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House to Vote on Epstein Files; Rep. Dave Min (D-CA) is Interviewed about the Epstein Files; Lawmakers and Survivors Speak Ahead of Vote. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired November 18, 2025 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning we're standing by for the House and a long awaited and debated vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. President Trump now says that he will sign it if it reaches his desk. This hour we will be hearing from some of Jeffrey Epstein's survivors speaking out ahead of this vote.

And big changes coming to one of the top gaming apps used by a whole lot of kids. How the wildly popular Roblox will be using A.I. to check your age.

And quick thinking officers pull an unconscious man from a burning car moments before it goes up in flames. An incredible rescue.

I'm Kate Bolduan, with John Berman and Sara Sidner. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're standing by for the House vote on releasing the Epstein files. A vote that is expected to be unanimous.

Happening right as we speak, though, we are also waiting to hear any moment now from several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse. They're holding a news conference on Capitol Hill ahead of this vote. The House expected to vote today to release all the Justice Department's files in the Epstein investigation. The bill is expected to pass with overwhelming support after President Trump facing a rare revolt from his party, suddenly reversed himself after months of trying to keep Republicans from voting for it, told House Republicans to go ahead and vote for it.

While today's vote is a big step, it's only the first one. The Senate will still have to pass the measure, but the president is now saying if it comes to his desk, he will sign it. Sources telling CNN, the president only decided to make a u-turn on the matter after it became clear he couldn't stop the momentum and was at risk of suffering an embarrassing political defeat. And if he wants to release the files, by the way, he doesn't need Congress to do that. He could order the Justice Department to do it at any time.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is live on Capitol Hill, and Alayna Treene is with us from the White House. Let's start with you, Arlette. What should we expect in the vote

today?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sara, after months of delay and even efforts to prevent such a vote from happening, the House will vote to release the full Jeffrey Epstein files later this afternoon. That's a vote that could take place as early as 2:00 p.m., though it could also shift a bit later.

Right now, House Republicans are meeting in the -- in the room right behind me as they are preparing for this day. There is an expectation that there could be an overwhelming majority of Republicans supporting this measure after President Donald Trump threw his support behind it over the weekend.

It really marks a stunning reversal, not just for President Trump, but also for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had taken steps to try to prevent this from happening. But now even the House speaker has said he could potentially vote in favor of releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files under some conditions.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I have real concerns about the discharge and how it's drafted, as I've been saying for many months, but I do have some comfort that I think if and when it's processed in the Senate, that they'll be able to correct some of those concerns that we have, the protection of victims and whistleblowers and all the rest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now this effort, it if passes the House, which it is expected to do, it will then had over to the Senate, which it -- where it has a little bit more of an uncertain fate. In the past, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said that he did not think that there needed to be a vote on these files because the Justice Department did release thousands of documents relating to the Jeffrey Epstein case. But what many are expecting is that if there is overwhelming support here in the House, that that would force the Senate's hand and potentially push Thune to bring this up for a vote. Over in the Senate they would need 13 Republican senators to get on board with this plan, to pass it and then send it to President Trump for his signature.

But I will note that one of the supporters of this effort, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, he has expressed some concern and skepticism about whether the Justice Department actually would release these files just a week after President Donald Trump had also announced investigations into his political opponents, or high profile Democrats relating to this. So, a lot of questions about what the future of this bill could be, and if those files would actually be released.

SIDNER: And we should just mention again, we are waiting to hear from the victims. We will hear from them in just a bit here.

Arlette Saenz, live for us there from Capitol Hill. Do appreciate your reporting.

John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, here we go.

With us now is Congressman Dave Min, a Democrat from California, who was on the House Oversight Committee.

Congressman Min, if you are there, I don't believe we have Congressman Min. Oh, there he is. Congressman Min is with us now. It's great to see you.

REP. DAVE MIN (D-CA): Thanks so much for having me, John.

BERMAN: Television miracle. Nice to see you this morning.

MIN: Likewise.

[09:05:00]

BERMAN: Congressman, the first thing that we're going to see this morning is we are going to hear from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. You have spoken with them extensively over the course of the summer in the last few months. Why is it so important to hear from them this morning?

