Republican Lawmakers Are Paying a High Price for Challenging Trump on the Epstein Files, and Nancy Mace Is the Latest in His Sights
Severe consequences.
Republican lawmakers who dared to challenge President Donald Trump over the Epstein files are learning the hard way that crossing him comes with consequences. The latest casualty is Representative Nancy Mace, who conceded her South Carolina gubernatorial primary on June 9 after getting trounced by Trump-backed Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette.
Mace’s loss isn’t just a setback for her political ambitions; it’s the latest example of how the Epstein files have become a litmus test for loyalty within the GOP, and how defying Trump can derail even the most promising careers. Mace’s defeat was decisive. According to the NY Post, with just 11.3% of the vote, she finished fifth in a crowded field, far behind Evette’s 29% and state Attorney General Alan Wilson’s 26%.
The two will now face off in a runoff, but the writing was on the wall the moment Trump threw his weight behind Evette. His endorsement reshaped the race overnight, turning Evette into the clear front-runner and leaving Mace scrambling to explain why the president had snubbed her.
Mace blamed the fall on her push to release the Epstein files
That push began last year when Mace joined a small group of Republicans, including Representatives Thomas Massie and Lauren Boebert, in demanding greater transparency from the Justice Department. The bipartisan effort, led by Massie and California Democrat Ro Khanna, used a discharge petition to force a House vote on releasing all unclassified records tied to Jeffrey Epstein, per Newsweek.
The move put them directly at odds with the White House, which called support for the petition a “very hostile act to the administration.” Trump himself signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act but later dismissed the controversy as a “hoax,” a stance that frustrated transparency advocates who argued the disclosures were incomplete and too slow.
For Mace, the fallout was immediate. Trump endorsed Evette on May 29, praising her as an “America First Patriot who has been with me from the very beginning.” He called Evette a “good friend, fighter, and WINNER” who “will never let you down.” Mace, meanwhile, was left to defend her record in interviews, insisting that Trump’s snub was tied to her stance on the Epstein files.
“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,” she said. “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.”
She doubled down on her choices
“This isn’t the end of the fight, but it is the end of a chapter,” she said, before endorsing Wilson in the runoff. She also said she knew she was putting “the likelihood of an endorsement on the line” by demanding transparency. “I demanded it because you deserved the truth – ALL OF IT – and as a survivor of a corrupt and broken court system, I will always pursue justice for those who deserve it,” she wrote.
Mace’s defiance is admirable, but it’s also a risky strategy in today’s GOP. The party’s base has made it clear that loyalty to Trump is non-negotiable, and challenging him on an issue as sensitive as the Epstein files is seen as a betrayal. That’s a lesson Massie learned the hard way. The Kentucky representative, who led the charge on the discharge petition, lost his primary in May to Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL who secured Trump’s endorsement.
Massie didn’t mince words about the reason for his defeat. “I think the biggest crime I committed against the swamp was showing the American people that somebody on the right could join somebody on the left and get something done,” he told NBC’s Kristen Welker after his loss.
Massie listed the others who paid a price
In a post on X, he wrote that the other Republican signatories of the discharge petition – Mace, Boebert, and former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene – had all paid “an enormous price” for their stance. Greene’s case was particularly dramatic. Once one of Trump’s most vocal supporters, she signed onto the petition and quickly found herself in the president’s crosshairs.
Trump called her “Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown” and made it clear he would back a primary challenger against her. Greene ultimately resigned from Congress, saying she wanted to spare her district a “hurtful and hateful primary.” She later told CNN that the public breakup with Trump had “all come down to the Epstein files.”
Colorado representative Boebert stumped for Massie in his primary, prompting Trump to ask 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,” he said.
Boebert, who is running unopposed in her primary, brushed off the comments as “part of the D.C. nature” but acknowledged that her support for transparency on the Epstein files had put her in Trump’s crosshairs. “I am going to ensure that President Donald Trump keeps his promises,” she had said, referring to the files.
The Epstein files have exposed deep divisions within the GOP
On one side are lawmakers like Mace and Massie, who argue that transparency is more important than loyalty to Trump. On the other are figures like Evette, who have made it clear that backing the president no matter what is the only path to victory. The message from the base is unmistakable: challenge Trump at your own risk. For Mace, that risk didn’t pay off.
The race for South Carolina’s governorship isn’t over yet. Evette and Wilson will face off in a runoff, and the Republican nominee will be the heavy favorite in November. South Carolina hasn’t elected a Democratic governor since 1998, so the GOP primary was always the real battle.
(Featured image: Gage Skidmore)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
