Congresswoman Nancy Mace does not have Donald Trump’s endorsement, but she did have his building in the background as she begged for his voters’ support.
Ms Mace, the Republican representing South Carolina’s 1st congressional district, posted a video of herself in front of Trump Tower on Thursday, singing the former president’s praises.
“He brought American jobs back, he lowered our taxes, wages and employment were better for every hard-working American,” the congresswoman, standing on a New York City sidewalk, said of Mr Trump. “He made America safer.”
What Ms Mace left out was that the day before, Mr Trump had enthusiastically endorsed her primary opponent, Katie Arrington, and dragged Ms Mace’s name through the mud.
“Katie Arrington is running against an absolutely terrible candidate, Congresswoman Nancy Mace, whose remarks and attitude have been devastating for her community, and not at all representative of the Republican Party to which she is very disloyal,” Mr Trump said in a statement. “Katie Arrington, on the other hand, is liked and respected and a true Republican… Katie is a wonderful woman and has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
That perceived disloyalty dates back to January 2021, when Ms Mace said the former president “put all our lives at risk” during the Capitol riot, when a mob of Mr Trump’s supporters stormed Congress.
Mr Trump has evidently not forgotten that remark, nor has Ms Mace. In her Trump Tower video, the congresswoman did her best to list all her MAGA bona fides.
“I remember in 2015 when President Trump announced his run,” Ms Mace said. “I was one of his earliest supporters. I actually worked for the campaign in 2016. I worked in seven different states across the country to help get him elected. I supported him again in 2020 because of policies I believed in.”
On Twitter, a number of viewers found the pandering distasteful.
“Imagine groveling this hard for someone who is actively working to get you out of office and endorsing your primary opponent,” the podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen tweeted.
“This has a very ‘I’m sorry I made you hit me, Honey’ vibe to it,” another user commented.
The Independent has reached out to Ms Mace’s office for comment.
