In a candid revelation on Monday, Representative Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) declared her intention to steer clear of ABC following a contentious interaction with anchor George Stephanopoulos the preceding Sunday.
Expressing her frustration to NewsNation’s Leland Vittert on “On Balance,” Mace recounted her parting words to Stephanopoulos, “I told him as I was leaving, ‘You’re going to have a tough time getting me back on.'” She admitted to cursing under her breath after the interview, a testament to her agitation, though she clarified the expletive was not aired.
The friction between Mace and Stephanopoulos reached a peak during Sunday’s “This Week” segment. The tension arose when Stephanopoulos questioned Mace’s endorsement of Trump, especially after Trump was deemed liable for sexual battery in a defamation case brought by E. Jean Carroll the previous year.
The interview commenced with a clip of Mace discussing her own experience with rape, a narrative she shared just before announcing her congressional candidacy in 2019. Mace criticized Stephanopoulos for what she perceived as an attempt to shame her for her continued support of Trump, despite her personal history.
Stephanopoulos defended his line of questioning, insisting it was not intended to shame but to delve into the complexities of Mace’s support for Trump. He even lauded Mace’s bravery for sharing her story, all the while persisting with his inquiries.
Mace shared with Vittert that she had anticipated a discussion centered around the 2024 elections and the dynamics between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, especially in the wake of the President’s State of the Union address. “But the conversation took an unexpected turn, starting with my assault. The pain of that moment is still visible,” she remarked, highlighting the emotional toll of revisiting such a personal ordeal.
Further, Mace voiced her belief that the interview should alarm every woman in the nation, criticizing the approach taken by Stephanopoulos. She reiterated her sentiments on Fox News’s “The Faulker Focus,” accusing Stephanopoulos of attempting to intimidate her during their exchange.
Describing the aftermath of the interview as “very awkward,” Mace noted Stephanopoulos’s apparent irritation. “His demeanor post-interview was quite hostile. But, unfortunately, this is a tactic often seen from the far left,” she commented.
ABC News, when approached for a statement by The Hill, stood firmly behind Stephanopoulos’s conduct during the interview. A spokesperson for the network stated, “George fulfilled his role by posing significant questions that matter to our audience.”
This incident sheds light on the complex dynamics between media personalities and political figures, highlighting the challenges of navigating sensitive topics in a public forum.