Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace has faced criticism after breaking down during a meeting with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse network, yet continuing to endorse Donald Trump. In a video posted on X, the South Carolina representative explained that the testimony of one victim triggered a trauma response from her own history of rape.
Mace described how the survivor's fear of entering an elevator resonated with her own anxiety. 'When you're going through this thing, you feel like you're alone. And I think it really struck me that I'm not alone,' she said, adding that she suffered a 'full-blown panic attack' involving sweating, hyperventilating and shaking.
Despite this, Mace defended Trump, citing his ban on Epstein from Mar-a-Lago and claiming he was an FBI informant. 'Donald Trump is a hero in this,' she said. Trump has repeatedly denied ties to Epstein, calling allegations a 'Democrat hoax'.
Mace also criticised the House Oversight Committee for redacting names in 30,000 Epstein documents. 'You can't tell me there are over 1000 victims and there's only one accomplice,' she said, expressing frustration over the redactions.
Mace, who is running for governor, has been open about being raped at 16 and by her ex-fiancé, who denies the allegations. A former campaign consultant alleged she used bot accounts to attack critics, though Mace has not commented.
