Rep. Nancy Mace reported being injured Tuesday when someone she described as a "pro-tr*ns man" confronted her for political reasons, though witnesses reportedly said they saw nothing violent in their handshake. Capitol Police arrested an Illinois man who has been charged with assaulting a government official, per CNN. "I was physically accosted tonight on Capitol grounds over my fight to protect women," Mace posted on X, adding: "All the violence and threats keep proving our point. Women deserve to be safe. Your threats will not stop my fight for women!" The man pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge on Wednesday and was released, per the AP.
As the Republican left after speaking at a foster care youth advocacy event in the Rayburn Office Building, the man waited near the door with others. He told Mace, "Trans youth are in foster care and they need your support," a witness told the Hill. The two reportedly shook hands, and the man returned to his seat. "It seemed a pretty normal interaction from those of us who witnessed it," the witness said. Two other witnesses gave similar accounts to the Imprint, a site that covers child welfare issues, per USA Today. Capitol Police received a congressional staff report, then went to the room to make the arrest.
The police report says Mace described the handshake as aggressive and exaggerated and reported being in pain afterward. Mace has received attention recently for opposing allowing transgender women to use bathrooms in the Capitol complex that match their gender identity, a position she has cast as pro-women and promoted on social media. "One new brace for my wrist and some ice for my arm and it'll heal just fine," Mace posted on X. (More Nancy Mace stories.)
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