Outcry over the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files includes calls by leading Missouri Republicans for the president to order the release of as much documentation as possible to put the issue to rest.
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley told KMOV-TV on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration should “release everything they can.”
“Whatever is not under court order and sealed,” he said. “And personally, I think they ought to go to court and ask the court to unseal everything possible. That’s the right course here. Let’s have transparency and get everything out in the public.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison said last week that the American people are “sick and tired of being lied to by their government or the government holding these secrets that they deserve to know the truth on.”
He noted that Trump promised a release of files pertaining to Epstein during his successful campaign last year. He told Missourinet he would support a special prosecutor or congressional investigation into the Epstein files.
In a statement released on social media, Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Alford called the ordeal an “unfortunate sideshow” that should not be allowed to “tarnish the legacy of the greatest president of my lifetime.”
He urged U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to release any files in the Department of Justice’s possession, “including the underlying evidence that led to the memo stating that a so-called ‘client list’ does not exist.”
Not everyone is so eager to push Trump to release more information about Epstein.
U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt said in January that the DOJ should open up all its files, saying at the time: “Hell yeah. Open it up. Release the Epstein files… Let’s get some answers.”
But in an interview with Politico last week, Schmitt was more reserved when asked if the administration should release more information about Epstein.
“I don’t know what they have,” Schmitt said. “I don’t know what they don’t have. When you’re making a charging decision, obviously you’re basing it on the information that’s in front of you. It’s just hard for me to opine on it.”
Schmitt’s change of tone matches the president, who over the years has stoked conspiracies about Epstein and told Fox News during the 2024 campaign that he would declassify files related to the investigation.
Epstein was known for socializing with politicians and celebrities. That includes Trump, who was close to Epstein throughout the 1990s but reportedly had a falling out with him over a real estate deal in 2004.
“I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,” Trump told New York magazine in 2002. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”
Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein case, and has said he had “no idea” that Epstein was abusing young women.
Epstein pleaded guilty to a felony prostitution charge in 2008 after federal prosecutors agreed not to charge him with sex trafficking of minors. He served 13 months in jail and was required to register as a sex offender.
In 2019, the Justice Department charged Epstein with sex trafficking minors, including sexually exploiting and abusing dozens of girls in New York and Florida between 2002 and 2005. He died by hanging himself in a Manhattan jail cell, an autopsy concluded.
Earlier this year, Bondi told Fox News that Epstein’s client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review.” But months later, the Trump administration reversed course, releasing a memo that concluded there was “no incriminating client list” or evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent people.
The memo sparked a huge backlash among Trump’s MAGA base, who saw the move as a betrayal. It also inspired a bipartisan push to force the administration to act, most notably a nonbinding resolution sponsored by Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California.
In response to the criticism, Trump recently called for a federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in Epstein’s sex trafficking case — far short of the demands from his MAGA supporters to release all investigative records.
On Friday, Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch after the newspaper published a story reporting on his alleged ties to Epstein.
