U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace ends USC event early after contentious Q&A

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace ended a Monday speaking event at USC early after audience members posed questions about her policies and a viral confrontation she had over the weekend with a constituent in a Mount Pleasant store. 

Then, before Mace left the event, she had another viral confrontation that involved what many perceive as hateful language.

Mace on Saturday posted a video to her TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) accounts of a confrontation she had with a man in an Ulta Beauty store that later went viral. The man asked Mace if she would hold a town hall. After a short back and forth, Mace said he was harassing her and shouted “F— you!” multiple times. She called him part of the “lunatic left” and, unprompted by anything he had said, told him she twice had “voted for gay marriage.”

Mace and the man, who identified himself as Ely Murray-Quick, each went on Sunday political talk shows to explain their point of view.

The University of South Carolina event was sponsored by the school’s chapter of the conservative organization Turning Point U.S.A. Mace spoke for a few minutes before audience members began to interrupt. 

Several shouted questions about the weekend confrontation.

One audience member, Kimberley Cockrell, said she came after watching video of the confrontation. 

“When I saw what she did in Ulta days ago, (I) was absolutely disgusted that she attacked what she perceives to be a gay man,” she said. “When I found out she was coming, that was my last straw. And the fact that she refuses to do town halls.” 

Holly Sox, another audience member, disliked Mace’s conduct. 

“I, too, think it’s disgraceful, the way that she talks,” she said. “I drop f-bombs, but I don’t do it at work.” 

Reporters spoke with Mace prior to the event. When asked about the confrontation and her use of profanity, Mace said, “Are you kidding me? Are you f—–g kidding me?” Mace told the reporters what was important was that she was standing up for herself. 

In the Russell House auditorium, some of the 50 or so audience members interrupted Mace with shouted questions without microphones. 

Microphones then were brought out for audience members. Some continued to shout questions, and others asked Mace to let the questioners speak while audibly reacting to Mace’s responses. 

USC Dean of Students Marc Shook interrupted the questioning to warn the audience. 

“We at the University of South Carolina respect the constitution and do not allow ‘heckler’s veto,'” he said. “This is an invited speaker. She is engaging you in Q&A. You have the right to be here. You have the right to disagree, but you cannot limit her ability to speak. If you do so, you will be asked to leave.”

One audience member asked Mace about her general conduct. 

“As someone you probably consider (to be) a ‘lunatic left,’ how am I supposed to feel confident in you as an elected official of mine, when all you do is blanket statement me and label me as a lunatic left?” one woman asked.

Mace responded that she is willing to work with anyone but quickly said she receives death threats from some.  

Mace later mentioned the death of USC student Nathaniel “Nate” Baker as an example of why she espouses a tough immigration stance. Police say Baker died when an undocumented immigrant hit him near campus while driving a pickup truck. 

“I want every single illegal who is here, I want them out,” she said. “I want them gone. … If you’re here illegally, you don’t have any rights, in my opinion.”

Mace ended the event 30 minutes after it began.

Brendan Connors, president of USC’s chapter of Uncensored America, a conservative activist organization, said he expected what unfolded. 

“In my experience, I 100% knew something like that was going to happen,” he said. 

But not everyone left the room, and audience members approached the stage afterward to speak to Mace. USC student Harley Hicks, who identified herself as transgender, was one of them. After a quick conversation, Mace said an anti-transgender derogatory term six times to her.   

“Is t—-y derogatory to you? Is t—-y? … Yeah, t—-y. Yeah, t—-y, t—-y, t—-y!” Mace said.

Mace later posted the video of her and Hicks’ exchange to her TikTok page. In the post, Mace said one of her security staff believed Hicks was going to throw a potted plant from the stage at her.  The video has received more than two million views.

“Me, I get to say it because I am a trans woman,” Hicks told the Carolina News & Reporter after Mace left. “I think it is offensive to use that word. She knows better. She is an elected official.”