mr Trump “knew about the girls”, though it was not clear what that phrase meant.

Although Mr Trump and Epstein were photographed together decades ago, the president has always maintained the pair fell out before Epstein’s convictions. Mr Trump had long dismissed the files as a political distraction and accused the Democrats of pushing a “hoax”. But continued voter outrage has piled pressure on politicians to act, forcing open a rift between Mr Trump and some allies in Congress.