US Politics
Police investigation faults Republican firebrand Nancy Mace over ‘spectacle’ of expletive-filled rant at airport staff: report
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During an October encounter at the Charleston airport, Rep. Nancy Mace reportedly turned a “minor miscommunication” with security into an expletive-filled “spectacle” that left staff “visibly upset,” according to an airport police investigation report obtained by The Washington Post.
On October 30, the airport security team was expecting to meet Mace after she arrived in a white BMW to escort her, when she instead came in a silver BMW, the report found. Because of the snafu, Mace was briefly left unattended, then was found later angrily criticizing staff at a TSA checkpoint over the incident.
The report found airport staff had a “certain level of responsibility” for what happened, but said Mace’s “continued failure to follow established procedures at the checkpoint” escalated the situation.
The South Carolina rep, who is now running for governor, allegedly berated officers and TSA staff, telling them she was “sick of your s***,” calling them “f***ing idiots,” and accusing them of being “f***ing incompetent,” according to the investigation report. Many airport staff were working without pay at the time, during the government shutdown.
The Republican complained she was not getting special treatment even though she was a “f***ing representative,” the report allegedly found.
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The report also faulted alleged past issues with Mace at airports, describing the Republican as being “rarely on time and that this is often exacerbated by the fact that their communication is often relayed through multiple staffers, as the Congresswoman appears to have high personnel turnover.”
The Independent has contacted Mace for comment.
Her office told The Washington Post the details of the report were “a full exoneration.”
Mace has insisted police and media outlets have spread an incomplete and incorrect version of what happened at the airport.
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She also threatened to sue American Airlines, the Charleston Airport, and others over the October incident.
As an Independent analysis found, Mace posted more than 100 times on social media about the incident.
Describing the incident last month, which took place not long after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed, Mace said she was concerned for safety.
“I am not going to be the next person shot and killed in cold blood,” she told reporters. “I take my safety of myself, of my children, of my family, of my employees, very seriously.”
“I absolutely 100% confronted the airport employees who put my safety at risk,” she added. “Did I drop an F bomb? I hope I did. Did I call them incompetent? If I didn’t, they absolutely earned it.”