Special Poll
On a recent Sunday appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) had a contentious exchange with host George Stephanopoulos regarding her support for former President Trump. The discussion became particularly intense after Stephanopoulos questioned Mace about her endorsement of Trump, following a video clip he played of Mace discussing her own experience as a rape victim.
Mace was visibly upset by the line of questioning, interpreting it as an attempt by Stephanopoulos to use her past trauma against her. “I’ve lived for 30 years with an incredible amount of shame over being raped,” Mace stated, emphasizing the personal difficulty of discussing such experiences publicly and her refusal to be shamed on the show regarding allegations against Trump.
The conversation touched on the recent civil court ruling where Trump was found liable for sexual battery in a defamation lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll. Mace highlighted that Trump has never been criminally convicted of rape and expressed her offense at the framing of Stephanopoulos’s questions.
As the interview continued, Stephanopoulos sought to clarify that his questioning aimed not to shame Mace but to understand her political endorsement of Trump, especially in light of her previous statements and the allegations against him. Mace, however, maintained that the questioning was offensive and an attempt to shame her for her political choices and personal history.
The debate between Mace and Stephanopoulos grew more heated, with Mace condemning the approach as offensive to rape survivors and indicative of Stephanopoulos’s biases, given his history as an adviser to former President Clinton.
Following the interview, Mace took to social media to express her frustration, criticizing Stephanopoulos for what she saw as an attack on her and an attempt to shame her as a rape victim, while also referencing Clinton’s past scandal involving Monica Lewinsky.
Mace’s appearance, intended to discuss political matters related to 2024, turned into a significant and personal confrontation, highlighting the sensitivities involved in discussing sexual assault experiences in the context of political discourse.