Yea I don't know what Trump was thinking he could do here.
Republicans clearly want everything released, because they don't want the Epstein files issue hanging over their heads, come midterm elections (or even primaries, if MAGA candidates challenge them). But it is widely rumored that dozens of people have copies of the Epstein files, and there is a type of mutually assured destruction going on here: If Trump releases too much and burns some of Epstein's clients like Bill Clinton, then Bill Clinton might leak his own version of the files to the media which buries Trump.
Trump doesn't have any good choices. Either continue the cover-up, or bury himself.