The 'bot army' allegation
Public reporting described an allegation that Rep. Nancy Mace directed staff and used automated accounts to amplify herself online. Former consultant Wesley Donehue was quoted in that reporting describing her as someone who 'sits all night on the couch and programs bots.' Mace denied it, calling the sources 'bitter exes.' The allegation is contested and unproven.
In May 2025, Wired published a report, subsequently covered by The Daily Beast, Snopes, Yahoo News, and others, alleging that Rep. Nancy Mace directed staffers to create fake social media accounts to monitor online chatter about her and "bolster her image," and that she personally ran automated accounts to amplify her own content. The allegation is contested and unproven. Mace denied it.
The allegation, as reported
According to Wired's reporting, citing several unnamed former staffers and former campaign consultant Wesley Donehue, Mace was described as operating what reporters characterized as a "bot army." Donehue, who had publicly ended his contract with Mace, was quoted in Wired's reporting as saying she "sits all night on the couch and programs bots, because she's very, very computer savvy," adding that she "programs Facebook bots and Instagram bots and Twitter bots." The Daily Beast reported that Donehue said she "sets up Twitter burner accounts." All of the above characterizations are attributed to Wired and The Daily Beast's reporting of Donehue's statements; Maceopedia has not independently verified them.
Donehue's remarks were reported by Wired and other outlets in May 2025; the allegation drew widespread ridicule online, with the "sits all night and programs bots" framing becoming a widely-shared dunk.
Mace's denial
Mace denied the allegations. In reporting by Fox News, she was quoted as saying: "Unlike some folks, I don't need a burner phone to tell the truth." She characterized the allegations as coming from "bitter exes" and stated the reporting lacked credible evidence. That denial is on the record. The allegation remains unproven and contested.
"Unlike some folks, I don't need a burner phone to tell the truth."
Rep. Nancy Mace, as quoted by Fox News (cited by reporting)
Mace's public denial of the bot-army allegation.
Background
The Donehue quotes were reported by Wired as coming from testimony he gave in April 2025; Wired and other outlets described the account as sworn. The exact legal status and filing of that testimony is disputed, Mace's allies characterized the process as irregular. What is not in dispute is that Donehue publicly ended his working relationship with Mace and that his statements, as reported by Wired, became the basis for widespread national coverage. Snopes published an explainer examining the allegation's factual basis.
All characterizations of the allegation above are attributed to Wired, The Daily Beast, Snopes, and Yahoo News. The allegation is unproven and Mace disputes it.
Sources & related coverage
- The Daily Beast: Nancy Mace Accused of Making Staff Use Burner Accounts to Hype Her Up
- Wired: Nancy Mace Former Staff Burner Accounts
- Snopes: Did Nancy Mace order staffers to create burner accounts to promote her online?
- Comic Sands: Mace Had Staffers Create Burner Accounts To Praise Her
- Yahoo News: Nancy Mace ran bot army, had staff run fake accounts to boost profile, report claims