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Part of: Epstein files floor speech and Oversight briefing (Sept. Nov. 2025) · The Epstein Files Fight · Epstein & the Files Vote

Tara Palmeri Show

How the Epstein Files Ended Her Political Career

Rep. Nancy Mace says the Epstein files cost her a political career. She said it on NewsNation on July 13, 2026, in an interview with Tara Palmeri published August 30, and on Jubilee on September 6. This documentary sets that account beside the record: the 2025 discharge petition she signed, her walkout from the September 2, 2025 meeting with survivors and her post about it, the president's posts, the 427 to 1 vote, her praise of the president in 2026, the May 29 endorsement of a rival, her fifth place finish in the June 9 primary, and what she said after. The president's endorsement post names neither Mace nor the Epstein files. The link between the two is her account.

"I signed the discharge petition for the Epstein victims, which is, I gave up my political career for that discharge petition and I would do it all over again."

That is Rep. Nancy Mace on the Tara Palmeri Show, in an interview published August 30, 2026. She said the same thing twice more that summer, on camera. On NewsNation, July 13, 2026, to Chris Cuomo: "It may have ended my political career, Chris." On Jubilee's The Split, published September 6, 2026: "I was one of four Republicans that voted, that signed the discharge petition. It cost me my political career."

Each time Epstein comes up, her answer is about her political career. That is her account. This documentary, about twelve minutes in eight chapters, sets it beside the record. The Short plays above; the full film is on the Maceopedia YouTube channel. Every quote below is verbatim, with the speaker, outlet and date.

The cause she took up

On July 16, 2025, a reporter asked President Donald Trump about the Epstein files in the Oval Office. He said: "It's all been a big hoax. It's perpetrated by the Democrats. And some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net. And so they try and do the Democrats' work." (Fox News, July 16, 2025.)

In the House, a discharge petition was collecting signatures. At 218 it would force a vote on releasing the files. On September 2, 2025, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky named the Republicans who had signed, on MS NOW: "It's myself and three women, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace, and Lauren Boebert. And these are women taking up for women."

September 2, 2025: the survivors meeting

That same day the House Oversight Committee met in private to hear survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. Mace left before it ended. Kristen Eskow, Washington correspondent for Nexstar, filmed her in the hallway (video on X).

At 3:15 that afternoon, Mace posted about her own reaction:

Nancy Mace on X, Sept. 2, 2025: Since it's already being reported, yes I left the Oversight briefing with Epstein victims early. Full blown panic attack. Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) on X, Sept. 2, 2025, 3:15 PM. The post continues past what the capture shows.

At 5:00 PM, Savanah Hernandez, a commentator and Turning Point USA contributor, replied to that post:

Savanah Hernandez on X, Sept. 2, 2025, replying to Nancy Mace Savanah Hernandez (@Savsays) on X, Sept. 2, 2025, 5:00 PM. Her opinion, attributed to her.

The next day, in the Oval Office, the president was asked about the files again: "So this is a Democrat hoax that never ends." (CNN, Sept. 3, 2025.)

On Sunday, September 7, Mace posted a video of her own:

Nancy Mace on X, Sept. 7, 2025: Why I cried listening to the Epstein victims share their stories. Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) on X, Sept. 7, 2025, 7:23 PM.

In the video she says: "Tuesday, I wasn't prepared for Tuesday. Number one, if I were prepared, that would have been a different outcome on Tuesday. I was not prepared for what I was walking into, um, I thought I was, but I really, I wasn't." And: "Anyway, so we had the meeting with the Epstein victims on Tuesday. I was okay until the third victim spoke. And it really hit close to home."

The petition and the pressure

On November 12, 2025, the petition reached its 218th signature (Roll Call). That afternoon the president posted on Truth Social. He called the matter the "Jeffrey Epstein Hoax" and blamed Democrats. One line reads: "Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap." The post names no member of Congress.

Donald J. Trump on Truth Social, Nov. 12, 2025 Donald J. Trump on Truth Social, Nov. 12, 2025, 2:03 PM, as archived by trumpstruth.org. The first lines of the post.

That evening, on the Capitol steps, Mace told reporters (LiveNOW from FOX): "Well, let me, the president, and he's been so good to people like me, to survivors like me, and I have supported him because he has protected women like me." And: "I'm never going to abandon victims. I'm never going to abandon survivors. And in fact in the last two years I've drafted over a dozen bills to protect women and children." Asked whether the president had asked her to take her name off the petition: "No, he has not."

Late that night she posted: "I signed the discharge petition. I was one of four Republicans to do so. I stand with all survivors." (post)

On November 16 the president posted that House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, "because we have nothing to hide." In a TV package published November 17, he said on camera: "They're using Jeffrey Epstein as a deflection from the tremendous success that we're having as a party." (13WHAM ABC News.)

On November 18 the bill reached the House floor. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: "Never forget there were four. Thomas Massie, myself, Nancy Mace, and Lauren Boebert." Mace thanked her colleagues, "the four of us making history today over the discharge petition." The House passed it 427 to 1. That night on CNN, Erin Burnett put the president's words to her. Mace: "And he's come around, and that's a good thing." The president posted the next day that he had signed the bill.

Winter and spring, 2026

In February 2026, running for governor of South Carolina, Mace was told on CBS News that a magazine said she had lost her relationship with the president. Her answer: "Well, none of that's true, actually. I have a great relationship with the president."

