Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) conceded on Sunday that former President Biden should have released the federal government's files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but he quickly pivoted to argue that President Trump must now be held to his repeated campaign pledge to make those documents public.
Appearing on Jubilee's "Surrounded," Frost faced a pointed exchange when a guest accused Trump of covering up the Epstein files. Frost responded by asking whether the guest believed Trump had been "covering up the Epstein files," and the guest shot back, questioning why the Biden administration hadn't released them.
"They should have," Frost said. "They should have."
The guest retorted: "No, they should have, but they didn't. You know why they didn't? Because he's the most corrupt president ever." The comment drew applause from other guests.
Frost repeated that the Biden administration should have released the files but stressed that Trump had made the release a centerpiece of his campaign. "He said, 'Release the files,'" Frost said. "He literally said he would release the files. He said at multiple campaign rallies that he was going to release the files. So, we're holding him accountable to that."
The release came after a bipartisan push led by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), whose bill passed Congress in November after forcing a floor vote. Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) also backed the measure. Trump signed it into law, requiring the Department of Justice to release all Epstein-related documents, with redactions to protect survivors and individuals under investigation.
However, the DOJ's rollout drew heavy criticism over extensive redactions and some missing redactions, prompting public and congressional scrutiny. In December, former Vice President Kamala Harris defended the Biden administration's inaction, telling Jimmy Kimmel that the administration "strongly and rightly believed that there should be an absolute separation between what we wanted as an administration and what the Department of Justice did."
Trump, in July 2025, questioned why Democrats hadn't released the files while they controlled the White House and Senate, accusing them of perpetuating a "SCAM" and claiming Biden's DOJ "HAD NOTHING!"
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee continues its probe into Epstein's crimes and associates, having taken testimony from former President Clinton, Hillary Clinton, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, and former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who faced criticism for her handling of the release. The committee voted to hold the Clintons in contempt for failing to respond to a subpoena, though they later testified. Comer has also requested Dershowitz to testify, and Dershowitz has indicated willingness to sit for a videotaped interview.
As the political fallout persists, the debate over who is most accountable for the Epstein files' release—and the transparency of the process—remains a flashpoint. For more on related legal battles, see the DOJ's appeal over unredacting files. And for context on how other political figures have handled scrutiny, check out media figures who shielded Biden now questioning Trump.
