Trump and Johnson likely doomed in effort to stop Epstein files vote
Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-Ky.) discharge petition on releasing the Epstein files is all but certain to force a House vote by the end of this month — even if no additional Republicans sign on.
The battle over the Jeffrey Epstein files is heading toward a decisive showdown in the House of Representatives, led by Representative Thomas Massie.
Massie’s petition, aimed at compelling Congress to release the sealed Epstein documents, has garnered 216 signatures to date. Nearly the entire Democratic caucus has rallied behind him, joined by four Republicans: Greene, Boebert, Mace, and Massie himself. He is only two votes short of overriding the leadership and bringing the issue to the floor.
These two votes are virtually guaranteed thanks to the by-elections. James Walkinshaw, in Virginia’s 11th District, and Adelita Grijalva, in Arizona’s 7th District, both Democrats running in heavily Republican districts, are expected to win easily. Their campaigns have confirmed that they will sign the petition immediately upon taking office.
This scenario frightens Republican leaders. House Speaker Mike Johnson has clearly expressed his opposition to the initiative, arguing that it undermines his authority. Behind the scenes, the White House is urging Republicans not to sign on, and Trump himself has dismissed these efforts as a diversion.
Yet the political situation remains murky. For years, conservative media outlets and lawmakers have suggested that Epstein’s network of influential friends benefited from a cover-up. Blocking the vote now could appear as a betrayal of their base. Moreover, Trump’s obstructionism has proven politically damaging in the past—just ask the Republicans who broke with him in 2021.
Some far-right figures, such as Representatives Luna, Burchett, and Norman, have chosen to withdraw, portraying the battle as a personal rivalry between Massie and Trump. Their absence, however, underscores Trump’s continued influence, even on the most populist fringes of the Republican Party.
Johnson could try to bury this measure. Earlier this year, he inserted procedural clauses into another bill to neutralize another petition calling for his release. Massie argues that this time things will be different, warning that the Epstein case is so high-profile—and so influential among voters—that it cannot be resolved quietly.
What happens next could present Republicans with a stark choice: transparency or Trump. Neither option is entirely satisfactory.
