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Donald Trump’s image is projected alongside a photo of Jeffrey Epstein on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce building across from the White House in Washington on July 18, urging the president to “release all Epstein files.” / AFP·Yonhap News

The U.S. House of Representatives on November 18 overwhelmingly passed a bill requiring the release of all federal records related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, leaving only President Donald Trump’s signature before the measure becomes law. The House approved the legislation by a vote of 427–1, while Senate leaders agreed to pass it without floor debate or roll-call voting.

The near-unanimous support was fueled in part by President Trump’s post on Truth Social on November 16, in which he urged Republican lawmakers to vote in favor. Trump has long dismissed the push for disclosure as a Democratic “hoax,” but observers say he shifted his stance as signs of internal GOP defections mounted.

Epstein, who maintained extensive social networks with global political and financial elites—including Trump and former President Bill Clinton—died by suicide in jail in 2019 before his trial began. Conspiracy theories have persisted for years, claiming he was murdered to silence him about a “client list” tied to the trafficking of underage girls.

The possibility that the file release may include information involving Trump has kept political pressure on the White House, contributing, analysts say, to his declining job-approval rating.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,017 U.S. adults conducted November 14–17, Trump’s approval dropped from 40 percent earlier this month to 38 percent, the lowest level of his second term. Reuters reported that dissatisfaction with the administration’s handling of the Epstein investigation, combined with soaring living costs, dragged down the numbers.

Following the House vote, Trump highlighted his accomplishments on Truth Social—including his tax package known as the One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBBA), border closures, a ban on transgender women in female sports, the rollback of DEI programs, the halting of eight global conflicts, record inflation control, and trillions in new investment—saying he “didn’t care” when the Senate passed the bill.

During a meeting at the White House with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump again insisted he had “nothing to do with Epstein,” adding that he expelled Epstein from his club “long ago” because he believed he was a “sick pervert.” Trump reiterated his claim that the controversy is a Democratic “hoax.”