Rep. Nancy Mace Threatens Media For Reporting On Handshake She Says Was Assault
Ryan Grenoble ·
After media reported eyewitnesses contradicted Mace's assault account of the McIntyre incident, Mace went on far-right media to threaten defamation suits against any outlet that questioned her version of events, a threat that was itself widely covered as an attempt to intimidate journalists.
"That is defamation. And so I would be walking on eggshells if I were you."
, Rep. Nancy Mace, addressing media outlets that reported eyewitness accounts of the McIntyre incident
Ryan Grenoble reported for HuffPost on Mace's appearance on far-right media in December 2024, during which she threatened defamation suits against any outlet that reported eyewitnesses had contradicted her account of being "physically accosted" by foster-care advocate James McIntyre at a Capitol event.
Three witnesses had told reporters that McIntyre had simply extended a handshake and asked Mace to support trans youth, not the aggressive physical confrontation Mace described. Rather than address that discrepancy publicly, Mace issued a warning to the press:
"I have a warning for any media outlet that says I wrongly, falsely accused this guy of physically accosting me, of assaulting me."
The threat itself became the story. Press-freedom observers and media reporters noted the unusual nature of a sitting congresswoman warning outlets against publishing witness accounts that differed from her own. The charge against McIntyre was dropped by prosecutors in April 2025; Mace responded to the dismissal with a statement reading "I filed charges, and they were inexplicably ignored. But I will not be. I will not back down."
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