US representative for South Carolina’s First congressional district, Nancy Mace, tweeted: ‘Now seems like a good time to discuss prosecuting Prince Andrew for any and all potential crimes on US soil.’
A senior Republican and close ally of Donald Trump today declared that “now seems like a good time to discuss prosecuting Prince Andrew” after breaking down in tears during a harrowing Epstein hearing.
Nancy Mace, the US Representative for South Carolina’s First Congressional District, made the explosive remarks after leaving a closed-door Oversight Committee briefing where victims of Jeffrey Epstein gave testimony. The lawmaker, who is also running for Governor of South Carolina, later admitted she had suffered a panic attack while listening to the women recount their ordeals.
Writing on X, she told her 668,000 followers: “Now seems like a good time to discuss prosecuting Prince Andrew for any and all potential crimes on US soil. Seems like the right next step (after we release the files). Perhaps we can focus on prosecuting predators next. Let victims, survivors and the country heal.” Prince Andrew has always denied the allegations against him.
The Republican politician, a rising star in her party, added that she had been unable to remain in the hearing due to the impact of the testimony. “Since it’s already being reported – Yes, I left the Oversight briefing with Epstein victims early. As a recent survivor (not two years in), I had a very difficult time listening to their stories. Full-blown panic attack. Sweating. Hyperventilating. Shaking. I can’t breathe.”
She continued: “I feel the immense pain of how hard all victims are fighting for themselves because we know absolutely no one will fight for us. God bless all survivors.”
Her intervention piles fresh pressure on Prince Andrew, who has long denied allegations of sexual abuse linked to Epstein but remains deeply entangled in the scandal.
Mace tweeted after more than 10 victims of Epstein, some of whom have never spoken publicly before, today broke their silence in Washington.
The victims, who include Teresa Helm Jess Michaels, came together to call on America’s lawmakers to finally release secret records that could shed light on Epstein’s network of powerful friends and associates. The move followed Donald Trump’s dramatic campaign U-turn on a promise to publish the files. The president had pledged transparency.
But he reneged just weeks ago – days after Elon Musk claimed Trump’s name appeared in the files. His refusal has fuelled suspicions of a cover-up.
The women were brought together by two unlikely allies: Congressman Ro Khanna, a progressive Democrat from California, and Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky. Together, they are spearheading a push to release the Epstein files in full. The lawmakers have invoked the rare use of a “discharge petition” – a legislative move designed to bypass party leadership and force a floor vote.
To succeed, the petition requires 218 signatures, representing a simple majority of the House of Representatives. With all 212 Democrats already pledged, just six Republicans would need to defy Trump to tip the balance.
But finding those votes will not be easy. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a loyal Trump ally, has condemned the effort. He insists the House Oversight Committee is already reviewing Epstein-related documents and argues a separate vote is unnecessary.
The White House has already expressed its opposition. One senior official warned that backing the petition would be seen as “a hostile act”, accusing Massie and his Democratic partners of seeking headlines.
“Helping Thomas Massie and Liberal Democrats with their attention-seeking, while the Department of Justice is fully supporting a more comprehensive file release effort from the Oversight Committee, would be viewed as a very hostile act to the administration,” the official said.
For Andrew, the sight of Epstein’s victims rallying in Washington is a stark reminder of his own tainted history with the convicted paedophile. In 2010, the Duke, 65, was photographed walking through New York’s Central Park with Epstein, two years after Epstein had already been convicted of sex offences.
The image, showing the royal deep in conversation with his disgraced pal, has become one of the most damaging of his career. He was later accused by Virginia Giuffre of sexually abusing her when she was just 17, having been trafficked by Epstein. Andrew vehemently denied the allegations.
In 2022, Andrew agreed to pay Giuffre a reported £12 million to settle her civil lawsuit in New York. The settlement carried no admission of guilt.