This GOP Rep. May Have Lied About Trans Activist Attacking Her
Representative Nancy Mace, known for her attention-seeking antics, called the police on a transgender advocate for foster youth, accusing him of assaulting her outside the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., Tuesday night. According to three eyewitnesses, James McIntyre simply shook the congresswoman’s hand during a reception following an event celebrating the anniversary of a child welfare law, and asked Mace to protect the rights of transgender people. Mace’s account was very different, however. In a post on X, the congresswoman claimed she “was physically accosted at the Capitol tonight by a pro-tr*ns man.”“One new brace for my wrist and some ice for my arm and it’ll heal just fine. The Capitol police arrested the guy. Your tr*ns violence and threats on my life will only make me double down. FAFO. #HoldTheLine,” Mace’s post read. Other foster care advocates present at the reception disagreed with Mace’s account. Elliott Hinkle, a consultant who has advised the federal government on issues affecting youth in foster care, said McIntyre shook her hand and made a comment about how many transgender youth are in foster care, adding, “They need your support.”“From what I saw, it was a normal handshake and interaction that I would expect any legislator to expect from anyone as a constituent,” Hinkle, a former foster child and now an advocate for LGBTQ rights, said in an interview with The Imprint. According to Hinkle, one of Mace’s aides later asked McIntyre his name and to repeat what he told Mace. McIntyre had left the reception but was asked to return to the office building by Capitol police. The police arrested the advocate after searching him for several minutes. A Capitol Police Department officer said to a reporter at the scene that they were responding to a call about an “assault.” The South Carolina Republican has used fearmongering about trans rights as her pet issue to grab attention in recent weeks, attacking incoming Representative Sarah McBride, who will be sworn in next year as the first transgender member of Congress, with a Capitol bathroom bill that specifically targets her. Former aides have criticized Mace for the attention grab, and the Republican has sought to milk the issue by selling bathroom-themed merchandise.
Representative Nancy Mace, known for her attention-seeking antics, called the police on a transgender advocate for foster youth, accusing him of assaulting her outside the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., Tuesday night.
According to three eyewitnesses, James McIntyre simply shook the congresswoman’s hand during a reception following an event celebrating the anniversary of a child welfare law, and asked Mace to protect the rights of transgender people. Mace’s account was very different, however. In a post on X, the congresswoman claimed she “was physically accosted at the Capitol tonight by a pro-tr*ns man.”
“One new brace for my wrist and some ice for my arm and it’ll heal just fine. The Capitol police arrested the guy. Your tr*ns violence and threats on my life will only make me double down. FAFO. #HoldTheLine,” Mace’s post read.
Other foster care advocates present at the reception disagreed with Mace’s account. Elliott Hinkle, a consultant who has advised the federal government on issues affecting youth in foster care, said McIntyre shook her hand and made a comment about how many transgender youth are in foster care, adding, “They need your support.”
“From what I saw, it was a normal handshake and interaction that I would expect any legislator to expect from anyone as a constituent,” Hinkle, a former foster child and now an advocate for LGBTQ rights, said in an interview with The Imprint. According to Hinkle, one of Mace’s aides later asked McIntyre his name and to repeat what he told Mace. McIntyre had left the reception but was asked to return to the office building by Capitol police.
The police arrested the advocate after searching him for several minutes. A Capitol Police Department officer said to a reporter at the scene that they were responding to a call about an “assault.”
The South Carolina Republican has used fearmongering about trans rights as her pet issue to grab attention in recent weeks, attacking incoming Representative Sarah McBride, who will be sworn in next year as the first transgender member of Congress, with a Capitol bathroom bill that specifically targets her. Former aides have criticized Mace for the attention grab, and the Republican has sought to milk the issue by selling bathroom-themed merchandise.