MIN: Because I think each of them has a story to tell that is tragic, it's harrowing, but it also gives a sense of the scale of this conspiracy. Like, each of these survivors tells a story of when they were very, very young. But when you start piecing all these stories together, and then you realize that there were thousands of victims, that they came in from all over the country, sometimes international, you get a sense of just how horrific and just evil this whole sex trafficking ring was.

BERMAN: This is a process -- this vote you're going to have shortly is a process that's been going on for months now. And for most of those months, Speaker Mike Johnson and the president fought against having a vote. What does it tell you that they've reversed their position? What does it tell you that the vote is likely to be overwhelming, if not unanimous, today?

MIN: I think they suddenly realized that maybe protecting pedophiles is not a position that is tenable in the United States of America or anywhere else. And I'll just say, there's an old saying, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. The American people have been fooled over and over and over by Donald Trump and Mike Johnson.

And just as a reminder, Sara pointed this out earlier, we wouldn't need this bill, we wouldn't need this vote if Donald Trump would just release the Epstein files. He went to great lengths to just release the Amelia Earhart files, which nobody was asking for. Meanwhile, we have a growing cascade of voices demanding that we have justice and transparency on what's going on. And all summer long Mike Johnson and Donald Trump have done all they can to stop this vote. Donald Trump has threatened Republicans. He brought Lauren Boebert into the Situation Room, something you guys reported on last week. An unprecedented move.

Speaker Johnson tried to adjourn us a week early, if you remember, back in July. And the only reason we have any subpoena at all in the House Oversight Committee is because a number of Republicans went home and House Democrats, led by Summer Lee, my colleague from Pennsylvania, was able to do a sneak move where we got a vote on this with Republicans out of town. That is why we have a subpoena.

But just keep in mind, they're trying to cover this up. They're trying to protect pedophiles. Now they're coming to the table because they realize they're going to lose this vote. But Donald Trump will continue to do all he can to try to kill this, because he doesn't want to have transparency. And we're starting to get a sense of why. Because his name is all over the Epstein files. And that's becoming clearer and clearer every time we get a production of new documents.

BERMAN: And Congressman Thomas Massie, who led the effort for the discharge petition, is speaking now. We'll go to him in just a second as we begin to hear from survivors there, Congresswoman.

But you said, and Thomas Massie says, he's concerned that even if it passes the House and the Senate, and even if theoretically the president signs the bill, that the Justice Department still will find a way not to release the files. What concerns do you have there?

MIN: I share the same concerns. On Oversight, we have issued a number of subpoenas to the Department of Justice. They've ignored us over the last few months. They've given us one production, a few thousand documents, a few thousand pages of documents, all of which had previously been publicly released. We know they're sitting on millions of pages of documents, potentially videos that might expose some of the activities that happened. They have a ton of information, and they're not releasing any of that to us. So, of course, we have concerns because there's already a subpoena to the Department of Justice that they're really not complying with.

BERMAN: And one other thing. You are on the Oversight Committee and you have received some documents and information so far. Do you still have more information you're going through that has not been made public yet?

MIN: We are right now going through the latest production. And just as a reminder, I'm a former FCC attorney. This document review will take some time. But I just want to note that all of the document production in the recent months has come from the Epstein estate, not from the Department of Justice, not from the FBI, despite the fact that Pam Bondi and Kash Patel held these binders that they described as the Epstein files, we're not getting anything from the administration. It's all coming from the Epstein estate. We're going through those.

But I will just say, when we talk to the survivors and their attorneys, the biggest thing they wanted us to look through were the financial records. We need to get it to the banks. Follow the money is the mantra. And I think this is a huge conspiracy, involves a lot of foreign nationals. At one point they -- Jeffrey Epstein created an international modeling agency where he was transporting eastern European girls under the age of like 16 to the United States to continue his sex trafficking ring. This is really, really big. We need details. And those bank records will help us get some sense of what's going on here.

BERMAN: Congressman Dave Min, thanks so much for being with us.

Let's go to this press conference now where Republican member of Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene, is speaking.

