Mace says she’s had death threats over resolution on trans women in Capitol restrooms

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said she received death threats Tuesday amid backlash to her proposed legislation to bar transgender women from women’s facilities on Capitol Hill.

“They are threatening to kill me over this. Men that want to use women’s restrooms are threatening to kill me over this issue,” Mace told NewsNation’s “On Balance” late Tuesday.

Mace said her concern over who can access single-sex facilities stems from being a survivor of sexual assault and rape.

She began flagging the issue with fellow Congress members after Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.) became the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.

Mace has said she plans to put the bill in the 119th Congress rules package or bring it to the floor as a stand-alone rule.

“I want to see which of my male colleagues don’t support women up here. I dare them. Like, this is a place where I want your vote. I want it on record. I want to know where you stand. You protect us. Do we have rights as women or not?” she told host Leland Vittert.

“And I’m going to fight like hell for this. This is not — this is not something that’s OK. It’s an absurd idea. And it’s the height of hypocrisy and gaslighting to tell women, you lose your rights, and then a man walks in the room.”

When House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) shared that he opposed her resolution, Mace called him and others that disagree “bullies” who would not force her into “submission.” 

“Good luck. I was the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina, and if we haven’t met yet, I want all the bullies online to know you will not bully me into submission,” Mace said on air.

“I can’t be threatened. You can’t threaten my life enough. That means I’m just going to double and triple, quadruple down on this issue.”

McBride responded to Mace’s stance, describing it as an attempt to “distract” voters from real issues. 

“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing. We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care and child care, not manufacturing culture wars,” McBride told Politico in a Monday statement. 

“Delawareans sent me here to make the American dream more affordable and accessible, and that’s what I’m focused on.”