US House speaker Mike Johnson has waded into the Epstein files saga that is roiling Donald Trump’s conservative base – by calling on the justice department to release the Epstein files.
Johnson, a key ally of the US president, was asked about the controversy during an interview for a rightwing podcast. “It’s a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it,” Johnson told Benny Johnson, in comments released on Tuesday. “I agree with the sentiment that we need to put it out there.”
Referring to a comment attorney general Pam Bondi made to Fox News this year that Epstein’s client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review”, Johnson said: “She needs to come forward and explain that to everybody.
“We need the DoJ focusing on the major priorities. So let’s get this thing resolved,” the speaker added.
The comments put Johnson at odds with Trump, who has defended Bondi’s handling of the case.
Here is more on this and other key Trump stories of the day:
House speaker calls for Epstein files’ release
Mike Johnson’s call for the justice department to make public documents related to Jeffrey Epstein was a rare moment of friction between Trump and the speaker, a top ally on Capitol Hill, and came as the president faces growing backlash from conservatives who had expected him to make public everything known about Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 while in federal custody as he faced sex-trafficking charges.
Last week, the justice department announced that his death was a suicide and that, despite conspiracy theories to the contrary, there was no list of his clients to be made public nor would there be further disclosures about the case. Conservative allies of the president have since criticized him and Bondi for what they see as opaque handling of a case that Trump campaigned on getting to the bottom of.
Ukraine awaits details of Trump’s promised weapons
Ukraine is waiting for further details of the “billions of dollars” worth of US military equipment promised by Donald Trump on Monday, amid confusion as to how many Patriot air defence systems will be sent to Kyiv.
Republicans race to slash $9bn for public broadcasting and foreign aid
Senate Republicans may move to pass legislation slashing up to $9bn in funds Congress had earlier approved for foreign aid programs and public broadcasting, as part of Donald Trump’s campaign of dramatic government spending cuts.
JP Morgan chief defends independence of Fed chair
The boss of JP Morgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, has defended the “absolutely critical” independence of the Federal Reserve chair, as Donald Trump continues to demand immediate cuts in interest rates.
Trump unveils $70bn AI and energy plan at oil and tech summit
Donald Trump joined big oil and technology bosses on Tuesday at a major artificial intelligence and energy summit in Pittsburgh, outraging environmentalists and community organizations.
The event came weeks after the passage of a mega-bill that experts say could stymy AI growth with its attacks on renewable energy.
Millions of immigrants could lose right to bond hearings
The Trump administration is reportedly seeking to bar millions of immigrants who allegedly arrived in the US without legal status from receiving a bond hearing as they try to fight their deportations in court.
What else happened today:
Ukrainians are celebrating Melania Trump on social media after Donald Trump suggested the first lady played a part in his apparent change of heart over Russia.
Analysis: The mystery surrounding the Epstein files also became a vehicle for QAnon conspiracy theorists to push their ideas about a “deep state” cover-up of a network of global pedophiles into the broader tent of the Maga movement.
Relatives of Sayfollah Musallet, a US citizen from Florida beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, are calling for the Trump administration to arrest and prosecute those responsible for his killing.
The US justice department unit charged with defending against legal challenges to signature Trump administration policies – such as restricting birthright citizenship and slashing funding to Harvard University – has lost nearly two-thirds of its staff, according to a list seen by Reuters.
Just over two months after being ousted as national security adviser, Mike Waltz faced lawmakers on Tuesday during a confirmation hearing to be US ambassador to the UN, telling them that he planned to make the world body “great again”.
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 14 July 2025.