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): And my first thought was, hell has froze over.

I want to speak goodness and love and hope into the women standing behind me, and all of the other survivors whose names you don't even know but stand with these women.

[09:10:04]

They are survivors. And they are strong. And they are courageous. And they are daughters of God. They are not victims. These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight. And they did it by banding together and never giving up. And that's what we did by fighting so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the president of the United States, in order to make this vote happen today.

I was called a traitor by a man that I fought for five -- no, actually, six years for. And I gave him my loyalty for free. I won my first election without his endorsement, beating eight men in a primary. And I've never owed him anything, but I fought for him for the policies and for America first. And he called me a traitor for standing with these women and refusing to take my name off the discharge petition.

Let me tell you what a traitor is. A traitor is a -- is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves. A patriot is an American that serves the United States of America and Americans, like the women standing behind me.

And I want to tell you that this only became possible today because the American people, whom we serve as representatives here in Congress, demanded that this vote happen. And they put more pressure on every single elected politician in this city than has ever been put on them. And today you are going to see probably a unanimous vote in the House to release the Epstein files. But the fight, the real fight will happen after that.

While I want to see every single name released so that these women don't have to live in fear and intimidation, which is something I've had a small taste of in just the past few days, just a small taste, they've been living it for years. But the real test will be, will the Department of Justice release the files, or will it all remain tied up in investigations? Will the CIA release the files? Will a federal judge -- will a judge in New York, sorry, a judge in New York release the information? That's information that needs to come out. And will the list of names that these women privately hold, and they hold it because of their fear in their heart of what would happen to them if they release it on their own, will that list of names come out? That's the real test.

So, I want to thank Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna for your bravery in doing something, doing something that is much needed in America, crossing the political aisle that has become bigger than the Grand Canyon in America. But these men crossed that aisle on behalf of these women. And that is more of what is needed today in America than ever in our history.

So, thank you so much.

Who's next?

Ro, I'll let you introduce.

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Thank you.

GREENE: Thank you.

KHANNA: Thank you. Thank you, Marjorie, Representative Greene, for your courage and your words.

Before I introduce our survivors, I just want to say that they will make their statements, and then you can ask questions of Representative Massie, myself, or Representative Greene. But we do not want people asking questions and cross-examining the survivors. They're here to tell their stories, and they should be heard by the American people with respect. Of course, Congressman Massie, myself and Congresswoman Greene would be happy to answer questions after that.

With that, let me introduce the survivor who's helped organize a lot of this and will be introducing -- telling her own story and introducing the other survivors.

Haley Robson, thank you for your courage and leadership.

HALEY ROBSON, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Absolutely. Thank you all.

Oh, good morning. It's a little chilly coming from Florida. I'm not used to it.

I want everybody to take a look. I know everybody sees us today as grown adults, but we are fighting for the children that were abandoned and left behind in the reckoning. This is who you're fighting for. This is who Congress is fighting for. This is who the House of Representatives are fighting for. And hopefully the Senate will fight for us too.

[09:15:03]

I want to kick this off right. And I want to address Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna. I want to express my gratitude for all three of you. And I know, Ro Khanna, we spoke earlier. This is an incredible thing that I'm watching as a Republican, and this is nonpolitical. But for you to go against your own party and to be ostracized, there is no place for political violence. There's no place for intimidation. And I can say firsthand, stepping out against Epstein and his crimes against children, we have all experienced that ourselves. So, for you to knowingly put yourselves at risk and put your career at risk is unbelievable to watch. And we are so grateful.

I also want to make a proposition for Marjorie Taylor Greene, because you've been an advocate for this. If you decide to read those names on the House floor for immunity, I will be more than happy, no security needed, I will stand beside you. I will hold your hand. I will hold your coat in solidarity with you.

And on top of that, I did talk to Jayapal, who said she would be more than happy to read those names, too, on the floor with all of us. It's time that we pull it -- we put the political agendas and party affiliations to the side. This is a human issue. This is about children. There is no place in society for exploitation, sexual crimes or exploitation of women in society. There's no room for it, guys. We're not having it.

