In a stunning admission that could signal the unraveling of President Donald Trump’s grip on his party, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) revealed Wednesday that House Republicans are quietly abandoning ship amid mounting pressure to release explosive files tied to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Swalwell, a vocal Trump critic and member of the House Judiciary and Homeland Security committees, claimed private conversations with GOP colleagues point to a “jailbreak” of over 100 Republican votes that could force the documents into the public eye — potentially humiliating the president and eroding his support within his own ranks.
The California Democrat, who represents a Bay Area district encompassing Livermore and Fremont, took to X to share what he described as off-the-record confessions from across the aisle.
“It’s coming to an end guys,” Swalwell posted.
“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.’”
In a follow-up tweet, Swalwell escalated the stakes, citing a recent text from an unnamed Republican: “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!”
Shutdown Stalls Historic Vote
The revelations come at a precarious moment for the Trump administration, now in its second week of a partial government shutdown that has furloughed thousands of federal workers and halted non-essential services.
The impasse, ostensibly over border security funding and Democratic resistance to Trump’s immigration agenda, has also served as a convenient stall tactic, according to Democrats.
It has prevented the House from convening in full session — and notably, from swearing in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), whose signature would clinch the 218 votes needed on a bipartisan discharge petition to bypass GOP leadership and mandate a floor vote on the Epstein files.
The petition, spearheaded by an unlikely duo — libertarian-leaning Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) — seeks to compel the Department of Justice to publicly disclose every record related to its investigations into Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking minors.
Epstein, a financier with ties to global elites, died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Massie, a frequent Trump skeptic known for bucking party lines, teased the petition’s momentum in a Sunday X post: “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.”
As of late September, the effort had garnered all 215 Democratic signatures plus three from Republicans — Massie, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) — with Grijalva’s pending addition poised to tip the scales.
Only a handful of such petitions have succeeded in the modern era, making this one a rare procedural thunderbolt.
Trump’s Epstein Connection Under Fire
The push for transparency has ignited a firestorm in Republican circles, where Trump’s past association with Epstein — including flights on the financier’s private jet and public praise for him as a “terrific guy” before their 2004 falling out — has long been a vulnerability.
Flight logs unsealed in prior court cases show Trump on Epstein’s plane at least once, though no criminal allegations have surfaced against him.
Still, the specter of unreleased DOJ files, which could include witness statements, financial records, and names of high-profile figures, has fueled speculation and demands from both parties.
Swalwell’s comments, delivered amid the shutdown chaos, underscore a growing bipartisan revulsion toward what Massie has called a “cabal of rich and powerful elites” allegedly shielded by bureaucratic foot-dragging.
At a September press conference on Capitol Hill, Epstein survivors joined Massie, Khanna, and Greene to urge full disclosure, with one accuser tearfully stating, “The only argument for not releasing those names is either the FBI doesn’t think the victims are credible, or they don’t want to embarrass those rich and powerful people.”
GOP Leadership Faces Internal Revolt
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has dismissed the petition as “inartfully drafted” and insisted that an ongoing Oversight Committee probe — which has already subpoenaed some documents — suffices.
GOP leaders have privately whipped members against signing, citing concerns over victim privacy and explicit details in the files.
But cracks are showing: Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) added her name in late September, bringing the Republican tally to four and prompting whispers of more defections.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson fired back at Swalwell on Wednesday, invoking a 2020 scandal involving the congressman’s alleged ties to a suspected Chinese spy: “Did his Chinese spy lover Fang Fang write this tweet?” Yet another Trump admin showing their tantrum tendencies.
The barb highlights the personal animus fueling the feud, with Swalwell — a 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful — remaining one of Trump’s most persistent congressional antagonists.
As the shutdown drags on, the Epstein saga risks amplifying broader GOP fissures.
Massie, touring his Kentucky district last month with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), vowed to press forward, telling constituents, “The DOJ has no idea who else might have been involved in that sex trafficking ring.”
In the Senate, a parallel effort by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to attach Epstein release language to a defense bill failed along party lines in September, though Paul and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) crossed over in support.
Public Outcry Grows Louder
For victims’ advocates like Amber Speaks Up, an independent journalist focused on Epstein accountability, the delay is agonizing.
“Republicans are so loyal to Trump they fear doing the right thing for these survivors,” she posted on X last week, echoing widespread online outrage.
If the discharge petition succeeds, the fallout could be seismic — not just for Trump, whose administration faces scrutiny over the files’ handling, but for the House GOP’s fragile unity.
As one anonymous Republican lawmaker reportedly told Swalwell, the era of blind loyalty may be over.
With the chamber adjourned indefinitely, all eyes are on when — or if — lawmakers return to a vote that could redefine transparency in Washington.
Also Read: Republicans Face Growing Backlash as Voters Blame Them for Govt. Shutdown
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