This week, a heated online exchange between Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace and Fox News host Trey Gowdy sent shockwaves through the political sphere, culminating in a series of personal jabs and escalating tensions within the GOP.
It all began when Gowdy took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize Mace, saying, “Nancy Mace would not be in the House if it weren’t for Donald Trump, and she can’t vote the way that he asked her to today?” Mace wasted no time firing back, retorting, “I have a message for Trey Gowdy: You let Hillary Clinton off the hook for Benghazi. Sit your ass back down.”
However, the spat didn’t end there. Mace further escalated the conflict by sharing an old photo of Gowdy from his congressional days, with the caption, “Which bathroom do we think Trey Gowdy uses?” The comment appeared to be a swipe not only at Gowdy but also at her opposition to transgender rights, a point of contention that has repeatedly surfaced in her politics.
Mace’s comment seemed to echo her criticisms of incoming transgender Representative Sarah McBride, who made history as the first openly transgender state senator in the US McBride, a fierce advocate for transgender rights, has notably used Capitol Hill bathrooms that align with her gender identity, a topic that has sparked controversy among certain Republican lawmakers.
The clash with Gowdy wasn’t the only fallout Mace faced this week. Wesley Donehue, a South Carolina-based political consultant, revealed that he had severed ties with Mace months ago, citing her behavior as the reason. “I fired Nancy Mace as a client because I’m a political consultant, not a babysitter or a sex therapist,” Donehue wrote. He went on to call Mace’s actions “egotistical” and described her remarks as a “childish attack.”
Adding fuel to the fire, Mace’s former communications director, Natalie Johnson, posted an old video of Mace enthusiastically praising Gowdy on Fox News. At the time, Mace referred to herself as a “huge fangirl” of Gowdy. Johnson’s comment, “It’s tough being a sycophant,” suggested a deepening fracture within Mace’s political network.
This personal drama comes at a particularly challenging moment for the GOP. The Republican Party is currently embroiled in internal strife as they struggle to agree on a government funding bill. Just recently, a Republican-backed spending plan, supported by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, was shot down in the House by a 174-235 vote. The bill, which sought to raise the debt ceiling through 2027, was opposed by every Democrat in the chamber and 38 House Republicans, further exposing the ongoing divisions within the GOP.
