The Latest Way Trump May Seek to Avoid Releasing All the Epstein Files

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Nov 19, 2025

*WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 17: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a meeting on November 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)*

There has been no clear reporting today on when exactly President Trump intends to sign the bill that will give the DOJ the green light to release the files it has on investigations into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

On Wednesday, the Senate approved the measure that had passed the House Tuesday, designed to compel the release of the documents. What was once a long shot bipartisan effort started by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), with very little support from Republicans, turned into a successful measure that passed the House with near unanimous support from all Democrats and Republicans present to vote (only one Republican voted against it).

That shift in the headwinds was prompted by President Trump who, as we’ve been discussing for the past week, went from actively trying to convince some of the House Republican women who signed Massie’s discharge petition to remove their names from the document — once it had 218 signatures it triggered a floor vote in the House and Trump did not want that to happen — to encouraging everyone in his party to pass the bill that would force him to release the Epstein files.

Trump’s transformation on the topic, if we even want to call it that, was mostly an effort to make it appear publicly like he was always on board with being forced by Congress to do something that he could’ve easily done without forcing Congress to force him to do it — if he wanted to.

So now the bill will make its way to Trump’s desk. He has said that he will sign the legislation this week. But it seems like at least one layer of Trump’s attempted public bamboozlement on the matter might allow him to release only part of the DOJ’s tranche of Epstein material.

There is a provision reportedly worked into the measure that lawmakers passed this week that allows some records to be withheld, such as those that are classified, reveal the identity of victims or contain images of child sex crimes. It also permits documents to be withheld if their release might threaten the work of an active federal investigation.

That last provision adds another layer of bleakness to Trump’s demand last Friday that Attorney General Pam Bondi immediately open an investigation into prominent Democrats’ and other institutions’ alleged ties to Epstein. As the New York Times noted:

Moreover, Mr. Trump demanded that the Justice Department launch an investigation into Democrats mentioned in some of the emails turned over by the Epstein estate. Ms. Bondi quickly said she had started the investigation. That could give the administration another reason to withhold documents.
A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on whether officials would use that investigation as a reason to decline to release additional documents.

Within days of Bondi promising a new federal investigation, Trump had his dramatic (supposed) change of heart on how Congress should vote.

— Nicole LaFond

An Old Election Conspiracy Theory is Dusted Off in Texas

An old 2020 election conspiracy theory about supposedly dangerous voting machines has been resurrected by Texas Republicans, who are once again pushing for a hand count of ballots in next year’s primary elections.

The Republicans who are pushing for a hand-count claim, without evidence, that voting machines are not to be trusted. It’s a conspiracy theory we have heard countless times from Donald Trump and his allies since the 2020 election.

A hand-counting tabulation system for ballots, as TPM has previously reported, is both error-prone and incredibly inefficient. It’s a system that, if implemented, will also be costly because it may force election workers to be on duty for up to 36 hours, per reporting from NBC News.

More broadly, though, it’s a system based solely on hairbrained conspiracy theories about hacked voting machines. These conspiracies have been debunked time and time again.

— Khaya Himmelman

Accused Domestic Abuser May Face Censure

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is planning to force a vote on censuring Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) who has been accused of domestic abuse, threatening to share revenge porn and financial misconduct, among other things, Axios reported. Her censure resolution would outline the allegations against Mills. She has also reportedly written to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) requesting that the Florida Republican be removed from his position on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees.

Other Republican women have called for Mills to face consequences as well. Fellow Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has said that he should not seek reelection and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has said there should be disciplinary action taken against the congressman.

— Nicole LaFond