Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) predicted on Wednesday that dozens of Republicans may ultimately support legislation requiring the Department of Justice to release files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
“It’s coming to an end guys. I’ve spoken to a lot of House Republicans this week and they’ve confided that Trump’s movement/support is fading. As one told me, ‘this Epstein bomb is about to drop and no [one] wants to defend a pedo-protector. It’s just a matter of time,’” Swalwell said in a thread on the social platform X Wednesday.
“One Republican just texted me that if there’s a discharge vote on Epstein they expect a ‘jail break’ of over 100 members. Trump will go nuts!” he added.
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In recent months, the Trump administration has faced intense pressure from both sides of the aisle over its handling of documents related to Epstein, who committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for alleged sex trafficking.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has been pushing a discharge petition, which would force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files, alongside Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). He suggested in a post on X Sunday that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was keeping the House out of session to avoid the Epstein vote.
“Why are we in recess? Because the day we go back into session, I have 218 votes for the discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files,” he said.
Johnson has also delayed swearing in Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (Ariz.), who would be the decisive vote on the discharge petition, joining all Democrats along with a handful of Republicans who have backed Massie’s effort.
Johnson has denied that his decision on Grijalva is linked to her upcoming signature on the discharge petition, saying instead that she will join the House when the government shutdown is over.
“It has nothing to do with that at all. We will swear her in when everybody gets back,” Johnson said during a press conference.
On Tuesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said that she has faced more pressure over the petition to trigger a House vote compelling a release of files linked to Epstein than any other issue.
“My signature is on that discharge petition, and there has not been another issue where I have ever received more pressure than that one, and I’m pretty much shocked by it. I can’t imagine — I’ve never understood how this is an issue,” Greene told NewsNation’s Blake Burman on “The Hill.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
, 2025-10-08 19:43:00, 
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