Donald Trump felt “badly” for the UK royal family after Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was stripped of his titles and called the situation “tragic.“He made the remarks when asked by an AFP reporter aboard Air Force One about the recent saga.
“It’s a terrible thing that’s happened to the family,” Trump said. “That’s been a tragic situation, and it’s too bad. I mean, I feel badly for the family.”On Thursday the King took the dramatic decision to officially remove Andrew’s Prince and Duke of York titles and HRH style. The move followed pressure after the publication of Giuffre’s devastating posthumous memoir, detailing fresh accusations about his ties with Epstein. Andrew denies the accusations. He will now move to a property on the Sandringham Estate, which will be privately funded by the King.Meanwhile, in the US, members of a congressional committee investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case have intensified their calls for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to answer questions about his links to the late sex offender. At least four Democrat members of the House Oversight Committee renewed their calls for Andrew to testify, although the panel is controlled by Republicans, who have not indicated they would support the move. Congressman Suhas Subramanyam told the BBC: “If he wants to clear his name, if he wants to do right by the victims, he will come forward”. Andrew could appear remotely, have a lawyer present and could speak to the panel privately, Subramanyam said. “Frankly, Andrew’s name has come up many times from the victims,” he told Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday. “So he clearly has knowledge of what happened and we just want him to come forward and tell us what he knows.” He added: “No matter who it is – American or not – everyone should be looked at.” Fellow committee member Raja Krishnamoorthi told BBC Newsnight he would be willing to formally summon Andrew with a subpoena, although he conceded this would be difficult to enforce while he was outside of the US.
