Mace touts early support of Trump after he endorses primary challenger

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Thursday boasted about being one of former President Trump’s early supporters in a video filmed in front of Trump Tower just one day after Trump endorsed her primary opponent.

“I remember in 2015 when President Trump announced his run, I was one of his earliest supporters. I actually worked for the campaign in 2016. I worked at seven different states across the country to help get him elected,” she said, standing in front of Trump Tower in New York City. “I supported him again in 2020 because of policies I believed in.”

She said the former president “made America safer” and praised him for lowering taxes and other policies. She said she would be Republicans’ best chance to keep South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, suggesting that if her challenger Katie Arrington won the primary, a Democrat would win the seat.

“If you want to lose this seat once again in the midterm election cycle to Democrats, then my opponent is more than qualified to do just that,” Mace said.

Mace posted the video one day after Trump announced on Wednesday he was endorsing Arrington over Mace, calling the incumbent “an absolutely terrible candidate.” 

“Katie Arrington is running against an absolutely terrible candidate, Congresswoman Nancy Mace, whose remarks and attitude have been devastating for her community, and not at all representative of the Republican Party to which she has been very disloyal,” Trump said in a statement issued through his Save America PAC. 

Though Mace did not vote to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, she said days after that his rhetoric leading up to the riot “put all of our lives at risk.”

Arrington hit back at Mace over the video, asking why she was in New York City if her constituents were in South Carolina. 

“Nancy- did you get lost on your way to the Fox News Studio? Or are you in NYC to fundraise with the progressives? What does NYC have to do with the Lowcountry?” Arrington tweeted on Thursday.