And to the president of the United States of America, who is not here today, I want to send a clear message to you. While I do understand that your position has changed on the Epstein files, and I'm grateful that you have pledged to sign this bill, I can't help to be skeptical of what the agenda is. So, with that being said, I want to relay this message to you.

I am traumatized. I am not stupid. I am traumatized. I am not stupid. You have put us through so much stress. The lockdowns. The halt of these -- of these procedures that were supposed to have happened 50 days ago. The Adelita Grijalva who waited to get sworn in, and then get upset when your own party goes against you because what is being done is wrong. It's not right for your own self-serving purposes. This is America. This is land of the free. Land of the free. In 1863, we have a woman on top of the Capitol Building represent freedom. I do not feel free today. I don't know if the women behind me feel free today.

So, I am begging every member of Congress, every representative, to step up and choose the chaos. Choose the survivors. Choose the children. Protect the children. All children. You protect all of us, equally.

Thank you very much for your time.

Following that, Lisa Phillips will be the next survivor.

LISA PHILLIPS, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Good morning. My name is Lisa Phillips. It's an honor to stand here again for something. America is finally united on, the immediate release of the entire Epstein files. In a divided nation, this is one demand we all share.

Last time I stood here, I made a promise to all survivors watching. If those in power refuse to release the truth, we would start uncovering it ourselves. For anyone who doubted that, that moment has already arrived. Since that day, more survivors across the country and around the world

have reached out. Text, emails, DMs, firsthand accounts and evidence. Many are women who were abused or trafficked through the international modeling pipeline Epstein built, promising visas, apartments, opportunities, futures, while exploiting their dreams for abuse. Most are still terrified to speak publicly because the men involved are powerful. They're connected. And as we know, they're protected.

For too long survivors have watched others speak for us. And while we are grateful for our allies in Congress on both sides, we've realized something. This fight belongs to us. We lived it. And we know the truth. And we will not wait quietly for institutions to decide when we're allowed to speak. The survivors now coming forward have entrusted us with their stories. We are sharing that information with the proper authorities, and when it can safely be made public, it will be.

So, today, we are launching something historic. The first national survivor led political movement in America, nonpartizan, laser- focused, on exposing the systems, the loopholes, power structures and silencing mechanisms that have protected predators for far too long.

[09:20:18]

We are stepping directly into the halls of power, into the political arena. We will help rewrite laws that failed us and build protections for our nation's children together, targeted by sexual exploitation.

Together, today, survivors begin our own fight. The Survivor Revolution. And we intend to change this nation for the better.

If you're a survivor who wants to join us, please reach out. And to anyone who benefits from the current system, intentionally or not, remember this. Alone, yes, we are afraid, but together we are feared.

Thank you.

JENA-LISA JONES, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Hello, everybody. I am Jena-Lisa Jones. And just as Haley -- I would just like to give a little reminder that this was me at 14 years old. I was a child. I was in ninth grade. I was hopeful for life and what it -- the future had held for me. He stole a lot from me by -- at 14. So, just a little reminder there for everybody. Sorry.

So, I just want to start out by saying, thank you for all of you for being here today. I want to start by expressing my deepest gratitude to the members of Congress who have stood with us, the survivors, in demanding the transparency and justice. Your support is a signal that this institution can still serve the American people.

This issue was never one that should have divided us the way it has. In fact, it should have united us. Sexual abuse is not a Republican issue. This -- it is not a -- or a Democratic issue. It is not a -- it is also not a hoax. We are here as American survivors of a man who used his wealth and power to hurt young girls and women. The world should see the files to know who Jeffrey Epstein was and how the system catered to him and failed us.

Emotionally, this process has been distressing. First, the administration said it would release everything and applauded President Trump for that. Then it fought to release nothing. Now that that that -- that -- now that that checks and balances of our democracy have worked and the bill is getting passed to release the files, we are hearing the administration say they intend to investigate various Democrat -- Democrats who were friends with Epstein.

I beg you, President Trump, please stop making this political. It is not about you, President Trump. You are our president. Please start acting like it. Show some class. Show some real leadership. Show that you actually care about the people other than yourself.

