Nancy Mace under fire after Trump-voting town hall attendee 'jeered' for not clapping
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) claimed she was holding the "Mother of All Town Halls," and pledged she would answer questions from anyone, including Democrats. However, anyone who appeared to disagree with her was removed from the event by Mace's security.
Mace began the town hall by claiming she would "go anywhere" to spread President Donald Trump's message.
"I don't mind doing it. I'll go into the lion's den," Mace claimed.
But according to NBC News reporter Julie Tsirkin, that's not what happened.
The police were on hand for the event, but it was Mace's staff who removed anyone who was even suspected of being anti-Trump or even independents and Democrats.
"Hardly the lion's den," Tsirkin quipped.
"Mace's team started kicking out anybody who was visibly going to be against her message. One woman was wearing a 'Love is Love' shirt," the reporter said. "We also talked to people who were not wearing any signs, didn't have any shirts."
"One woman, Cathy Hunt, who I spoke to, she's an independent. She voted for Trump at one point," Tsirkin said. "She said, though, that she left because she didn't applaud at something that Mace said, getting eyes and jeers from the crowd around her and she didn't feel comfortable. One woman asking her what she's doing there."
While Maced announced she was running for governor of the state, town halls are generally public events for citizens in the district of the lawmaker. However, this area wasn't in Mace's district. It was in one of the most conservative areas of the state.
"The last thing I want is anybody to feel is not feel welcome. And I don't — I mean, we had dozens of protesters outside, I welcome it," said Mace.
Those protesters were not allowed inside, however. They didn't get to ask Mace any questions.
"I like the debate. I like being asked tough questions," claimed Mace. "And you've heard me from the podium with the microphone. I actually asked Democrats to speak up. Ask me your questions, because I don't fear any of the tough questions. I don't fear having a colloquy or having a debate. That is democracy, and that's what our country should be about."
Tsirkin pointed out that there weren't any independents or Democrats in the room to ask questions. "They were all your supporters."
"I was told there were Democrats in the room," claimed Mace. "I was hoping we'd get a couple of questions from them."
Tsirkin said she has no idea who told her that there were non-Republicans in the room, but there weren't.
It isn't the first Mace controversy around town halls. Mace scolded her own constituents after her office was flooded with calls because she ducked a town hall event in her district.
"Your BS calls are taking away from people who have real needs in our community," Mace complained about "completely evil" constituents. "Not one person has any issue with a federal agency that we can assist them with."
"You don't have any issues that need to be resolved," she insisted. "You're just being nasty. You're being ugly. You're being hateful. Stop it."
During Wednesday's campaign event, Mace only took questions for about ten minutes, and one person had an issue involving transgender people.
"But they were all Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats, wearing red, wearing Nancy Mace pins and buttons," said Tsirkin.
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