Republican Clay Higgins Breaks His Silence After Voting Against the Epstein Files Release... as the Trump Supporter is Met With Backlash for Shock Decision
Rep. Clay Higgins has offered his reasons for being the lone House vote against the release of the Epstein files.
Nov. 18 2025, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal the reason why a single member of Congress voted against the release of the Epstein files.
Amid intense public pressure, the House voted nearly unanimously to release sealed documents related to the investigation of late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein on Tuesday, November 18.
Except for Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana, who quickly defended his vote on social media.
Rep. Higgins Explains His Vote
Higgins said his position on the release of the files has not changed.
After casting his vote, Higgins seemingly tried to get ahead of backlash and took to X, to explain himself.
The Republican congressman insisted he only voted against the release of the Epstein files to protect "thousands of innocent people."
"I have been a principled 'NO' on this bill from the beginning," Higgins began his post. "What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today."
Higgins Claims He Voted to Protect 'Innocent People'
The lawmaker cited privacy concerns for 'thousands of innocent people' in the Epstein files.
His post continued: "It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America. As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc.
"If enacted in its current form, this type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt.
"Not by my vote."
Higgins said he would change his vote if the Senate amended the bill.
The congressman noted: "The Oversight Committee is conducting a thorough investigation that has already released well over 60,000 pages of documents from the Epstein case.
"That effort will continue in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans."
Despite his vote on Tuesday, Higgins said he would be willing to change his position on the release of the files if the Senate addresses current "privacy" concerns.
He concluded: "If the Senate amends the bill to properly address privacy of victims and other Americans, who are named but not criminally implicated, then I will vote for that bill when it comes back to the House."
While Higgins insisted his reasoning for being the lone holdout centered on concern for victims, social media users called his bluff.
One X user responded to the lawmaker: "The victims themselves have been pleading for the release of those files. Their voices should count the most. Of course, the files should be made public. Only then can justice come."
Another said: "This would have been a reasonable position 3-4 years ago. But the process you advocate has failed. There comes a point where justice delayed is justice denied."
Trump Has 'Nothing to Hide'
Donald Trump reversed his tune on the Epstein files release and supported the vote.
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As RadarOnline.com reported, Tuesday's swift vote came after President Trump changed his tune on the release of the Epstein files, which he has repeatedly called a "hoax."
Trump announced on Truth Social: "As I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat 'Shutdown."
The president, who had a well-documented friendship with Epstein for years, doubled down and insisted the situation was a "Democratic hoax perpetrated by radical left lunatics."
Trump added: "The House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to, I DON’T CARE!
"All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT, which is the Economy, 'Affordability’ (where we are winning BIG!), our Victory on reducing Inflation from the highest level in History to practically nothing, bringing down prices for the American People, delivering Historic Tax Cuts, gaining Trillions of Dollars of Investment into America (A RECORD!), the rebuilding of our Military, securing our Border, deporting Criminal Illegal Aliens, ending Men in Women's Sports, stopping Transgender for Everyone, and so much more!"
