"I'm Not Transing Your Dog": Nancy Mace Drops Unprompted Anti-Trans Quip During a Light Paparazzi Dog Moment
During a TMZ paparazzi ambush on Capitol Hill, Nancy Mace was showing off her new chocolate lab puppy when the dog nipped a crew member. Mace's unprompted response: "She didn't bite me. I'm not transing your dog." The culture-war quip arrived spontaneously mid-conversation about tattoos and her post-Congress plans.
"She didn't bite me. I'm not transing your dog.", Nancy Mace, 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 full exchange is in TMZ's original video; the quote reproduced here is verbatim from the on-camera audio.
On September 1, 2026, TMZ caught Rep. Nancy Mace on Capitol Hill with her new chocolate lab puppy, Millie, and began asking about her tattoos and her upcoming departure from Congress. The conversation was light and casual. Then the puppy nipped a TMZ crew member.
The reporter said: "It bit me."
Mace responded: "It bit you, did it? ... She didn't bite me. I'm not transing your dog."
The TMZ reporter reacted: "I'm not transing your dog? Oh my God."
The quip was spontaneous and unprompted. No one in the exchange had mentioned gender, transition, or anything related to the topic before Mace inserted the anti-trans line. She delivered it as a punchline immediately after the dog was described as female, pivoting from the puppy's sex to a culture-war reference in a single breath.
The Exchange in Context
The full sequence, verbatim from the audio:
TMZ: "You know, it's hard to find a job if you've got lots of tats these days." [the puppy nips at the crew] "It bit me."
MACE: "It bit you, did it? ... She didn't bite me. I'm not transing your dog."
TMZ: "I'm not transing your dog? Oh my God."
Mace then moved on, returning to the tattoo conversation without elaborating on the remark.
Watch the TMZ Video
The full clip, in which Mace discusses her new puppy, her post-Congress plans, her tattoos, and drops the quip, is available directly from TMZ. The exchange above occurs at approximately the 0:53 mark.
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.
About the Puppy
The dog, Millie, is a chocolate lab Mace said she got "during recess." She described getting Millie as a practical response to her impending congressional exit:
"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 planned to take Millie with her to vote that day.
Sources & Related Coverage
- TMZ Staff, "Rep. Nancy Mace Shows Off Tattoos, Says More Ink Is Coming," TMZ, September 1, 2026 (primary source; video of the full exchange)
- 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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