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Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) has claimed she was physically accosted Tuesday night at a Capitol Hill event, prompting an arrest and heated disputes over the incident. However, foster youth advocates and attendees at the event challenge her account, describing the interaction as nothing more than a routine handshake.
The incident occurred during a reception commemorating the 25th anniversary of legislation supporting youth aging out of foster care. Attendees included foster advocates and members of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, where Mace serves as a co-chair.
According to Mace, Illinois resident James McIntyre, 33, clasped her hand with both of his and shook her arm “aggressively and in an exaggerated manner,” causing her to sustain injuries requiring a sling. Mace told Capitol Police the encounter left her with pain in her arm, wrist, and back.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mace linked the alleged attack to her legislative efforts targeting transgender rights, writing, “I was physically accosted tonight on Capitol grounds over my fight to protect women.”
Eyewitnesses Dispute the Narrative
Foster advocate Elliott Hinkle, who attended the event, provided a starkly different version of events. “My colleague James met her by one of the doors to walk up to her and shake her hand and said, ‘trans youth are foster youth, they need your support,’” Hinkle said. “And then he went and sat back down.”
Keri Hope Richmond, another attendee, said she witnessed no aggression during the interaction. She criticized the subsequent arrest of McIntyre, stating, “It’s just really sad because now it takes away from the whole celebration.”
McIntyre was arrested and charged with assault. He has pleaded not guilty.
Broader Political Context
The incident has amplified tensions surrounding Mace’s recent efforts to ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms in the Capitol. Speaker Mike Johnson supported the policy, further stoking debate.
Mace’s spokesperson, Gabrielle Lipsky, dismissed eyewitness accounts as biased, claiming, “It’s the usual suspects in the media propping up misogyny on the Left.”
Advocacy groups and critics have called for greater focus on foster youth issues, arguing the controversy distracts from the event’s mission. The fallout underscores the growing political and social divides in Congress.
