Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, got into a heated exchange at a House hearing Tuesday that culminated with Mace challenging Crockett by asking if he wanted to “take him outside.”
The war of words occurred during a discussion on civil rights and transgender rights, in which Crockett called for reestablishing a civil rights subcommittee and criticized Mace’s rhetoric on transgender people.
“I can see that someone’s campaign coffers are really struggling right now. So [Mace] “He’s going to keep saying ‘trans, trans, trans, trans’ to make people feel threatened, and girl, listen…” Crockett said.
“I’m not a kid, don’t call me a kid, I’m not a kid,” Mace interjected, prompting committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., to call for order, to no avail.
“If you want to take him outside, we can do that,” Mace said, turning to Crockett.
Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., attempted to defend Crockett, saying Mace had incited violence against her.
After an argument, Comer ruled that Mace’s comment had not been a call to violence, saying he could have asked Crockett to go out for “a cup of coffee or maybe a beer.”
Spokespeople for Mace and Crockett did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday night.
However, the two turned to X to defend themselves.
Mace posted about the incident more than a dozen times, acknowledging that he became “angry” at Crockett, but said his call to leave was not intended to mean he wanted to fight.
“Let me be clear: I wanted to get the conversation off the ground to have a more constructive conversation, not to fight. At no time was there any intention to cause harm to anyone,” he wrote in a post.
Crockett said in X that she had been threatened and called Mace “an attention-seeking loser.”
“Last time I checked, threatening members in a committee room doesn’t exactly reduce the cost of eggs,” he wrote.
Mace in recent months has become known for her actions towards transgender people. Following the election of the first openly transgender member of Congress, Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., Mace introduced a measure banning transgender women from accessing female restrooms in the Capitol. Mace later said the resolution was “absolutely” aimed at McBride, and he has since visited his district to speak with the state Republican Party about the measure.
The House Oversight Committee room where Tuesday’s exchange took place was also the site of a meeting last year that descended into chaos amid personal insults. In May, a hearing imploded after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., responded to a question from Crockett by saying, “I think your false eyelashes are ruining what you’re reading.”
When Comer ruled that Greene’s words had not violated committee rules, Crockett asked: “I’m just curious, just to better understand your decision. If anyone on this committee starts talking about someone’s blonde, ill-formed male body, that wouldn’t be engaging in personalities, right?
