Donald Trump stated that House Republicans should vote to release the files in the Jeffrey Epstein case. This marks a surprising change for the president, who had previously opposed the proposal as support for it grew among his party members.

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Trump Now Wants The Release Of Jeffrey Epstein Files

President Trump shared his latest thoughts on the Jeffrey Epstein files late Sunday, asserting that it’s a “Democrat hoax.” He made this statement on social media after arriving at Joint Base Andrews following a weekend in Florida.

“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,” Trump wrote.

Moreover, Trump’s change of stance is a rare instance of the president reversing course due to opposition within the GOP. Throughout his return to office and during his second term, Trump has generally consolidated power within the Republican Party.

“I DON’T CARE!” Trump expressed in his social media post. “All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT.”

Lawmakers supporting the bill have predicted a significant victory in the House this week, with a “deluge of Republicans” expected to vote for it, defying both GOP leadership and the president. The bill’s future in the Senate remains uncertain.

What’s The Tea On The Bill?

In opposing the proposal, Donald Trump even reached out to two Republican lawmakers who signed it. One of them, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, met last week with administration officials in the White House Situation Room to discuss it.

To clarify, the bill would mandate the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Jeffrey Epstein, along with any information regarding the investigation into his death in federal prison. Information concerning Epstein’s victims or ongoing federal investigations could be redacted.

Similar to Trump, the White House has accused Democrats of selectively leaking emails to tarnish the Republican president’s image. Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stated that Donald Trump “has nothing to hide from this.”

“They’re doing this to go after President Trump on this theory that he has something to do with it. He does not,” Johnson said.

Johnson appears to anticipate that the House will decisively support the Epstein bill. “We’ll just get this done and move it on. There’s nothing to hide,” he added, noting that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been releasing “far more information than the discharge petition, their little gambit.”

Republican Catches Heat For Supporting Release Of Epstein Files

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., introduced a discharge petition in July to compel a vote on their bill. This is a rarely successful mechanism that allows a majority of members to bypass House leadership and force a floor vote. On the Republican side, three members joined Massie in signing the discharge petition: Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Rep Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert.

Trump has since engaged in a contentious dispute with Greene, who was once one of his staunchest supporters. On Friday, he withdrew his endorsement for her congressional career in a Truth Social post criticizing her performance. In a follow-up post this weekend, Trump labeled her a “traitor.”

Greene attributed her fallout with Trump as “unfortunately, it has all come down to the Epstein files.” She emphasized that transparency on this issue is essential and expressed confusion over Trump’s criticism since women she has spoken with claim he did nothing wrong.

“I have no idea what’s in the files. I can’t even guess. But that is the question everyone is asking: why fight this so hard?” Greene remarked.

What Do We Know About Trump & Jeffrey Epstein?

The vote on the bill arrives at a time when new documents are raising fresh inquiries about Epstein and his associates. Last week, a 2019 email written by Epstein surfaced, stating that Trump “knew about the girls.”

The connection between Trump and Epstein is well-documented. The president’s name appeared in records released by his own Justice Department in February as part of an effort to address public interest regarding information from the sex-trafficking investigation.

No allegations of wrongdoing have ever been made against President Donald Trump concerning Epstein. Furthermore, merely having someone’s name included in investigation files does not imply guilt. Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, had numerous prominent acquaintances across political and celebrity circles besides Trump.

RELATED: Donald Trump Flip-Flops On Release Of Jeffrey Epstein Files After Suggestive Birthday Letter Between Them Surfaces

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Chris Megerian and Michelle L. Price contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.