Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) acknowledged Monday that her public split with President Donald Trump could have lasting political consequences, even suggesting it may have brought her career in elected office to an end after a disappointing finish in South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
Mace made the remarks during an appearance on NewsNation with host Chris Cuomo, where the discussion centered on her political future following the death of former Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and the upcoming special election to fill his Senate seat.
Last year, Mace was among a small group of House Republicans who signed a discharge petition aimed at forcing a vote on legislation requiring the Department of Justice to release all of its files related to deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Under the legislation, the files would be made public without redactions except for the names of victims.
The measure ultimately passed both the House and the Senate before being signed into law by President Trump. The legislation became law despite the fact that Trump could have chosen to release the files without congressional action.
Mace’s relationship with the president later became strained during South Carolina’s race for governor.
In May, Trump declined to back Mace’s campaign and instead endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the Republican primary. The following month, Mace finished fifth in the GOP contest.
The South Carolina congresswoman has already announced she will leave Congress when her current term expires in January.
During Monday’s interview, Cuomo asked whether Mace intended to seek the Republican nomination in the special election following Graham’s death on Saturday.
Earlier Monday, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone (R), to serve out the remainder of the Senate term, which expires in January. A special election scheduled for Aug. 11 will determine which Republican candidate advances to face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a physician.
Cuomo directly asked Mace whether she planned to enter the race.
“Will you run in the special election?” he asked.
Rather than provide a direct answer, Mace shifted the conversation toward her current priorities.
“My focus right now is focusing on South Carolina,” she replied.
Cuomo then turned to Mace’s highly publicized disagreement with Trump over the release of the Epstein files, suggesting that the issue could become a major factor if she decided to pursue a Senate campaign.
“But could that be enough to ruin your chances?” Cuomo asked.
Mace responded candidly about the potential political fallout.
“It may have ended my political career, Chris,” she said.
“You said it,” Cuomo replied.
Reflecting on her approach to politics, Mace said she has never hesitated to criticize members of either political party when she believes it is warranted.
“I enjoy calling out Democrats and Republicans alike,” she said.
At the same time, she acknowledged the political realities following her unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign.
“I got my butt beat in the governor’s race, ok?” Mace said. “So, you know, those are all things that you sort of weigh.”
While Mace declined to reveal whether she intends to run in the Senate special election, her comments underscored the uncertainty surrounding her next political move after a difficult gubernatorial campaign and her break with President Trump over the handling of the Epstein files.
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