Newly surfaced audio reveals Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) told attendees at a Muscogee County GOP meeting that he believes former President Donald Trump is mentioned in Jeffrey Epstein–related case files — and that those records should be made public.
The recording, obtained and published by the Washington Examiner, captures Collins responding to a voter’s question about whether Trump appears in the files. “I believe he’s in there,” Collins said, while adding that Trump had previously reported Epstein to the FBI and banned him from Mar-a-Lago. “We need to release it. I have no problem releasing it,” he continued, cautioning that legal hurdles involving judges and grand jury material have slowed disclosure.
The comments have injected new tension into Georgia’s Republican Senate primary, where Collins, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley are all seeking Trump’s endorsement. While Collins has positioned himself as an advocate for transparency on Epstein, Carter has echoed Trump’s stance. In an interview with Savannah’s WJCL last month, Carter said, “I support the president, and I trust the president,” signaling he is in “lockstep” with Trump on the matter. Dooley has largely sidestepped the issue.
The controversy underscores broader GOP divisions over how to handle the files of the convicted sex offender, who died in federal custody in 2019. Trump has faced criticism for failing to follow through on earlier pledges to release the records. Democrats have seized on the dispute. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), up for re-election in 2026, said in a July speech: “He promised to release the Epstein files. Did anyone really think the sexual predator president, who used to party with Jeffrey Epstein, was going to release the Epstein files?”
Collins has repeatedly pushed for public access to high-profile case documents. Earlier this year, he tweeted calls to release not only the Epstein files but also records related to the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting and long-sealed Kennedy assassination materials. His campaign has even fundraised off the House Oversight Committee’s subpoenas tied to the Epstein investigation, calling the issue “bigger than Russiagate.”
A Collins campaign spokesman dismissed the uproar in a statement to the Examiner, calling the flap “a massive nothingburger from never-Trump consultants using DNC talking points.” The spokesman insisted Collins’ words were being twisted, adding: “President Trump was right about everything, kicked Epstein to the curb, and did nothing wrong.”
The Wall Street Journal reported in July that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump during a routine briefing that his name appeared in Epstein case files — though the mention did not imply misconduct. Still, Collins’ remarks mark a rare acknowledgment from within Trump’s political base that the former president’s name may surface in the controversy.