Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) walked out of a closed-door congressional meeting with Jeffrey Epstein’s victims on Tuesday — shaking, in tears, and clearly rattled.
Reporters outside the room watched as Mace, usually composed and camera-ready, brushed past them, eyes down and visibly emotional. She made no statement at the time, but her distress was obvious.
Just minutes later, she broke her silence on social media.
“Since it’s already being reported – Yes I left the Oversight briefing with Epstein victims early,” she wrote on X. “As a recent survivor (not 2 years in), I had a very difficult time listening to their stories. Full blown panic attack. Sweating. Hyperventilating. Shaking. I can’t breathe.”
It was a raw, unfiltered admission — not the sort of carefully curated political statement we usually see from members of Congress. And it cut through the typical Washington noise like a siren.
“I feel the immense pain of how hard all victims are fighting for themselves because we know absolutely no one will fight for us,” she continued. “GOD BLESS ALL SURVIVORS.”
Mace has previously shared her own experience as a sexual assault survivor, but the moment underscored just how personal — and traumatic — this work can be for those carrying that weight.
The meeting was part of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s ongoing probe into the federal government’s mishandling of the Epstein case. Several victims and accusers were invited to speak behind closed doors about their experiences — stories that, according to Democrats, may not have been “sufficiently represented in the Department of Justice’s records.”
It didn’t take long for the emotional toll to hit.
Sources inside the room said the testimonies were harrowing. These were women who have lived in silence for years — many still fighting for accountability, not just from Epstein (who died in 2019 under suspicious circumstances), but from the institutions that allowed him to operate in plain sight for decades.
Before the meeting, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the committee’s goal was twofold: hear the victims and hold federal agencies accountable.
“Yes, it’s for us to hear from them, to express our deep sympathy for what they’ve been made to endure and ensure that we have been and always will be for maximum transparency,” Johnson said. “For justice to be brought for all those engaged in these evils and to ensure that happens as quickly as possible.”
The committee has already subpoenaed the Department of Justice for more records related to the case. Some documents started trickling in last month, but lawmakers from both parties say it’s far from enough.
As for Mace, her reaction has sparked a wave of empathy from survivors and advocates online, many praising her vulnerability in a space that rarely makes room for it.
In a town where political armor is the default, Rep. Mace’s breakdown wasn’t weakness — it was proof that the stakes of this investigation are very real, and very human.
Watch the clip below:
Rep. Nancy Mace was visibly upset as she left the meeting with Epstein survivors at the Capitol. She declined to answer questions from reporters. pic.twitter.com/chEHwW9Ypt
— Kristen Eskow (@KristenEskow) September 2, 2025
