Trump reverses course, signs Epstein Transparency Act into law
After months of calling the Epstein files 'a hoax' and fighting the discharge petition, Trump reverses course and signs the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law after it passes the House 427-1 and the Senate unanimously.
On November 19, 2025, President Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act (Public Law 119-38) into law, completing a dramatic reversal from months of opposition. The bill had passed the House 427-1 and the Senate unanimously — making it politically impossible to veto.
The Reversal
On Sunday night, November 16 — with the discharge petition already successful and a floor vote inevitable — Trump posted on Truth Social: “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.”
The message attempted to reframe the bill as consistent with his position rather than a defeat. But it stood in stark contrast to his July statements calling the files “boring,” branding them a “hoax,” and attacking supporters demanding transparency as “weaklings.”
The Votes
The House voted 427-1 on November 18, with Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) the sole dissenter, arguing the release risked exposing innocent witnesses and family members. Over 100 Republicans who had refused to sign the discharge petition nonetheless voted yes on the floor — demonstrating that opposition had been about protecting the president, not about substantive disagreement with transparency.
The Senate passed the bill unanimously on November 19, and Trump signed it later that day.
The Irony
Rep. Ro Khanna, co-author of the bill, observed that Trump “saw the math” and “caved to the coalition.” Rep. Thomas Massie noted the irony more bluntly: the administration had spent months fighting a bill that would pass with just a single opposing vote.
Speaker Mike Johnson, who had actively opposed the discharge petition, expressed being “deeply disappointed” by the outcome. The successful petition was later cited by CNN as “emboldening some Republicans to go it alone” on other issues, setting a precedent for cross-party procedural maneuvers against party leadership.
What the Act Required
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, modeled on the JFK Records Act, directed all federal agencies — including the DOJ, FBI, IRS, State Department, and intelligence agencies — to identify, collect, and publicly release records related to Jeffrey Epstein. It established a review board and set timelines for disclosure, with the first batch of files due within 30 days.