House speaker Mike Johnson says there won’t be an Epstein files vote before September – US politics live

Key events

Show key events only

Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature

Mike Johnson says there won't be an Epstein files vote before September

Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. Mike Johnson, the House speaker, has pushed back against growing calls for a vote on releasing any files on Jeffrey Epstein – saying he does not plan to allow votes on any measures relating to the convicted sex offender before Congress breaks for the summer.

A number of Trump supporters in Congress have argued for a vote to show transparency and introduced a non-binding resolution calling for the release of additional Epstein files. But Johnson, a key ally of the president, told CNN on Monday there would be no vote before Congress returns in September.

He said:

My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing, and if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we’ll look at that, but I don’t think we’re at that point right now, because we agree with the president.

It remains to be seen whether that effectively tamps down Republican clamor for more information.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, has a bilateral meeting the the president of the Philippines today. The president will greet Ferdinand Marcos Jr at the White House at 11am ET before a meeting set for 11.15am and a lunch at 11.45am.

The two leaders are expected to talk about trade ahead of a fast-approaching tariff deadline on 1 August.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday: “Perhaps this will be a topic of discussion. You will all see for yourselves in the Oval Office, as you always do. But the August 1 deadline is just the start date for when the United States of America will begin collecting this revenue from all of the countries around the world who the president has sent these letters to.”

We’ll bring you all the latest politics news as it happens.