Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to release concealed documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, marking a significant break in support from an otherwise staunch Republican ally.
Johnson’s call on the podcast comes days after Trump blamed Democrats for the creation of the Epstein files and attempted to shut down demands for their release.
Conspiracies around Epstein’s 2019 death and potential evidence in his criminal case continue to swirl, as his administration refuses to share the so-called files.
The president’s see-sawing approach to the Epstein inquiry is causing a rift between his supporters, including Johnson, who on Tuesday called on Trump to deliver on his promise to expose the full scope of Epstein’s criminality, which the president himself has campaigned to uncover.
Musk says Trump ‘is in the Epstein files’ amid escalating feud
“It’s a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it,” Johnson said during an interview with right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson on Tuesday.
“I agree with the sentiment that we need to put it out there,” he continued, adding that Attorney General Pam Bondi needs to explain why she had not presented Epstein-related documents she had previously said were “sitting on my desk.”
“She needs to come forward and explain that to everybody,” he continued. “We need the DOJ focusing on the major priorities. So let’s get this thing resolved.”
Despite growing tensions between the president and some high-level supporters, their willingness to criticize him was not reflected in a vote brought by Democrats to change legislation in a manner that would legally require the government to make the Epstein files public.
The result was 211 to 210. One Republican vote could have tipped the scale in favour of releasing the files. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right Georgia Republican who has been vocal about the release of the files, voted against the legislation.
According to NBC, she said she wanted a private viewing of the Epstein files and had previously advocated for them to be released to the public.
“I’d like to see all the information come out,” she said.
Despite losing the vote, Democrats appear to be latching onto the scandal by demanding that the records be released and trolling Republicans on social media, news shows and in the U.S. House, with some noting the president’s connection to Epstein.
“Wonder why we’re not getting that list,” the anti-Trump Lincoln Project posted on X with a photo of Trump and Epstein together. Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein socially in the 1990s but said they had a “falling out” many years ago.
GOP members of the House have voted to block the release of the Epstein files. Hold them accountable. Never stop demanding the truth.
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 15, 2025
“You guys are tying yourself into knots trying to find a way to avoid dealing with this issue,” Massachusetts Democrat Jim McGovern told Republicans.
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump attempted to consolidate Republican support:
“The Radical Left Democrats have hit pay dirt, again! Just like with the FAKE and fully discredited Steele Dossier, the lying 51 ‘Intelligence’ Agents, the Laptop from Hell, which the Dems swore had come from Russia (No, it came from Hunter Biden’s bathroom!), and even the Russia, Russia, Russia Scam itself,” he wrote.
“… These Scams and Hoaxes are all the Democrats are good at,” Trump continued.
“They are no good at governing, no good at policy, and no good at picking winning candidates. Also, unlike Republicans, they stick together like glue. Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bulls–t,’ hook, line, and sinker.”
Where are the Epstein files?
For months, top officials in the U.S. administration, including Bondi, have promised to share new information detailing the former financier’s criminal activity, but they have yet to drop any files that weren’t already known to the public.
Last week, Bondi, after repeatedly promising to share Epstein’s “client list,” denied its existence and ruled his death a suicide, while multiple unproven theories to the contrary still float around the internet.
The announcement marked a public U-turn, and the president later came to Bondi’s defence by attempting to downplay the whole ordeal: “Are people still talking about this guy, this creep?” he asked.
On Saturday, Trump shifted gears. Instead of attempting to quash the narrative, he blamed his political adversaries for the existence of the Epstein files in their entirety, writing on Truth Social, “Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration?”
“They created the Epstein Files,” he wrote.
The online reaction was swift, with followers demanding transparency and calling Trump “out of touch,” according to the Associated Press.
On Tuesday, while returning to Washington from a brief Pittsburgh trip, Trump again attempted to quell the uproar by saying the Epstein case was “pretty boring” and that “the credible information has been given.”
“I don’t understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody,” he added.
“Epstein files” is a general term referring to legal documents evidencing Epstein’s criminal activity, such as court filings and depositions.
— With files from The Associated Press