Trump Says He’s ‘Totally Exonerated’ Amid Epstein Files and Prince Andrew Arrest

President Donald Trump is once again pushing back hard on any suggestion that he has ties to Jeffrey Epstein’s wrongdoings, especially after the dramatic arrest of former Prince Andrew in the UK.

On Thursday, February 19, 2026, just hours after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (the ex-Prince Andrew) was taken into custody in Britain, Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One. The question came from Fox News’ Peter Doocy: With Andrew now facing arrest over allegedly sharing confidential documents with Epstein during his time as a UK trade envoy, could more of Epstein’s American associates end up in handcuffs too?

Trump didn’t hesitate. “I’m the expert in a way because I’ve been totally exonerated,” he said. “That’s very nice. I can actually speak about it very nicely. I think it’s a shame. I did nothing.”

He went on to call Andrew’s situation “very sad” and “so bad for the royal family,” repeating that it’s a “very sad thing” all around.

The timing was striking—Andrew’s arrest stemmed from a complaint by the anti-monarchy group Republic, with police confirming they were assessing allegations of misconduct in public office. Officers showed up early that morning at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, where Andrew has been living recently. He was held for about 11 hours before being released, still under investigation.

Trump has made similar comments before, including just days earlier on February 16, when he told reporters he has “nothing to hide” and has “been exonerated,” insisting investigators “found just the opposite” of what some expected.

The two men—Trump and Epstein—were known to socialize in the 1990s and early 2000s, with photos from events like parties at Mar-a-Lago surfacing over the years. Trump has long maintained he cut ties years ago, didn’t know about Epstein’s crimes at the time, and had no involvement whatsoever. Back in 2019, he flatly said, “No, I had no idea,” when asked if he knew about any abuse.

This latest flare-up comes amid ongoing releases of Epstein-related files, stirring fresh scrutiny and debate. Andrew has denied wrongdoing in his Epstein connections, and the UK case is still developing—experts note misconduct in public office can be tough to prove, but convictions could carry serious penalties if it goes further.

Trump, for his part, seems determined to frame himself as fully cleared and on the outside looking in at what he calls a tragic mess for others.