WASHINGTON ‒ President Donald Trump said he would sign a bill requiring the Justice Department to fully release the files connected to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation if the House and Senate approve the legislation.

“Sure I would,” Trump said on Nov. 17 from the Oval Office in response to a question from a reporter. “Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it.”

The House on Nov. 18 is set to vote on the Epstein files legislation, days after Trump dramatically changed his position by publicly urging House Republicans to back it. Trump had resisted the full release of the Epstein files for months. The bill, which appeared to already have enough votes for passage prior to Trump's flip, is now expected to pass the House by a wide margin.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has not committed to holding a Senate vote on the legislation, which would require the Justice Department to publish "all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials" in its possession connected to Epstein investigations.

While Trump said he's fine if the Epstein files are released, he advised Republicans in Congress not to "talk about it too much," arguing doing so distracts from Republican accomplishments.

"I don't want to take it away from us," Trump said. "It's really a Democrat problem. The Democrats were Epstein's friends. All of them. It's a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax. And I don't want to take it away from really the greatness of what the Republican Party has accomplished."

Under the legislation, the Justice Department would still be permitted to withhold certain documents from the Epstein investigation, such as personal information of victims and materials that could jeopardize an active federal investigation.

Trump last week ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Epstein's ties with Democrats including former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, venture capitalist Reid Hoffman and the bank JPMorgan Chase.

Epstein, a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, died by suicide in a federal prison in 2019. Trump and Epstein were friends during the 1990s and early 2000 before the two men had a falling out.

Emails from Epstein released last week by the Republican-led House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and separately by House Democrats, mentioned Trump by name.

In one of them, Epstein wrote of Trump, "I am the one able to take him down.” Epstein, in other emails released by House Democrats, said Trump "spent hours at my house" with one of Epstein's victims and "knew about the girls."

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Trump says he would sign bill requiring release of Epstein files

Reporting by Joey Garrison, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect