Republican South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace was accused of being a "crisis actor" online when she showed up wearing an arm sling after claiming to be attacked by a "pro-trans" man at the Capitol building.
Mace is a vocal opponent of transgender rights who championed a resolution banning House members and staffers from "using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex."
She introduced the Capitol restroom measure after Democratic Representative-elect Sarah McBride became the first transgender person elected to Congress in November.
According to Newsweek, authorities arrested James McIntyre, a 33-year-old foster care advocate from Chicago, on charges of assaulting a government official in response to a complaint filed by Mace's office regarding an incident in the Rayburn House Office Building.
Nancy Mace suffered a brutal handshake injury and now has her arm in a sling
[image or embed]
— David Pakman (@davidpakman.bsky.social) December 11, 2024 at 5:41 PM
Online, Mace referred to McIntyre and claimed:
"I was physically accosted at the Capitol tonight by a pro-tr*ns man. One new brace for my wrist and some ice for my arm and it'll heal just fine."
She continued:
"The Capitol police arrested the guy. Your tr*ns violence and threats on my life will only make me double down."
But according to witnesses at Tuesday's event honoring the anniversary of a landmark child welfare law, they only saw McIntyre shaking Mace's hand.
Mace was even caught tweeting about the "assault" in the third person, indicating she thought she had switched to a sockpuppet X account.
Whoops!
Mace's former communications director Natalie Johnson drew from her experience working with Mace to conclude the Congresswoman was putting on an act for attention.
Johnson called her out on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
"This is the same woman who told staff, myself included, during Jan. 6 that she wanted to get 'punched in the face' by a rioter so she could get on TV."
"She’s full of sh*t and her prop of a sling is a pathetic ploy for attention."
Johnson previously slammed Mace over her obsession with her anti-trans restroom resolution, writing:
"Tweeting 262 times about a bill that applies to like .00000001% of Congress in 36 hours is definitely about protecting women. It's certainly not just a ploy for media attention."
In another post, Johnson wrote:
"If you think this bill is about protecting women and not simply a ploy to get on Fox News, you've been fooled."
One of the two witnesses who came forward disputing Mace's assault claim was Lisa Dickson, a veteran advocate for foster youth from Ohio.
Dickson explained on Facebook about what really went down.
She wrote:
"I want to express deep disappointment in the fact that Congresswoman Nancy Mace came to a national foster youth event, told participating youth that it was a safe space—and literally had one of them arrested by Capital police for simply shaking her hand and asking about trans rights."
Nancy Mace is wearing a sling after a man shook her hand for 3-5 seconds. She's calling that an "assault." What an utter joke.
[image or embed]
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@artcandee.bsky.social) December 11, 2024 at 4:31 PM
Hmmm, why not put your arm through the jacket sleeve and then sling? If you are going to fake it, fake it better.
— Mastiff Mom (@mastiffmom.bsky.social) December 12, 2024 at 11:00 AM
That’s MAGA always playing the Victim, these people are Pathetic examples of Humans. I prefer dogs
— Disciple of Marcus Aurelius (@stoicveteran.bsky.social) December 12, 2024 at 9:56 AM
Let's see the medical records. What Dr or hospital? Were there x- rays? MRI? Cat scan? No, a mentally ill, ineffective congress person.
— Denise Fusco Cohen (@jrzygrl129.bsky.social) December 12, 2024 at 11:01 AM
The second witness was Elliott Hinkle, a former foster youth and LGBTQ+ rights advocate.
She said she saw Mace at the event leaving a room after finishing delivering her remarks and being approached by McIntyre who wanted to greet her and briefly mention the transgender youth in foster care who "need [her] support."
Hinkle recalled:
"From what I saw, it was a normal handshake and interaction that I would expect any legislator to expect from anyone as a constituent."
She added that McIntyre's arrest "sends a chilling effect of, you're not actually safe to go to the Capitol Hill and share an opinion that is true for you, that isn't violent—because right now if you do, a congressperson might say that they were physically assaulted and call the police on you."
Hinkle asked, "How would a young person in care feel safe?"
Last month, McBride mentioned Mace's transphobic bill in a statement to Newsweek, calling it a:
"Blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing."
"We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars."
"Delawareans sent me here to make the American dream more affordable and accessible and that's what I'm focused on."
In a hearing video on Wednesday, McIntyre pleaded not guilty to the charge of assaulting a government official and was released under the condition he stays at least 100 yards away from Mace.
The judge also ordered him to stay out of Washington.
