President Trump Signs Bill to Release Epstein Files
20th Nov. 2025
On November 19, 2025, President Donald Trump announced that he had signed a bill ordering the full release of all federal files related to the Jeffrey Epstein. The move marked a sharp reversal for the Trump, who had previously resisted disclosing the materials. Yet mounting pressure from Epstein’s victims and senior Republicans ultimately pushed him to endorse the legislation.
Under the new law, the Justice Department must publish all Epstein-related investigative records in a “searchable and downloadable” format within 30 days. These materials include internal communications, interviews with victims and witnesses, flight logs, and seized documents. However, officials may still withhold information that infringes on personal privacy, jeopardises active investigations, or exposes victims.
How Congress Backed Trump’s Decision to Release Epstein Files?
Although the president could have released the files without congressional approval, lawmakers moved quickly to codify the requirement. The House approved the measure in a lopsided 427–1 vote, while the Senate granted unanimous consent the following day. Consequently, the bill arrived on Trump’s desk with rare bipartisan momentum.
After signing it, Trump accused Democrats of using the issue to divert attention from what he described as his administration’s accomplishments. He also suggested the disclosures might reveal damaging information about his political opponents.
The forthcoming files differed from the more than 20,000 pages released by Congress last week. Those documents included 2018 messages from Epstein claiming he could “take down” Trump and alleging he knew “how dirty Donald is.” Epstein and Trump were friends for a long time, but the president says they fell out in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein was first arrested. Trump has always said that he didn’t do anything wrong with Epstein.
Meanwhile, the political fallout continues. Trump told reporters that Epstein’s connections were “a Democrat problem”. His network included figures such as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, Bill Clinton, and many more. Later on Wednesday, Former Harvard president Larry Summers took leave from teaching, as universities were reviewing his link with Epstein.
Attorney General Pam Bondi now faced the task of releasing all records tied to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. However, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie warned that new federal investigations could be used to justify withholding certain materials, raising concerns about the law’s implementation.
Who was Jeffrey Epstein?
Jeffrey Epstein was an American Financier and a sex offender who was convicted of exploiting underage girls. Earlier, he was convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor in prostitution, but after only 13 months, he was released due to his connections. In 2019, he was arrested again on federal charges of sex trafficking with children. But he died in jail the same year, and it’s not clear if he killed himself.
Web Resources on Releasing of Epstein Files
1. Reuters.com: Trump signs bill to release Epstein files
2. BBC.com: Trump signs bill ordering justice department to release Epstein files
3. CNN.com: Trump signs bill directing DOJ to release Epstein case files
4. Truth Social Post by Donald Trump