Johnson flips on the Epstein files, saying Trump needs 'space.' [View all]

Source: The New York Times

Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday that he would not hold a House vote this summer on whether the Justice Department should release files related to the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, retreating from his demand last week that the material must come out.

Reacting to intense pressure from the angry MAGA base, Mr. Johnson had on Tuesday showed a rare glimpse of daylight between himself and Mr. Trump, who was imploring his supporters to move on from the matter.

“We should put everything out there and let the people decide,” Mr. Johnson had said on “The Benny Show” when asked about the Justice Department’s investigation into Mr. Epstein. “I agree with the sentiment that we need to — we need to put it out there.”

The Rules Committee, a powerful panel controlled by the speaker, had even approved a measure that would bring to the floor a resolution calling for the disclosures, though Republicans gave no timetable for voting on it.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/21/us/politics/mike-johnson-epstein-files-trump.html?smid=url-share