Rep. Nancy Mace Says She'll 'debate Anyone' At A Town Hall Where Opponents Were Asked To Leave

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — In an arena billed arsenic nan “mother of each municipality halls,” Rep. Nancy Mace, nan latest Republican campaigner for politician of South Carolina, said she’ll “debate anyone” and “go into nan lion’s den” — moreover arsenic immoderate who disagreed pinch her were asked to time off nan venue.

“I for illustration nan debate. I for illustration being asked reliable questions,” Mace told NBC News successful an question and reply aft nan event, held successful ruby reddish Horry County. “And you heard maine from nan podium pinch nan microphone, I really asked Democrats to speak up, inquire your questions, because I don’t fearfulness immoderate of nan reliable questions. That is democracy, and that’s what our state should beryllium about.”

But nan crowd astatine nan intimate, Veteran-owned cafe was friendly. Mace’s unit and volunteers handed retired run signs and buttons astatine nan doorway and asked respective group who came successful pinch signs and t-shirts reflecting their guidance to Mace, including personification wearing a “Love is Love” shirt, to time off earlier her remarks began.

Kathi Hunt and her husband, David, made it into nan venue, but told NBC News they felt pressured to time off aft not clapping aliases cheering Mace during her remarks. “I didn’t clap and I booed something, and nan female successful beforehand of maine turned astir and said, ‘What are you doing here?’” Kathi Hunt, an independent, said.

David Hunt, who is simply a Democrat, said he had an “overwhelming sense” they’d beryllium kicked retired of nan arena for not clapping alongside nan different attendees, truthful they left.

Asked astir her squad telling group to leave, Mace, who past held a municipality hallway successful her territory successful April, said she heard immoderate protestors wrong nan venue calling her supporters “a four-letter word, spot you adjacent Tuesday” but that she was not alert that others were pressured to exit nan cafe.

“I didn’t spot that astatine all,” Mace said. “And if I had seen an incident happen, I would person stopped, paused and made judge that everything was kosher and okay, because nan past point I want anybody to consciousness is not consciousness welcome.”

The South Carolina congresswoman said everyone has a correct to be her events, but intimidation and name-calling is wherever she draws nan line.

“Everyone has a First Amendment correct to beryllium here. I will reply immoderate questions. Republican, Democrat, independent, you tin travel to these events. They’re nationalist events, but what we’re not going to do is person group that intimidate different individuals, that telephone them really horrific names, wherever group don’t consciousness safe.”

Mace is nary alien to name-calling, many times and unapologetically utilizing a derogatory word for transgender group connected her X relationship online and successful official committee hearings astatine nan Capitol. She did not usage nan word during Wednesday’s event, but she overwhelmingly focused connected civilization warfare issues, chiefly targeting transgender Americans and vowing to propulsion costs from colleges and universities “that can’t specify what a female is.”

Speaking to NBC News aft nan event, Mace called herself “Trump successful precocious heels” and touted her adjacent narration pinch nan president. She besides said she supports his handling of nan Epstein files that person caused a rift among nan base, moreover aft she voted successful nan House Oversight Committee past period to require nan Justice Department to merchandise nan files.

Mace said she will besides motion connected to a bipartisan effort to unit a vote connected nan House level connected releasing nan files erstwhile Congress returns successful September. Pressed why nan Republican-led House needs to unit nan Republican administration’s manus connected nan Epstein issue, Mace said, “This is what populist looks for illustration … that is really nan House works.”

“I’m personification who’s worked and fought very difficult to protect women and children, and I will ever do that,” Mace argued.

Mace wouldn’t opportunity whether she has assurance successful Attorney General Pam Bondi, alternatively saying she has assurance “in nan process.”

The loudest applause Mace sewage each nighttime was for her committedness to “make judge that kid rapists get nan decease penalty.” She believes that’s “reflective of nan Epstein issue” because location is simply a “class of group that get distant pinch everything,” she said.

“I cognize this conscionable arsenic good arsenic anybody else, fixed nan trauma that I went done 2 years agone and seeing nan measurement that I was treated successful nan system,” she continued. “If I was treated that way, how’s everybody other treated?”

In February, Mace gave a 50-minute level reside accusing 4 men of rape, activity trafficking and different activity crimes against her and different women. In nan speech, she besides accused Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is now 1 of her opponents successful nan gubernatorial race, of deliberately delaying and failing to prosecute nan men. An accusation that Wilson said is “categorically false.”

Asked why she began her run circuit successful Myrtle Beach, Mace replied: “When it comes to nan MAGA voters, nan blimpish base, those who supported Donald Trump, this is erstwhile you get nan consciousness of nan vibe of wherever those voters are astatine — it’s correct here, and they’re a bellwether for nan remainder of nan state.”

“Right now, we’re successful a Republican primary, and that’s what we’re focused on, and we’ll recreation each astir nan state, to each azygous region who will person us,” Mace said.