Republicans blocked Democratic push to release Epstein files once again

Republicans voted to delay the release of the Epstein files, defeating the opposition 51-49.

This is the third time that Senator Chuck Schumer’s amendment to the National Defence Authorization Act has been tabled.

Two Republicans broke ranks for the vote, joining their Democratic opposition. Both Senator Josh Hawley and Senator Rand Paul voted to release the files, potentially representing a centrist push from within the party.

Long overdue

Politicians and constituents have been clamouring for the files to be released. Still, President Donald Trump continues to delay and distract, claiming the files are “a hoax”, even though he claimed on the campaign trail in 2024 that he would declassify the files if elected.

Since his election, Donald Trump has been focused on diverting attention away from his well-documented relationship with Epstein. The U.S. President was publicly friends with the criminal financier in the 90s and early 2000s, before working to separate himself from the sex trafficker.

The Epstein files shot back into the media cycle in July 2025 after a report from the Wall Street Journal claimed that Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, informed President Donald Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in the government’s files on Jeffrey Epstein, reviewed by the FBI.

The White House claimed the story as “fake news” and has since avoided answering questions on the subject.

“There’s been so much lying, obfuscation, cover-ups — the American people need to see everything that’s in the Epstein file,” Schumer told reporters Wednesday.

On behalf of the GOP, Majority Leader John Thune called the vote a “political stunt” to be “disposed of” by Republicans.