On February 11, 2026, at a press event with Epstein survivors on Capitol Hill: "This will go down as one of the greatest cover-ups in American history." The same day, on LiveNOW from FOX: "It's under President Trump and his administration that these files are even available for Congress ... Donald Trump is exonerated in the files." On March 4 she moved in the House Oversight Committee to subpoena the attorney general, Pam Bondi. On Fox News in early May she praised the president's handling of Iran ("And I commend him for it today") and, minutes later, said of the Epstein case: "I believe this has been a cover-up for 20-plus years."

May 29, 2026

The Republican primary for governor was eleven days away. At 9:22 AM, Mace posted: "Pamela Evette is NOT ENDORSED BY DONALD TRUMP. She's LYING." (post)

At 5:45 PM, the president posted on Truth Social. Near the end of a post of more than 250 words he wrote: "Pam has my Complete and Total Endorsement" and "SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"

Donald J. Trump on Truth Social, May 29, 2026, endorsing Pam Evette Donald J. Trump on Truth Social, May 29, 2026, 5:45 PM, as archived by trumpstruth.org. The lines with the endorsement.

The post does not mention Nancy Mace. It does not mention the Epstein files. No statement from the president tying the endorsement to her vote was found in the archive of his Truth Social posts through October 13, 2026. Evette posted that she was deeply honored to receive it.

At 7:03 PM Mace posted: "I know I put the likelihood of an endorsement on the line when I demanded transparency on the Epstein files." At 8:00 PM she issued a statement: "I have enormous respect for President Trump and everything he has done for our country and for South Carolina. That respect is genuine and it is unchanged." At 6:53 the next morning, May 30:

Nancy Mace on X, May 30, 2026: I voted to release the Epstein files. NO REGRETS. Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) on X, May 30, 2026, 6:53 AM.

The price

On CNN's State of the Union, June 7, 2026, two days before the primary: "And I knew what was on the line when I voted to release the Epstein files." And: "And if the price of an endorsement was to not vote to release the Epstein files, that is a price I'm unwilling to pay." And: "I wouldn't change a thing."

On June 9 she finished fifth. The Associated Press (Jeffrey Collins and Meg Kinnard) called it "a distant fifth." In her concession speech that night (News 19 WLTX): "I voted to release the Epstein files and lost some support for that." And: "And apparently, I chose wrong if the goal was winning an election."

After

Two days later, on June 11, she posted:

Nancy Mace on X, June 11, 2026: Will you get revenge on Trump for ending your political career? The answer is yes. Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) on X, June 11, 2026, 5:18 PM.

On NewsNation, July 13, 2026: "It may have ended my political career, Chris." And: "You win some, you lose some. I got my butt beat in the governor's race." In the interview Tara Palmeri published on August 30, 2026, asked whether Donald Trump is a good man: "I think so. I think he's got it in his heart. I obviously, I don't like what he did in the governor's race. As soon as he jumped in, I, my race completely tanked." And: "when you go against the machine, the machine comes after you and they come after you hard, they come after you until they run you out of office."

The record

Nancy Mace signed the 2025 Epstein discharge petition and kept her name on it. The House voted 427 to 1 to release the files. She ran for governor and finished fifth. Donald Trump endorsed a rival in a post that does not mention Mace or the Epstein files, and no statement from him tying it to her vote was found. The link between the two is her account. After the survivors meeting, she posted about her own panic attack. A year later she said the petition cost her a political career, and that she would do it all over again.

Sources and related coverage

Video in the documentary:

  • Tara Palmeri Show, interview published Aug. 30, 2026: YouTube
  • NewsNation, CUOMO, July 13, 2026: YouTube; Mediaite (Michael Luciano): clip and report
  • Jubilee, The Split, published Sept. 6, 2026: YouTube
  • Fox News, Oval Office, July 16, 2025: YouTube
  • MS NOW, All In with Chris Hayes, Sept. 2, 2025: YouTube
  • Kristen Eskow (Nexstar), hallway video, Sept. 2, 2025: X
  • Nancy Mace, her own video, Sept. 7, 2025: X
  • CNN, Inside Politics, Sept. 3, 2025: YouTube
  • LiveNOW from FOX, Nov. 12, 2025: YouTube
  • 13WHAM ABC News, published Nov. 17, 2025: YouTube
  • CBS News, House floor, Nov. 18, 2025: YouTube; Forbes Breaking News, House floor: YouTube
  • Newsmax, Nov. 18, 2025: YouTube
  • CNN, Erin Burnett OutFront, Nov. 18, 2025 (as reposted): YouTube
  • CBS News, The Takeout with Major Garrett, published Feb. 2, 2026: YouTube
  • Forbes Breaking News, Feb. 11, 2026: YouTube
  • LiveNOW from FOX, Feb. 11, 2026: YouTube
  • Forbes Breaking News, House Oversight Committee, March 4, 2026: YouTube
  • Fox News Live, published May 3, 2026: YouTube
  • WCNC Charlotte, May 30, 2026: YouTube
  • CNN, State of the Union, June 7, 2026: CNN
  • News 19 WLTX, June 9, 2026: YouTube

Posts:

Reporting:

On Maceopedia:

The documentary's narration is an AI-generated voice reading a script written and checked by Maceopedia. Edited and captioned clips; all footage belongs to the outlets and creators credited above.