Nancy Mace says her support for releasing Epstein files cost her Trump's endorsement in South Carolina's governor race.
Mace argues her support for greater transparency in the Epstein case was the key factor behind Trump's decision to back her rival. The president has not spoken about seeking revenge.
Politics "That's the sole reason I didn't get the endorsement, because I voted to release the Epstein files, and I'm okay with that," Mace told"I've worked very hard to expose pedophiles, and child rapists, and sex trafficking in my state, and will continue to do it regardless of the outcome of the election.
" The endorsement has reshaped the race, with Evette emerging as the front-runner in recent polling and prediction markets after receiving Trump's backing. "Pam Evette is a good friend, fighter, and WINNER, and will be a terrific Governor of South Carolina," the president wrote last week. Despite Evette's rise, Mace has publicly downplayed the political impact of Trump's endorsement, telling Fox News Digital that it had only a limited effect on polling.
Still, her comments underscore lingering tensions inside the Republican Party over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files—an issue that briefly put Trump at odds with some of his own allies in Congress. The bipartisan push to release government records related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became an unexpected source of friction between Trump and a group of Republican lawmakers who demanded greater transparency.
Although Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, directing the Justice Department to release all unclassified records tied to the case, critics argued the disclosures were incomplete and moved too slowly.who had championed the legislation, creating a rare public disagreement between Trump and members of his own party. At times, Trump dismissed the controversy as a"hoax" driven by political opponents, while transparency advocates continued pressing for additional disclosures.
The dispute never developed into a broader rebellion against the president, but it exposed divisions within the GOP and raised questions about how far lawmakers were willing to challenge Trump on an issue that remained highly sensitive among Republican voters. Now, as primary campaigns intensify ahead of next year's elections, some Republicans believe the fallout from that debate may still be shaping political contests—including South Carolina's closely watched race for governor.
The Kentucky representative, alongside California Democrat Ro Khanna, led the bipartisan effort to force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files. Massie employed a discharge petition to bypass GOP leadership on the matter, support for which the White House said would be a"very hostile act to the administration.
", a former Navy SEAL who won the Kentucky primary after securing President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Massie had several times publicly sparred with Trump, who called him"worst and most unreliable Republican Congressman in the history of our Country.
" Massie had voted against Trump’s signature tax and spending bill, while criticizing U.S. support for Israel and the Iran war, and has blamed his loss on this perceived disloyalty to the president as well as his efforts to release the Epstein files.
"I think the biggest crime I committed against the swamp, Kristen, was showing the American people that somebody on the right could join somebody on the left and get something done, which is releasing the Epstein files, that everybody knew needed to be done," he said in an interview withAnd in a post to X in late May, Massie said that the petition’s other Republican signatories—Representative Mace, Representative Lauren Boebert and former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene—hadover the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein case. Mace has not faced the same level of public criticism from Trump as Massie, and has been more openly supportive of the president, despite reportedly facing pressure over her backing of efforts to release the files.
But, like Massie, Mace has blamed her failure to secure the president’s support in her primary race on the case.
"If the price of an endorsement was to not vote to lease the Epstein files, that is a price I am unwilling to pay," Mace said during an appearance on CNN on Sunday. Long one of the president’s most diehard supporters in Congress and a key figure within the GOP’s MAGA wing, former Representative Greene became more critical of Trump’s administration in the second half of 2025 when it came to foreign policy but also the Epstein files.
Greene signed onto Massie’s discharge petition, and entered a public war of words with the president, culminating in her resignation from Congress. Greene said the decision was made to spare her district a"hurtful and hateful primary," after Trump had said he would support a challenger against the Georgia representative.on Truth Social, calling her"Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown" and claiming she did not want to face a"Primary Challenger with a strong Trump Endorsement.
" Greene, meanwhile, believes that the Epstein case was central, telling CNN prior to her announcement that the public breakup had"all come down to the Epstein files. "The last Republican name on Massie’s discharge petition, the Colorado representative has likewise faced Trump’s ire and threats of a challenge in her bid for reelection. Boebert stumped for Massie in his failed primary race, leading Trump to ask via Truth Social in mid-May whether"anyone" was interested in running against the"Weak Minded" representative.
"Even though I long ago endorsed Boebert, if the right person came along, it would be my Honor to withdraw that Endorsement, and endorse a good and proper alternative," Trump wrote. Boebert is running unopposed in her primary, however, and the date to apply for a spot on the ballot has passed.
The representative has said she continues to support President Donald Trump, and brushed off his comments as"part of the D.C. nature" in an interview with the Colorado station 9News. However, Boebert has acknowledged that her support for full transparency concerning the Epstein files has put her in the president’s crosshairs.
"I am going to ensure that President Donald Trump keeps his promises," Boebert said in a recent interview with CBS News, referring to the Epstein files.
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