President Donald Trump’s newfound support for the House voting to release the Epstein files vote this weekend came as a surprise to many – and represents a rare instance where political externalities overpowered the president’s hopes to corral Republicans on a high-profile issue.

Four House Republicans, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert and South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace signed onto a discharge petition, giving the “Epstein Files Transparency Act” the votes to reach the House floor, despite the president’s protestations. That night, Trump changed his tune and called on House Republicans to vote to release the Epstein Files in a TruthSocial post. (RELATED: Trump Will Order DOJ To Investigate Epstein’s Links To Bill Clinton, Major Banks)

While many speculated about what caused Trump’s change of heart, two White House officials told the Caller the president’s chief opposition wasn’t to the release of the files themselves, but the opportunity for Democrats like Rep. Ro Khanna to weaponize the issue against him with the help of a Republican thorn in his side, Massie.

One White House official told the Caller that the president decided to call for Republicans to vote for the bill because he has nothing to hide, and did not want it to seem otherwise. Another White House official reinforced this point, echoing the president’s most recent comments on Monday that his administration has been transparent and now he wants to focus on base issues.

“His opposition had nothing to do with transparency,” the official told the Caller.

“He believed the Democrats were using the House vote as a weapon against him to distract from the many wins the Administration has had. There has been no change in his overall position, he has been urging transparency long before the Democrats even cared about this issue,” the official added.

The House of Representatives passed the “Epstein Files Transparency Act” on Tuesday and the bill will now move to the Senate. Trump recently indicated that he would sign the legislation if it reaches his desk.

A source close to the Hill told the Caller they wouldn’t be surprised if the Senate took action soon after the House vote. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that a vote on the bill could be taken up quickly, with possibly no amendments added given the overwhelming support for the House version.

“My assumption is that the president sounds like he’s prepared to sign it. So I assume it’ll move fairly quickly over here,” Thune said.

The Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent once it was received by the House on Tuesday evening following a request from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

One White House official told the Caller that the Trump administration has been releasing documents needed and subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee, which they say shows the White House’s commitment to transparency on the situation.

Another White House official rejected any rumor that the president’s TruthSocial post was a mere concession after it became clear the petition would pass the House by a large margin. The official also pointed to the White House’s work with the Oversight Committee to provide over 33,000 documents as proof that the president wants to assist in making the Epstein Files public.

(From L) Political commentator Rogan O’Handley, aka DC Draino, TikToker Chaya Raichik, US conservative activist Scott Presler, commentator Liz Wheeler and US conservative political commentator Chad Prather carry binders bearing the seal of the US Justice Department reading “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” as they walk out of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 27, 2025. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

The controversy around the Epstein files began in July after Axios published a memo from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announcing that their investigation found no evidence that convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein maintained a “client list” or was murdered in jail.

The memo came after the administration hyped up the release of the files. Attorney General Pam Bondi acknowledged earlier this year that she was reviewing a “client list” and a group of MAGA social media influencers received a “Phase 1” binder of Epstein files, many of which contained no new bombshells or were previously released.

At the time, administration officials told the Caller they were frustrated with the handling of the situation and seemed to point the blame at the DOJ for dropping the ball and  over-representing how much evidence they had to take down Epstein’s alleged child trafficking ring.

As debate over the release of the Epstein Files dragged on, Trump repeatedly called the situation a “hoax” as more Democrats used it to attack the administration’s supposed lack of transparency and alleged betrayal of the MAGA base.

“As I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat ‘Shutdown,'” Trump wrote in a Sunday night post on Truth Social.