Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are reacting to the latest moves to compel the Department of Justice to release all materials related to Jeffrey Epstein. CBS News' Ed O'Keefe reports.

Washington

President Trump has signed legislation requiring the release of all files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Justice Department is expected to make the documents public, although some information may be withheld to protect victims and ongoing investigations.

Congressional leaders offered contrasting reactions, with Speaker Johnson calling the bill a victory for transparency and survivors, while Minority Leader Jeffrey raised concerns about flaws in the bill but supported responsible disclosure. Ongoing probes and legal provisions may result in certain materials remaining confidential as the process unfolds.

Democratic and Republican leaders react to Trump signing Epstein files bill

President Trump says he signed a bill to release all files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Justice Department is expected to make them public soon. Senate Majority Leader John Thune talked about the next steps for release. I trust the judgment of the Justice Department to ensure that whatever files they release protect the victims clearly. And I think there are other items, perhaps materials that were acquired through grand jury trials, that perhaps they will have to make some decisions about, but I think they'll make the right decision. And CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe is at the White House with more on this. Ed, good morning. So Speaker Johnson and House Minority Leader Jeffrey shared some pretty starkly different reactions to President Trump signing the Epstein bill. Let's take a listen. It's a big victory for the survivors, a big victory for transparency, and a big victory for the American people. I said for a long time that I had concerns about some very serious flaws in the bill, but I'm glad that Congress has acted. I'm glad that we've been able to reflect that all of us were always for maximum transparency. We wanted to do it in a responsible manner. And I'm really hopeful that the victims and survivors get to take some comfort in that. So Ed, why does one see this as a big victory and the other couldn't help but express some disappointment? Politics, Michael. Good to see you. In essence, the Democrats, of course, continue to believe this is albatross hanging around the neck of the president, while Republicans, some of them at least, have been reluctantly dragged into this. The speaker's concerns have to do with exactly what is redacted, in essence. And then there are going to be some concerns on both sides of the aisle and both chambers in the coming weeks as we get closer to release about what exactly the DOJ is withholding as it continues this new investigation into some Democratic officials who had ties to Epstein. Remember, it was launched just in recent days at the president's request. And yesterday, the attorney general signaled that there are going to be at least some reams of information withheld as that active investigation continues. They claim that it's serious and that they have new information. We'll see about that. But that loophole that's in the law is going to allow the withholding of some of this. From a crass political perspective, there are some in town who are going to say, well, OK, that just means the issue won't die quite yet. And we aren't going to get answers. And the longer this drags out, it continues to be a challenge for this administration, which is true. But it also suggests that there could be other investigations underway that could yield some more serious information and potentially someone else getting caught up in all this. All right. We will continue to watch and wait. Ed O'Keefe, thank you.

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Ukraine Invasion

Trump approved 28-point plan to end Russia-Ukraine war

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Kyiv

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On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the bill that forces the Justice Department to release the files from its investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The bill was passed by the U.S. House and Senate on Tuesday.

Trump signs bill to release Epstein files

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Cambridge

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Beirut

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President Trump now says Republicans should vote to release all of the files related to the federal investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. CBS News' Olivia Rinaldi and Nikole Killion have the latest on what could happen next.

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President Donald Trump now appears to support the release of all Jeffrey Epstein files as the House of Representatives readies for a vote on the matter. CBS News' Natalie Brand reports.

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