Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) on Tuesday claimed a recently released police incident report on her behavior toward officers at the Charleston International Airport in late October was a political “hit job” that was, in part, “falsified.”
This week, the Washington Post reported on a Nov. 12 report conducted by the Charleston Airport Police Department, which showed airport staff recounting their tense interactions with the congresswoman.
The report detailed how Mace allegedly turned a “minor miscommunication” over the color of her vehicle into a public “spectacle.” The Oct. 30 exchange was reportedly replete with expletives and insults hurled toward airport police and Transportation Security Administration staff.
In response, Mace challenged the report’s findings that were based on eyewitness testimony.
“Part of the report was actually falsified,” she said on CNN late Tuesday when asked for her reaction to the report. “We asked for all the video, all the audio, everything, all the body cam. And the video that was released yesterday showed me asking TSA agents for help and for assistance. And conveniently, there is no audio that goes with it.”
The South Carolina Republican went on to say she has received “numerous” death threats since Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September. She also denied calling the airport officers “f***ing idiots,” as alleged in the report, while maintaining she supports law enforcement.
“I back the blue. I back our police. I back our security,” she added. “In my district in South Carolina, I’ve gotten millions of dollars for local law enforcement to support them in their efforts to keep our community safe. But what’s not OK is falsifying reports, falsifying incident reports.”
In a notable admission during the interview, Mace said she doesn’t fully remember the morning of the incident as she was busy with a conference call at the time. She recalled being “100% frustrated,” though.
The congresswoman, per the report, castigated officers for failing to escort her through security. The problem stemmed from miscommunication over the vehicle in which she was arriving at the airport.
Officers noted this when they caught up with her, to which she responded, “I’m sick of your s***. I’m tired of having to wait. I should not have to wait. You guys are always [f***ing] late. This is [f***ing] ridiculous.”
She did not address whether she used vulgar language in that instance, but noted she swears, like President Donald Trump, on a frequent basis.
“I do take responsibility for my words. I always have, but the idea that I would call somebody an idiot. I have never done that in my life,” she told CNN. “And to me, it was an incredible hit job. It was effective. It was a very effective political hit job, but that’s all that it was.”
As she runs for governor of South Carolina, Mace alleged her Republican primary opponent may have been behind the incident report in some way. When asked if South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson conspired with the Charleston Airport Police Department, Mace replied, “Oh, 100%.”
“Six minutes after they released the falsified reports, he had a news release and a press thing on social media,” she said of the Wilson campaign’s quick statement. “It was a very effective political hit job, but I’m not going to sit here and allow the mainstream media, to allow the press to concoct a story.”
POLICE INVESTIGATION FINDS NANCY MACE CAUSED ‘SPECTACLE’ AT SOUTH CAROLINA AIRPORT
The Washington Examiner contacted Wilson’s campaign for comment on Mace’s allegations.
In a statement following the report, Wilson’s deputy campaign manager demanded that Mace apologize for her public outburst. The congresswoman has not said whether she regrets her actions. Since the episode, however, she has sued American Airlines and Charleston International Airport for allegedly defaming her.
