'Don't Trans My Dog': Mace Catches Burchett Misgendering Her Havanese on Capitol Hill
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) walked into a TMZ interview on Capitol Hill, joked that Mace's Havanese puppy Millie bit him, then misgendered the dog. Mace told him: 'Don't trans my dog.' Burchett defended himself: 'I'm not transing your dog.'
"Don't trans my dog.", Nancy Mace, to Rep. Tim Burchett, Capitol Hill, September 1, 2026
Reporting credit: TMZ Staff, "Rep. Nancy Mace Shows Off Tattoos, Says More Ink Is Coming," September 1, 2026, 2:50 PM PDT. The exchange reproduced here is from TMZ's on-camera video of the encounter.
On September 1, 2026, TMZ caught Rep. Nancy Mace on Capitol Hill with her new Havanese puppy, Millie, and began asking about her tattoos and her upcoming departure from Congress. Midway through, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) walked into frame.
Burchett claimed Millie had bitten him. Mace denied it. He then referred to the dog with the wrong pronoun, misgendering the female Havanese.
Mace stopped him immediately.
Mace: "Don't trans my dog."
Burchett: "I'm not transing your dog."
The TMZ crew reacted audibly. The exchange was brief and the mood stayed light. Burchett kept walking; Mace returned to the tattoo conversation.
Millie
Millie is a Havanese puppy Mace said she got during a congressional recess. She described the decision in straightforward terms:
"I'm an empty nester and single, so I got a puppy so I could have a baby to take care of.", Nancy Mace
Mace said she planned to take Millie with her to vote that day.
Watch the TMZ Video
The full clip is available from TMZ. The Burchett exchange occurs midway through the segment.
Video: TMZ, "Rep. Nancy Mace Shows Off Tattoos, Says More Ink Is Coming", Capitol Hill, September 1, 2026. TMZ's CDN serves the video above; Maceopedia does not host this footage.
Sources & Related Coverage
- TMZ Staff, "Rep. Nancy Mace Shows Off Tattoos, Says More Ink Is Coming," TMZ, September 1, 2026 (primary source; full video of the encounter)
- Yahoo Entertainment re-host of the TMZ clip
- TMZ on Facebook: the video
- TMZ on TikTok: @tmz
Maceopedia: Cataloging the internet record about Nancy Mace.
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