US President Donald Trump has urged lawmakers in his own party to vote to release files relating to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump wrote on Sunday night that Republicans in the House of Representatives should do so 'because we have nothing to hide.'
This is a striking reversal for Trump after weeks of stating that calls for a vote on the release were driven by Democrats as a distraction.
There has been a slow drip feed of documents about Epstein by House Democrats, some of which reference Trump, who has always denied any link to Epstein's sex abuse and trafficking.
Details about Trump's and other prominent figures' past relationship with Epstein have fueled speculation and led to public disagreements with some of Trump's staunchest supporters.
Many Republicans are now willing to break ranks and vote in favor of a bill that would compel the US government to publish all its documents on Epstein.
The legislation, likely to pass in the House this week, aims to unveil a vast trove of documents amassed through criminal investigations into Epstein's past. Epstein was found dead in his New York prison cell in 2019 while facing charges of sex trafficking, after previously being convicted in 2008.
The controversy regained momentum after new emails emerged, prompting both Democrats and some Republicans to rally around the call for transparency.
In a letter to Congress, Epstein survivors urged lawmakers to consider the implications of their votes, emphasizing the importance of accountability.
Trump's changed stance has also ignited a public feud with Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, traditionally one of his strongest proponents, raising questions about his influence over the party's direction going forward.
