Representative Nancy Mace emerged visibly shaken after attending a closed-door session of the House Supervisory Committee, which included testimonies from victims of Jeffrey Epstein. She described feeling overwhelmed, saying the stories shared had incited a “completely blown away panic attack.”
In a video, the South Carolina Republican, who has previously shared her own experiences as a sexual assault survivor, can be seen wiping tears from her face while hurriedly walking through a corridor filled with reporters.
When pressed for comments, the lawmaker declined to elaborate further, although she later took to X to discuss her hyperventilation during the meeting.
“As a recent survivor—it’s been less than two years—I found it incredibly difficult to sit through their accounts. I experienced a severe panic attack. I was sweating, hyperventilating, shaking. It felt like I couldn’t get a breath,” she shared.
Expressing her empathy for victims, she added, “No one seems to fight for us, and that immense pain resonates for every survivor. God bless all of them.”
During the session, six of Epstein’s accusers met with committee members, including Speaker James Comer and House Speaker Mike Johnson. The House stated that they had learned “additional names” of individuals who might provide more details regarding convicted pedophiles, particularly in light of a notable suicide in a Manhattan prison in 2019.
After the meeting, Johnson described the experience as infuriating yet heartbreaking, noting, “Justice has been delayed for a long time.”
In a previously recorded speech back in February, Mace had made serious accusations against her ex-fiancé and three other men, alleging sexual offenses committed against her and numerous other women, some of whom were minors.
Her allegations included rape, voyeurism, and other forms of sexual abuse, bolstered by evidence from over 10,000 videos and images.
Representative Thomas Massie and Representative Locanna are spearheading a petition to push for the public release of Epstein’s government files. This petition requires 218 signatures to compel a House vote to mandate the Department of Justice to disclose these files.
Reports indicate that Mace is currently one of four Republicans backing the petition, joined by Lauren Boebert from Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia.
