Trump offers to sign bill releasing Epstein files, Senate to press Russia sanctions

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would sign legislation to release files connected to Jeffrey Epstein, according to a Politico account, a pledge that landed amid a Senate effort to marshal Republican support for new sanctions on Russia. The competing pressures reflect a moment of high political salience, with transparency demands in the Epstein matter colliding with foreign policy priorities and intraparty tensions.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina linked the sanctions push to the former president's public position, saying "with President Trump's blessing," the Senate will move on the sanctions. Graham's declaration framed the sanctions effort as contingent on Republican unity behind Trump even as the party navigates internal fractures and public scrutiny over Epstein related disclosures.

Republican leaders are advancing a bill that would impose penalties on Russia's trading partners as leverage to compel an end to the war in Ukraine, lawmakers and aides said. Democrats moved to block that measure on procedural grounds, and were expected to vote Monday night on a motion to sink the proposal that Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington had brought up last week. The clash over timing and tactics underscores how foreign policy legislation is being planned around domestic political calculations.

The Epstein files pledge has become a source of discord within the GOP. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a close MAGA ally, has publicly criticized Trump on his handling of economic issues and on the Epstein matter, complicating the party's messaging as it seeks Republican cohesion. When asked about those threats, Representative Johnson noted Greene has been "out in the media" criticizing Trump on the economy and the Jeffrey Epstein case. "But look, I work on unity in the party, and my encouragement of everybody is to get together," he continued, reflecting leadership concern about defections ahead of consequential floor votes.

Political implications are immediate. For Republicans, embracing a public release of Epstein files may shore up support among voters who demand transparency, while risking exposure of sensitive materials that could involve ongoing investigations or privacy concerns. For Democrats, opposing the sanctions measure or maneuvering to delay action offers a means to force Republicans into difficult choices between domestic and foreign policy priorities.

The congressional maneuvering is occurring in a broader personnel context. García announced his retirement earlier this month after the ballot nominating deadline closed, effectively guaranteeing his chief of staff would succeed him. That shift illustrates how local succession dynamics and national legislative battles are converging to shape who will be in position to influence future policy choices.

As lawmakers weigh these options, the question of releasing Epstein related files raises institutional and legal issues for Congress and the executive branch. Whether the public interest in disclosure can be reconciled with safeguards for privacy and national security will be a central test for both parties. The outcome will reveal not only how Republicans manage competing priorities with President Trump at the center, but also how Congress balances transparency against procedural and substantive constraints in an era of intensified public scrutiny.