US President Donald Trump appeared to have a major change of heart this week calling for the release of the Epstein files and insisting that his government had “nothing to hide”. The call to action came days after Democrats sparked renewed debate after releasing new emails from late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Survivor Lisa Phillips however contended on Tuesday that there were many others beyond Trump that “needed to be held responsible”.
Phillips is among the many others who has sought the full release his case files ahead of a scheduled vote on a bill on the matter in US Congress on Tuesday. She had suffered abuse by Epstein when she was 21.
Phillips sends letter to lawmakers
Phillips was also one of the signatories of a heartfelt letter penned to American lawmakers ahead of the vote.
“As you gather with your family this season…imagine if they had been preyed upon…What would you want for them?…When you vote, we will remember your decision at the ballot box,” the letter reportedly read.
Phillips, however, admitted that all case files may not be made public immediately, saying that while survivors hope for full disclosure, the process will likely take time.
Trump-Epstein ties under scanner
Trump, who was friendly with Epstein for years, had said after Epstein’s arrest in 2019 on multiple sex abuse charges that the duo hadn’t spoken in more than a decade after having a falling out, despite several links between them surfacing over the years.
After dismissing concerns on the matter for several months, Trump has now made a U-turn and said he would compel the Justice Department to release all files and sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk.
He also said House Republicans should vote yes on releasing the files, after his months long opposition to the measure.
What’s behind Trump’s reversal?
Trump, who had called the upheaval of Epstein files a ‘Democrat hoax’ has now said that Democrats will be implicated once the files are released, NBC News reported.
“Most of Epstein’s friends were Democrats,” Trump recently told reporters at the Oval Office, hinting at Epstein’s alleged links with former US President Bill Clinton and other notable personalities, including Reid Hoffman and Larry Summers.
Epstein died by suicide in 2021 at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City’s Manhattan.
