‘You’re a dying breed.’ SC’s Nancy Mace spars with reporter over Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace verbally sparred with veteran reporter John Monk of The State after he asked her whether violent offenders from the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots should have been pardoned by President Donald Trump.
Mace, a Charleston County Republican who is considering a run for governor in next year’s election, was asked if she agreed with U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who said it was a mistake to pardon violent offenders. Mace responded that those pardoned by Trump for actions on Jan. 6 have served their time.
“The folks who were at J6 and have served their time for the crimes they did. They’ve done that, and I support President Trump,” Mace said while speaking to reporters Monday before a Richland County Republican Party meeting.
Trump’s order freed two violent offenders from South Carolina from prison and kept out one person who was set to report to prison for attacks on police.
Cases were dismissed against two more South Carolina men who had pending violent offense charges.
Trump also pardoned two additional South Carolina men who had already served their prison terms for violent offenses.
Mace then got into a verbal debate with Monk, who pressed Mace about whether violent offenders should have been pardoned.
“I would like to know your thoughts on the people that tried to burn Charleston down after the Black Lives Matter riots,” Mace said. “Where were you when people were with long barrel guns were marching in downtown Charleston.”
“I’m asking you about the January 6 rioters, with all respect, congresswoman,” Monk said.
“I have always said that people who did the crime should do the time, and they’ve done that,” Mace said.
When asked about Thomas Casselman of Walhalla, who was serving 40 months in prison for assaulting a police officer, Mace responded: “He is released, and I support that.”
“Somebody like you and the legacy media wants to give everybody a pass for Antifa members, Black Lives Matter members that tried to burn cities down and didn’t serve a single day in jail,” Mace added.
Several people faced charges including for arson and destroying a police car during the George Floyd protests in Charleston and Columbia that turned violent in May 2020. Several were sentenced to prison time.
Graham, on Meet the Press, said on Sunday he thought it was a mistake for Trump to pardon violent offenders who assaulted police. Graham also was critical of former Vice President Kamala Harris. When she was a U.S. senator from California, Harris supported bail fundraisers for people who were arrested during the George Floyd protests, which at times turned violent, he said.
Monk, who has covered South Carolina courts more than 40 years, has written extensively about the South Carolinians charged in the Jan. 6 riots. Currently, he is reporting on Trump’s pardons, including gathering reactions from public officials.
Among Trump’s roughly 1,500 pardons were 34 South Carolinians. They included people who attacked police, those who were disruptive and aggressive without attacking police and those who were non-violent. Seven of the South Carolina defendants faced or were facing charges involving attacks on police.
During her interaction with Monk, Mace went on to say her stances have been attacked and even led to a physical assault against her.
“Ever since I was assaulted, and I’ve been saying no men with penises in women’s bathrooms, I was physically assaulted. I get death threats every day. Not a single person has been arrested for the acts of violence against me,” Mace said. “So where are you on that you’re nowhere because you’re part of legacy media, you’re a dying breed.”
A man was charged last month with simple assault, a misdemeanor, after being accused of violently shaking Mace’s hand at a reception in Washington, D.C.
This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 2:02 PM.
