As King Charles prepares to visit Washington, D.C., a Democrat lawmaker is calling on him to use the trip to urge President Trump to release the remaining Epstein files and show support for the victims.
Ro Khanna, who, alongside Republican congressman Thomas Massie, helped pass legislation compelling the release of the documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein, told The Daily Telegraph that the move would demonstrate “international leadership” and help address scrutiny surrounding the Royal Family, particularly over the late financier’s links to Prince Andrew.
Buckingham Palace has previously said that neither King Charles nor Queen Camilla would meet Epstein’s victims during the trip, “for the best interest of the survivors themselves,” citing ongoing investigations in Britain.
Khanna also warned that Prince Andrew and former UK Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson had strained the special relationship by declining to testify before Congress about their connections to Epstein.
The King’s visit comes amid tensions between Keir Starmer and Trump over foreign policy. While Trump has expressed admiration for the monarch, the Epstein scandal risks overshadowing the trip.
Although Trump ultimately ordered the release of some Epstein-related files, roughly 2.6 million documents remain withheld by the U.S. Department of Justice.
“The Royal Family is caught up with the abuse of Epstein survivors,” Khanna told the newspaper. “There’s a direct allegation against the King’s brother, there are questions about who visited the royal court, what the monarchy knew about Andrew’s behavior, and why they didn’t speak out earlier.
“But given all of this, the King would make an enormous gesture by meeting the survivors, standing with them, and saying he understands that no one is above the law and no one has a right to abuse power,” Khanna continued, adding that he should meet victims privately if possible, or use his address to Congress to voice support.
“This is an opportunity for international leadership, and it’s a missed opportunity if the King doesn’t [take it],” Khanna said. “Britain has shown more of a willingness to hold the elites accountable. I think that they’ve done much better than we have. We have not had a single investigation or prosecution.”
Khanna also urged lawmakers to show respect during the King’s upcoming address.
“I don’t think any member of Congress will or should heckle him,” he said. “It’s not a gotcha moment.”
He acknowledged that efforts to compel testimony from Prince Andrew and Mandelson are unlikely to succeed due to jurisdictional limits.
“My sense is that we’ve exhausted those… it would require diplomatic negotiation,” he said. “But they should come. It’s important for the relationship. They should come and answer questions.”
Khanna added that a strong statement from the monarch could mark a turning point.
“It would be a redemption for the British monarchy… given the actions of his brother,” he said.
Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April 2025, had alleged she was trafficked to Prince Andrew as a teenager. He has repeatedly denied the claims.
“What’s important is that the King says, as a representative of the British people, ‘I stand with the survivors,’” Khanna continued. “‘I understand they were abused. I understand that they can’t be two tiers of justice in the world.’”
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