Johnson Progress

A growing coalition of Republican senators is publicly breaking ranks with the Trump administration, demanding that Attorney General Pam Bondi immediately release all Jeffrey Epstein-related files, including those that mention President Donald Trump by name.

The extraordinary pressure from the president’s own party signals building unease on Capitol Hill over allegations that the Justice Department deliberately withheld documents to protect the president .

Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, a Republican member of the Judiciary Committee, issued the most forceful call for transparency Thursday, insisting that the administration has no choice but to publish the records.

“Release the documents. Redact the names of the victims. Don’t release photographs, naked or otherwise, of minors. Release the documents. This is not going to go away until there is full disclosure,” Kennedy said .

When pressed on whether the Justice Department should withhold unverified allegations against Trump from a woman who spoke to the FBI, Kennedy doubled down without hesitation.

“I don’t know how else to say it: Release the documents,” he stated flatly .

Kennedy added that the American people are entitled to know the full truth about Epstein’s operation.

“This is not going away until there’s full disclosure and the American people want to know, and they’re entitled to know, who if anyone, did Epstein traffic these women to … and why they weren’t prosecuted,” he said .

The Republican demands follow a bombshell report from The New York Times and other outlets revealing that the recent Epstein document dump omitted FBI interview memos with a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by both Epstein and Trump when she was a minor in the 1980s .

According to NPR’s investigation, the woman claimed that around 1983, when she was approximately 13 years old, Epstein introduced her to Trump, who then sexually assaulted her .

The White House has consistently denied any wrongdoing by Trump related to Epstein .

Maine Senator Susan Collins offered a more measured but firm call for compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in November 2025 and Trump signed into law .

“I don’t know what the circumstances are and whether there’s legitimate reasons for redactions or withholding since he’s currently in office, but that would seem to be contrary with the intent of the law,” Collins said .

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa, was unequivocal about what the law requires.

“I think when we pass a law that says that all documents need to be put out, it seems to me all documents need to be put out,” Grassley said .

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, another Judiciary Committee member, said the situation raises serious concerns.

“If it’s in fact true, it’s concerning. Unless it fits the same filter as everyone else… I’ve heard the reporting but I haven’t nailed it down,” he said .

The Justice Department initially defended its release, stating that “the only materials that have been withheld were either privileged or duplicates” and later suggesting some documents may involve “an ongoing federal investigation.”

However, facing mounting pressure, the department announced it would review files flagged by the public to determine if any were improperly withheld .

Democratic lawmakers are escalating their own offensive.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York vowed Thursday that Democrats would use every oversight tool available.

“The law requires the DOJ to release all the files, not just some of the files, not just the ones they pick and choose and want to do,” Schumer said at a Capitol press conference.

“Let me be blunt, there is a massive coverup going on in the Justice Department to protect Donald Trump and people associated with Jeffrey Epstein” .

Schumer announced that a group of Senate Democrats will travel to the Justice Department “in the coming days” to review unredacted Epstein files personally .

California Congressman Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said he reviewed unredacted evidence logs and “can confirm that the DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews” with the accuser .

Garcia announced a parallel investigation into the missing documents .

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, co-sponsored by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie and California Democrat Ro Khanna, requires the Attorney General to make all unclassified Epstein-related records publicly available .

The law explicitly prohibits withholding documents based on “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity” .

Despite the administration’s initial resistance, Republican senators made clear Thursday that their demand for transparency will not subside.

“Release the documents,” Kennedy reiterated. “This is not going to go away until there’s full disclosure” .