Donald Trump Reacts to Ex-Prince Andrew's 'Very Sad' Arrest: 'It's a Shame'

President Donald Trump weighed in on the arrest of the royal formerly known as Prince Andrew, saying it was “a shame” and “so bad” for the British monarchy.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday, February 19, Trump repeatedly emphasized that the arrest was "so bad for the royal family" and expressed sympathy for King Charles III, whom he described as a "fantastic man.”

When asked by Fox News' Peter Doocy if American associates of late child predator Jeffrey Epstein might also face arrest, Trump shifted the focus to himself, stating, "I'm the expert in a way because I've been totally exonerated.”

Trump, who has not been totally exonerated, reiterated his stance on Andrew multiple times, saying, "to me, it's a very sad thing when I see that.”

The arrest of the exiled royal now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was related to allegations of misconduct in public office, specifically claims that Andrew shared sensitive trade documents with Epstein while serving as a U.K. trade envoy in 2010. Following his 11-hour detention, Andrew was released under investigation.

“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,’’ Andrew’s brother King Charles said in a statement. “As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.’’

Emails released by the Justice Department reportedly show Andrew forwarding "confidential briefs" to Epstein in 2010 regarding investment opportunities in Afghanistan and official reports on his visits to China, Singapore and Vietnam.

Following the King’s decision in late 2025, Andrew was stripped of his prince title, military honors and royal styles. He was also evicted from his longtime residence Royal Lodge earlier in February.

The latest document dump of Epstein files included photographs appearing to show Andrew on all fours over an unidentified woman and emails discussing business deals and introductions to various women.

Epstein’s most high-profile victim, the late Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April 2025, had accused him of sexual abuse when she was a teenager.

This marks the first arrest of a senior British royal in nearly 400 years. King Charles has stated that "the law must take its course" and confirmed the palace's cooperation with the investigation.

When asked if Americans may soon be arrested for their links to the late child predator, Trump bizarrely said he was an “expert” on the issue.

“You know I’m the expert in a way because I’ve been totally exonerated. It’s very nice. I can actually speak about it very nicely,” he said.

Opponents argue that being mentioned "thousands of times" in the files, with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) claiming he's mentioned over a million times — including reports of sexual misconduct — contradicts the idea of “total exoneration.”

Critics such as late-night host Stephen Colbert have mocked the claim, suggesting Trump does not understand the legal meaning of "exonerated," which usually follows a formal finding of innocence rather than a lack of charges in a specific document dump.

Some, including Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), have challenged him to "show us the evidence" of this exoneration rather than just declaring it.

Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) and others noted records suggest a relationship that was "longer and deeper" than Trump has publicly acknowledged.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) questioned why no arrests have been made in the U.S. in the wake of the British bombshell.

"The UK has arrested Andrew because of the Epstein files and over here the President signed an EO protecting cancer causing Glyphosate in our foods and we have zero Epstein related arrest and investigations since release of the files. And we are on the verge of going to war against Iran. That’s the current state of MAGA and MAHA," she wrote on X.