Mace: I’m going to win without Trump

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) in a new interview said she anticipates winning reelection despite not having the support of former President Trump.

Mace on Tuesday told The State “I’m gonna win without him,” after Trump endorsed Mace’s primary challenger. 

Trump threw his support behind GOP candidate Katie Arrington earlier this month, calling her “a true Republican.” The former president knocked Mace in his endorsement statement, calling her “an absolutely terrible candidate” who has been “disloyal” to the GOP.

Arrington, in her announcement video, said Mace “sold out President Trump.”

Mace became the subject of Trump’s ire after she blamed him for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. In one interview, Mace said Trump “put all of our lives at risk.”

Before that, however, Mace was a loyal Trump supporter, even serving as a coalitions director and field director for Trump’s 2016 campaign for president, according to The State.

One day after Trump announced his endorsement of Arrington, Mace filmed a video in front of Trump Tower in New York City, reminding followers that she was an early supporter of Trump.

“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,” Mace said.

“I supported him again in 2020 because of policies I believed in,” she added.

The first-term congresswoman said Trump “made America safer” and commended him for various policy initiatives, before emphasizing that she is the GOP’s best chance to hold control of the seat in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District.

“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.

Asked by The State what changed between her and Trump, Mace said “I don’t know,” adding “you’ll need to ask him.”

Questioned about her video in front of Trump Tower, the congresswoman told the newspaper “If you call it groveling, I would say you didn’t watch the video.”

“I think it’s important to know what I said, but also what I didn’t say — present tense versus past tense,” she added.

In the video, as noted by The State, Mace said she currently supports Trump’s policies, while adding that she previously supported Trump.

The Hill reached out to Trump for comment.