I voted for you, but your behavior on this issue has been a national embarrassment. It is time to take the honest, moral ground and support the release of these files, not to weaponize pieces of the files against random political enemies that did nothing wrong, but to understand who Epstein's friends were, who covered for him, what financial institutions allowed his trafficking to continue, who knew what he was doing but was too much of a coward to do anything about it?

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were able to recruit and abuse young girls and women. Then the country will learn -- the country will learn nothing and has horrible history will repeat itself if we do not do something about this.

Thank you to the brave congress men and women who have stood by us and recognized our side as the American side. And we should all be proud once again to be Americans.

I want to just extend my thank you so much to all three of you very, very much. The first time we were here listening to the people yell, shame at you! And when she was here in support of us, really hit home and spoke some volumes. And I just -- and very much appreciate all of your support and we stand by you. Don't let any of them bully you. We're -- we're here for you.

Thank you guys.

[09:25:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow. Good morning, everyone. Thank you all so much for coming together today and taking the time to listen to us. Your presence means the world. And it shows commitment to understanding and supporting survivors and Americans.

I stand before you today with a heavy heart. I originated from Brazil, and I come -- I came to the United States when I was eight years old. I was only 14 when I first encountered Jeffrey Epstein. And my daughter is now almost at that age. At 14, the only thing she should be concerned with are going to school, practicing at her cheerleading competitions, and enjoying her time with her friends and family. She should not have to bear the burden of worrying about being manipulated or exploited. At this age, she is still a child, and no child should ever have to face such threats.

I also want to address a troubled state -- a troubling statement made by a prominent figure on a major platform, who suggested that a 14- year-old should not be considered a victim of pedophilia. This is a dangerous and incorrect notion. When we talk about how children at 14 should still be treated as children, I ask you to look at the young people around you. Remember when you were that age? Do you think you should have been responsible for being groomed? Put yourselves in our position when we were young.

I'm here today, not to just share my story, but to call on all of you to help make a difference. We need to support to push for the transparency act and release the Epstein files. Please reach out to your Congress members and senators and urge them to support this crucial legislation. The truth is something that we all deserve, and it is vital for safety and protection of a future of generations.

Think about all the young people in your life, your daughters, your nieces, your friends. Let's stand together and ensure that they grow up in a world where they are safe and valued. I often wondered, why did this happen to me? And then I realized, God only gives you what you can handle. I'm here for a purpose, and that purpose is to make a difference today. So, let's stand together to protect our children and our peace.

Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

I want to say a few things before I begin. My speech may not be great. It was thrown together last minute as I only came here -- decided Friday when one of us, who has spoken several times, decided she couldn't come because of the threats. She was too scared.

So, I want to say, when you threaten one of us, you're threatening all of us. We are together now. And that's never going to change.

This is me at 16 when I met Jeffrey Epstein.

Now I'll start.

It is an honor to stand here before the American people. However, I shouldn't have to stand here at all. I'm here because as a child I was pulled into Jeffrey Epstein's world. A world built on exploitation and manipulation of innocence and the protection of powerful men and women who believed that they were untouchable. Today, we'd rather be preparing for the holidays. We'd rather be at home with our families, baking with our children and decorating the Christmas tree as we try to move past this horrific moment that has impacted our entire adult lives.

However, that's not possible because it's become something it should have never been, political and sensationalized. The truth is simple, we were victimized as children and failed, repeatedly, by the very system that was supposed to protect us. That's why we stand here today to demand justice and accountability, not just for Epstein and his crimes, but for every predator and every enabler who participates in or protects abusers.

The Epstein case was gravely mishandled consistently and deliberately over many years. Epstein could have been stopped decades ago, but instead he was able to continue his abuse even during his sweetheart deal. Yes, with his ankle monitor on and beyond. A deal that protected him and silenced us.

While I was a child fighting to survive what happened to us, federal prosecutors were negotiating ways to shield powerful adults. And the failures didn't stop there. Our civil cases were met with hostile judges and delay tactics, intimidation and PR campaigns designed to smear us in the public eye.

[09:30:04]

We were treated as problems to be managed instead of victims to be protected.