Rep. Nancy Mace details accusations of rape and sexual abuse in a speech from the House floor

"some of the most heinous crimes against women imaginable", Rep. Nancy Mace, House floor speech, February 11, 2025

NBC News reported that Mace took to the House floor for more than 50 minutes on February 11, 2025, accusing four named men, including her ex-fiancé Patrick Bryant, of rape, sex trafficking, and other serious crimes. The speech drew immediate national attention both for its subject matter and for the use of congressional privilege to make allegations that could not be tested in real time.

NBC reached all four accused men for comment. Bryant's response was categorical:

"I categorically deny these allegations.", Patrick Bryant statement to NBC News

The other three named men similarly denied the accusations. NBC's coverage documented the sweeping scope of the allegations and the denials alongside them, a framing that underscored the contested nature of the claims from the moment of their public airing.

The floor speech became a legal flashpoint. Brian Musgrave, one of the four men named, subsequently filed a federal defamation suit against Mace. Courts would later weigh whether the Speech or Debate Clause shielded her floor remarks while leaving her social-media statements potentially exposed to liability. The allegations made that day remain unproven and are actively disputed in ongoing civil litigation.

Watch the speech

Mace's official congressional YouTube channel posted the full floor speech. The video covers the complete 50-plus-minute address as delivered on February 11, 2025.

Watch on YouTube: Congresswoman Nancy Mace channel →

Related coverage

• Prosecutors drop charge against man Rep. Mace accused of 'physically accosting' her (CNN)
• US Rep. Nancy Mace sued for libel and defamation after making public accusations of abuse (Post and Courier)