Donald Trump Reacts to King Charles Stripping Andrew of His Titles: ‘It’s Too Bad’

Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.

Over the years, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor kept the royal family on edge as new allegations about his controversial ties to Jeffrey Epstein continued to surface. Ultimately, King Charles put his foot down amid mounting public pressure and his brother's nonchalance. On October 30, Buckingham Palace announced that Mountbatten Windsor had relinquished his royal titles, including 'Prince.' After the news broke, US President Donald Trump expressed sympathy, dubbing it a 'tragic' situation that does not look good for the Firm.

In footage shared by Sky News, Trump was seen speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One. When asked how he felt about Mountbatten Windsor being stripped of his titles, the President responded, "It's a terrible thing that's happened to the family. That's been a tragic situation. It's too bad. I feel badly for the family."

Interestingly, he was too friends with Epstein, like Mountbatten Windsor, moving in the same social circles and attending parties together in the 1980s. For his part, Trump faced scrutiny over his ties to the disgraced financier in 2019 but has downplayed their relationship and denied any knowledge of Epstein's alleged crimes.

Shortly after Andrew's title loss, Trump came under pressure to make Epstein's alleged crime files public. Just days ago, Mountbatten Windsor's accuser, Virginia Giuffre's family, urged the King to put diplomatic pressure on Trump to release the files. According to GB News, back in February, Attorney General Pam Bondi released the first phase of documents relating to Epstein. However, in July, the Department of Justice (DoJ) released a memo stating that there was no 'client list' of the disgraced financier. Two months later, the House Oversight Committee published another 33,000 pages of materials tied to the investigation, though most of it was information already known to the public.

Buckingham Palace, in its statement, also mentioned that the former Prince would be vacating Royal Lodge. Shortly after, PEOPLE confirmed that he would be relocating to one of the properties on the Sandringham estate. It is also understood that his legally binding 'cast iron' Royal Lodge lease had complicated the process, since Charles, by oath, was required to uphold the country's laws. As a result, all parties had to negotiate for the former Duke to willingly give up the lease. 

As for Trump's relationship with Mountbatten Windsor, while they once had good ties, the President, too, distanced himself from the ex-royal after allegations of his abuse became public. In December 2019, when asked about Mountbatten Windsor amid his controversy, Trump remarked, "I don’t know Prince Andrew, but it’s a tough story, it’s a very tough story." His statement contradicted earlier photos showing him partying with Mountbatten Windsor. 

If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)