Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) found herself in a heated exchange with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday during an appearance on This Week. Stephanopoulos brought up Donald Trump’s recent civil judgment, which found him liable for sexual abuse, questioning Mace’s endorsement of Trump in light of this verdict.
However, Mace, herself a survivor of sexual assault, deflected the question, accusing Stephanopoulos of attempting to shame her as a rape victim.
Mace candidly shared her own experience of sexual assault at the age of 16, highlighting the enduring shame that many survivors endure. She refused to engage with Stephanopoulos’s line of questioning, insisting that she would not be drawn into discussing another potential rape victim in a manner designed to shame her.
Stephanopoulos defended his line of questioning, pointing out Mace’s endorsement of Trump despite the civil judgment against him.
Throughout the interview, Mace continued to accuse Stephanopoulos of shaming her and dismissed the significance of the verdicts against Trump, asserting that they were not from criminal courts.
Despite Mace’s past criticisms of Trump, particularly following the January 6th Capitol attack, she maintained her endorsement of him, claiming that voters had already held him accountable during the GOP primaries.
As tensions escalated, Mace once again accused Stephanopoulos of shaming women who had been raped before the interview was abruptly cut off.
Following the interview, Mace took to social media to further criticize Stephanopoulos’s line of questioning, accusing him of attacking her instead of discussing the topic she was brought on for.
In response to the exchange, E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused Trump of sexual assault, thanked Stephanopoulos for his defense and wished Mace well, choosing not to take sides in the dispute.