Donald Trump is now calling on Republicans to vote in favor of releasing additional files from the Jeffrey Epstein case. This pivot is his best bet at neutralizing any political fallout from his relationship with Epstein.

As bipartisan criticism of the administration’s Epstein strategy mounted this year, Trump grew hostile, lashing out at those who pushed for more disclosure. Over the weekend, though, the President adopted a new message, writing 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 in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat ‘Shutdown.’”

Trump also said the DOJ is “looking at various Democrat operatives (Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, Larry Summers, etc.) and their relationship to Epstein, and the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to, I DON’T CARE!”

“All I do care about,” he added, “is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT,” naming causes like the economy, “affordability”, and a rebuilt military as more important priorities for his fellow Republicans. The new message, then, is this: release all the files because Trump did nothing wrong, Democrats will be implicated, and Republicans can focus on more important issues.

The question of whether Trump did anything wrong will certainly be tested by further disclosures, given what’s already emerged about his once-tight relationship with Epstein. The same is likely true for many high-profile figures on the Left. Over the past several months, it became clear that public concern over the Epstein case was strong enough that the political cost of Trump’s stonewalling outweighed any benefit of keeping the files sealed. Prominent Republicans such as Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie repeatedly pushed for greater transparency in Congress, while MAGA media figures continued keeping the case in the spotlight.

All that is to say, Epstein was going to be an issue for Trump whether he released the files or not. The choice was between more noise about what’s actually in the files or more noise speculating about what could be in the files.

The Epstein case is an instructive test of Trump’s base. As a candidate, he’s able to win over roughly half the electorate because many voters see Trump as the lesser of two evils. It’s true, as Trump himself has said, he could “shoot somebody” on Fifth Avenue and retain support. Partly, this is because a portion of his base is fiercely loyal to MAGA. But also, many voters, profoundly disillusioned with the political establishment, see Trump’s anti-establishment, wrecking-ball approach as worth taking a gamble on.

However, the Epstein case represents exactly the kind of establishment that Trump voters despise: corrupt political elites shielding — and possibly participating in — a sex-trafficking operation. This is why Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch MAGA loyalist, previously broke with Trump on the issue.

Trump therefore faces a choice. With full control of the government, it would be political malpractice for him to continue appearing guilty of a cover-up. Instead, he could position himself as the man who ended it, protecting himself, undermining Democrats, and shifting the narrative back toward his priorities.

Neither option is ideal, but the path Trump ultimately chose is clearly better than stonewalling, given how seriously the public takes the Epstein case. The ideal, of course, would be full disclosure and immediate accountability for everyone implicated in Epstein-related crimes. In 2025, however, everyone — including Trump — knows that’s far too much to expect from the American government.

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Emily Jashinsky is UnHerd‘s Washington correspondent.

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