🚨 PRINCE ANDREW'S ARREST IS A SIGNAL TO TRUMP AND LUTNICK

The Narativ | Know Sooner | If ‘no one is above the law' applies to the King's brother, it applies to the president and his commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, who is close to the royals.

Settle in! It’s a long one today.

THE NARATIV IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY GROUND.NEWS GET 40% OFF

1. 💣 ANDREW ARRESTED ON BIRTHDAY

Thames Valley Police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor this morning — on his 66th birthday — on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Six unmarked police vehicles arrived at Wood Farm on King Charles’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk shortly after 8 a.m. local time. Officers are simultaneously searching a second address at Royal Lodge in Berkshire, Andrew’s former residence near Windsor Castle. He remains in police custody. British police can hold him for 24 hours without charge, extendable to 96.

This is the first arrest of a senior member of the British royal family in modern history. The charge — misconduct in public office — carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The arrest follows the U.S. Justice Department’s release of more than three million pages of Epstein files on January 30. Among them: emails showing that on November 30, 2010, while serving as Britain’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, Andrew forwarded Jeffrey Epstein confidential reports from his official tour of Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam — minutes after receiving them from his special adviser, Amit Patel. Another email exchange from December 2010 shows Andrew sharing what he described as “a confidential brief” on potential investment opportunities in southern Afghanistan, where British forces were deployed.

Under U.K. government guidelines, trade envoys operate under the same obligations as government ministers: a “duty of confidentiality in relation to information received,” including “sensitive, commercial, or political information.” That duty continues after leaving the post. Andrew served as trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.

Anti-monarchy group Republic’s CEO Graham Smith filed the criminal report with Thames Valley Police, comparing Andrew’s actions to the parallel investigation into former U.K. Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson, who is already under Metropolitan Police investigation for sharing confidential information with Epstein. “I cannot see any significant difference between these allegations,” Smith said

King Charles issued a statement signed “Charles R” — not through Buckingham Palace — expressing “deepest concern” and stating that the investigation has “our full and wholehearted support and co-operation. Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.” Neither the King nor Buckingham Palace were informed of the arrest in advance, per standard police procedure.

Prince William and Princess Kate said they were “deeply concerned by the continuing revelations” and that “their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”

Virginia Giuffre’s family released a statement: “At last, today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty. On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the U.K.’s Thames Valley Police. He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking on BBC Breakfast before the arrest was announced: “Nobody is above the law. Everybody is equal under the law. It is really important that is applied across the board.”

Royal historian Kate Williams on CNN: “The royal family now have a huge problem on their hands. The question is going to be asked increasingly, ‘What did Charles know?’ And I think people are going to start saying, ‘What did William know?’”

📊 GROUND NEWS BIAS ANALYSIS:

Coverage splits Left 39%, Center 43%, Right 18%. Left-leaning outlets outpacing the rich-leaning outlets by 2-to-1. Left emphasizes “Epstein allegations” and “misconduct” to underscore accountability for elite impunity, often including the potential for life imprisonment. Right-leaning coverage focuses on the drama impacting the royal family, highlighting Andrew as the “favorite son of the late Queen” and using terms like “Epstein bombshells.” Center perspectives maintain a neutral tone, stressing “on suspicion of” and the police investigation process. All agree on the core facts — but the left frames it as a victory for justice while the right frames it as a challenge for the monarchy.

GET 40% OFF GROUNDNEWS BY CLICKING BELOW:

📡 SIGNAL TO WASHINGTON

The arrest sends a signal far beyond London — straight to Washington. Howard Lutnick, Trump’s Commerce Secretary, is deeply embedded in the royal-Epstein nexus. According to FBI files, Lutnick provided office space above Cantor Fitzgerald in New York for Sarah Ferguson’s charity Children in Crisis. Ghislaine Maxwell and Ferguson threw “La Dolce Vita” fundraising parties that ostensibly supported CIC, Stowe School and the Lutnick family’s Cantor Fitzgerald Fund — events that functioned as influence operations, funneling elite access through a philanthropic facade. Lutnick’s sister Edie was a founding citizen of Maxwell’s TerraMar Project. The Epstein files show Lutnick visited Epstein’s island with his family in 2012 and maintained contact through 2018. Ferguson’s own charity, Sarah’s Trust, shut down days after the January 30 file release.

And Trump himself — the man whose DOJ released these files — was honored by King Charles with an unprecedented second state visit to Windsor Castle in September 2025, where he called the visit “one of the highest honors of my life” and described Charles as a “longtime friend.” Protesters from Led By Donkeys projected images of Trump with Epstein onto the walls of Windsor Castle the night before the banquet. Five months later, Charles’s brother is in handcuffs. If the King’s own brother is not above the law, neither is the King’s dinner guest — nor his Commerce Secretary.

2. ⚖️ WEXNER SAYS HE WAS CONNED

Les Wexner, 88, sat for a six-hour closed-door deposition yesterday at his New Albany, Ohio mansion before the House Oversight Committee. He claims he was “duped by a world-class con man” and denied all wrongdoing. Democrats aren’t buying it. Ranking member Robert Garcia: “There would be no Epstein island, no Epstein plane, no money to traffic women and girls without Les Wexner.” Rep. Stephen Lynch: “There is no question in my mind that Les Wexner knew about this and failed to stop it.” Wexner’s name appears over 4,000 times in the Epstein files. The FBI labeled him a “co-conspirator” in a 2019 internal document. No Republican members attended the deposition. Bill and Hillary Clinton sit next week, February 26-27.

3. 🎖️ IRAN STRIKE BY SATURDAY

Pentagon tells Trump the military is ready to hit Iran as early as February 21. The largest air deployment to the Middle East since Iraq — 50+ fighter jets moved in 24 hours, two carrier strike groups positioned. Personnel being evacuated from the region ahead of possible action. Trump adviser to Axios: “90% chance of kinetic action in the next few weeks.” Geneva talks hit a wall. White House: “many arguments in favor of a strike.” State of the Union is Tuesday.

4. 📉 FEMA FROZEN IN SHUTDOWN

The Trump administration halted all FEMA disaster deployments during the DHS shutdown. Over 300 responders told to stand down. 17 active disaster declarations across the country, Oklahoma wildfires burning right now. FEMA has $7 billion in its disaster relief fund — separate from shutdown funding — but DHS issued a blanket stop-travel order anyway. Congress isn’t back until February 23.

5. 🌍 TRUMP’S “BOARD OF PEACE”

Trump convenes his inaugural Board of Peace at the self-named Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace today. 47 nations attending. $5 billion pledged for Gaza reconstruction — a fraction of the $70 billion needed. France, Britain, Russia, and China all absent. No Palestinian representation on the board. The charter gives Trump veto power and agenda control even after his presidency. Countries must pay $1 billion for permanent membership.

🎯 THE PATTERN

The Epstein files are doing in weeks what the justice system failed to do in decades. Andrew arrested in England. Wexner deposed in Ohio. Mandelson under investigation in London. The Clintons due next week. The DOJ’s document dump — three million pages released January 30 — is triggering simultaneous criminal and congressional consequences across two continents. While the old network scrambles to contain the damage, the administration that released the files is simultaneously preparing for war with Iran, freezing disaster relief, and building a parallel international body with Trump as permanent chairman. The accountability happening in the Epstein cases is real. The question is whether it extends to everyone the files name — or stops where power decides.

📺 TODAY’S SHOWS

3 PM FIVESTACK WITH DEAN BLUNDELL

I was a guest on PALANTALK with Nick Paro and Shane Yirak.