Washington, DC [US], November 17 : US President Donald Trump has urged House Republicans to vote in favour of releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, calling the controversy a "Democrat hoax" and accusing his opponents of using the case to distract from Republican policies.
In an elaborate statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said that Republicans "have nothing to hide" and should move ahead with the vote expected this week.
"As I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, 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, including our recent Victory on the Democrat "Shutdown."
This marks a sharp shift, as Trump had earlier criticised calls, including from some Republicans, to release all case documents related to Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019.
Trump said the Department of Justice had already released "tens of thousands" of pages linked to Epstein and argued that Democrats were trying to target Republican leaders while ignoring figures such as Bill Clinton and others he named.
He urged his party to refocus on issues like inflation, immigration and the economy instead of what he called the "Epstein trap."
"Let's start talking about the Republican Party's Record Setting Achievements, and not fall into the Epstein "TRAP," which is actually a curse on the Democrats, not us, " Trump wrote in the post.
The US House of Representatives is expected to vote in the coming days on whether to release additional sealed files and investigative documents related to Epstein's network, CNN reported.
The vote follows months of delays and disagreements within the Republican Party, with some members demanding full transparency and others cautioning against releasing sensitive information.
Meanwhile, survivors of Epstein's abuse have launched a last-minute, emotional campaign urging lawmakers to release the files.
A public service announcement created by the advocacy group World Without Exploitation was released on Sunday, featuring survivors holding photos of themselves as teenagers, the age at which they say Epstein first targeted them.
"I suffered so much pain," several survivors say through tears, before revealing they were 14, 16 or 17 when they met Epstein.
"There are about a thousand of us," one survivor says. Another adds: "It's time to bring the secrets out of the shadows, " CNN quoted.
The video has intensified public pressure on House Republicans ahead of the vote, with survivors saying full transparency is essential for accountability.
The Epstein files issue has become a point of political friction in Washington. While Democrats have pushed for full disclosure, Trump now says the matter is being used as a political weapon and insists Republicans should "move on" and highlight their achievements.